Southern Shrimp and Crab Rice Casserole

Name: Southern Shrimp and Crab Rice Casserole
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 55 min
Ingredients: 2 packages ready to serve wild rice (8 ounces each); 1/4 cup butter; 1/2 cup celery (chopped); 1/2 cup onion (chopped); 3 tablespoons all purpose flour; 1.5 cups half and half; 1 teaspoon old bay seasoning; 1 teaspoon salt; 1/4 teaspoon black pepper; 1/2 teaspoon hot sauce; 1 pound raw shrimp (deveined, peeled and tails off); 12 ounces raw crab meat (drained and rinsed); 1 cup Colby jack (cheese)

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Today we are bringing you a great taste of summer in the south with our delicious SOUTHERN SHRIMP AND CRAB RICE CASSEROLE! This is an easy one to make in a pinch, which we know is every cook’s dream. And we’re going to make that dream come true!

A close-up of a plate with a serving of cheesy casserole containing rice and shrimp, sitting in front of a glass baking dish with more of the same casserole. The casserole is topped with melted cheese.

There is nothing like the amazing smell of onions and celery cooking in butter! This casserole will make your whole house truly smell like home. It’s a fantastic fringe benefit of this recipe! I can’t think of a better way to use fresh, seasonal Alabama Gulf shrimp. It’s southern seafood comfort food that you will love!

If you need another seafood fix, be sure to check out our SHRIMP CREOLE CASSEROLE recipe!

Ingredients

You will not believe how easy this casserole is to get together! Let’s do it!

A plate and a glass baking dish with baked casserole topped with melted cheese, showing chunks of chicken, rice, and vegetables on a brown tabletop.

What You’ll Need

Hot Sauce and Colby Jack cheese
Ready to serve Wild Rice – for our creamy base.
Butter and Half and Half – to give us the casserole texture.
Celery and Onion– gotta have the veg!
Flour, salt and pepper – for the roux base.
Uncooked shrimp, deveined, peeled and tail off. Lump crabmeat canned or fresh.

See recipe card for full ingredient list and quantities.

Why You Will Love This Southern Shrimp and Crab Rice Casserole

Perfect to make and take – Make it ahead of time, and pop it in the fridge or freezer before baking. Take it out when you need it, bake it and take it wherever you are going!
Easy to get together – Following our steps, you will be surprised how quickly and easily this one comes together. Like we said, it’s every cook’s dream!
Make your whole house smell like home! – We love this fringe benefit of this recipe! You will, too!

Instructions

This recipe uses a short cut on the rice but we keep it scratch made with a beautiful roux base for the casserole.

Preheat oven to 350° fahrenheit.

A person holding two packets of Ben’s Original Ready Rice over a glass baking dish. Chopped onions and celery are on a cutting board, and a pan with butter is on a stove to the right. Cooking utensils are visible on the counter.

Open and spread two packages of wild ready rice in the bottom of a greased 9×13 baking dish.

A split screen shows a glass dish with crumb mixture and a spoon on a wooden surface on the left, and chopped onions and celery sautéing in a skillet on a gas stove on the right. A hand holds a blue scraper.

Cook celery and onion with butter over medium heat just until tender.

A glass baking dish with oat topping, measuring cups, a whisk, and a carton of cream sit on a wooden counter next to a stove where flour is being added to sautéed celery and onions in a black skillet.

Sprinkle in flour.

A person pours half & half from a carton into a green measuring cup above a stove with celery and onions cooking in a pan. A baking dish with oat crumble and kitchen utensils are on a wooden countertop.

Slowly add in half and half.

A person’s hands hold a jar of Old Bay seasoning over a wooden kitchen counter with a whisk, spice containers, a blue spatula, an oat topping dish, and a stove with a pot of creamy mixture.

Season with Old Bay.

A person sprinkles seasoning into a saucepan of creamy mixture on a stove. On the wooden counter are a whisk, a blue scraper, two round containers, a small spice jar, and a dish with an oat topping.

Salt and pepper.

A person holding a bottle of Old Bay Hot Sauce above a wooden countertop with a baking dish of crumble, kitchen utensils, and a stove with a creamy mixture in a pan.

Add your favorite hot sauce.

A person holds a colander of raw shrimp over a skillet of creamy sauce on a stove. On the left, a baking dish with a crumb topping and various kitchen tools are on a wooden countertop.

Fold in crab meat and shrimp. Coat well with roux and vegetable mixture.

A person spreads a creamy casserole mixture into a glass baking dish on a wooden countertop beside a stove, with a black skillet, salt and pepper shakers, and a hand holding a whisk.

Spread in prepared pan over the rice.

A person sprinkles shredded cheese from a white bowl onto a casserole in a glass baking dish on a wooden counter near a stove. Seasoning containers and a gold spoon are also on the counter.

Top with shredded cheese.

A plate with a serving of cheesy seafood and rice casserole, showing shrimp, rice, and vegetables, sits in front of a glass baking dish with more casserole on a wooden surface.

Bake at 350° for 30-45 minutes until shrimp is pink and cheese is bubbly and melted. Allow to cool a few minutes before serving. Enjoy!

Why Brooke loves this recipe!

Recipes are like antiques. They are meant to be handed down from one generation to another. Each one holding a special memory or nostalgic memory. Here is why we love this one!

My whole house smells divine when making this casserole! And it is so jazzed-up with all of the seafood flavoring! Undeniably excellent flavor, creamy and delicious! It is southern seafood comfort food that I think is absolutely is perfect! I think you will, too!

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Substitutions & Variations

With this recipe, here are a few good customizations to help get you going.

Rice – While we use the convenient rice packages, this recipe is a great way to use up leftover rice, so go for it!
Hot components – You can certainly leave out the Old Bay hot sauce in our recipe, if you’re not into that. Or, if you’re in a spicy mood, add in more hot components of your own to step up the heat or give it a little Cajun flair.
Cheese – We love the Colby Jack cheese in this dish, but we know you likely have your own favorite, so go with cheddar or whatever you want to shred into this!

A close-up of a plate with a serving of cheesy rice casserole containing shrimp and vegetables, with the casserole dish visible in the background.

Equipment

I love to share recipes that are no special equipment required but here are a few things that would definitely make this recipe easier!

A close-up of a plate with a serving of cheesy casserole containing rice, shrimp, and vegetables. A glass baking dish with more of the casserole is visible in the background on a wooden surface.

Storage Tips

Make ahead of time: This casserole is great to make ahead! Before you bake, simply cover it and freeze it. It’ll stay good in the freezer for about 2 months.
Fridge: You can cover it prior to cooking and place it in the fridge and it will last 2 – 3 days until you are ready to bake it!

⭐ LOVE THIS RECIPE? It would mean so very much to me if you would take a moment to rate this recipe and leave me a sweet comment in the recipe card below! ❤️❤️We hope you love all of the Southern and healthy recipes we share here at The Buttered Home and would love to see you back here often!

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A portion of cheesy casserole on a patterned plate with a fork beside a glass baking dish containing more of the baked casserole, set on a wooden surface.

Southern Shrimp and Crab Rice Casserole

We have a great taste of southern seafood comfort food with our absolutely delicious SOUTHERN SHRIMP AND CRAB RICE CASSEROLE! You will love it!

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 45

Total Time 55

Serving Size

Ingredients

2 packages ready to serve wild rice 8 ounces each
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup celery chopped
1/2 cup onion chopped
3 tablespoons all purpose flour
1.5 cups half and half
1 teaspoon old bay seasoning
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon hot sauce
1 pound raw shrimp deveined, peeled and tails off
12 ounces raw crab meat drained and rinsed
1 cup Colby jack cheese

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Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°. Place rice into a greased 9×13 baking dish and set aside. Heat butter over medium high heat in a large skillet. Saute onion and celery until tender.
2 packages ready to serve wild rice, 1/4 cup butter, 1/2 cup celery, 1/2 cup onion
Add flour to vegetables and cook a minute or so until you no longer smell the flour. Drizzle in the half and half. Bring to a soft boil and whisk to thicken. Add in the old bay, salt, pepper and hot sauce. Gently adding the crab and shrimp, folding in to coat everything well.
3 tablespoons all purpose flour, 1.5 cups half and half, 1 teaspoon old bay seasoning, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, 1/2 teaspoon hot sauce, 1 pound raw shrimp, 12 ounces raw crab meat
Pour into the prepared baking dish over the rice. Spread evenly. Top with grated cheese. Bake 30-45 minutes until shrimp are pink.
1 cup Colby jack

See How To Make It!

Notes

*PRO TIP* – this casserole is great to make ahead. Allow it to cool, cover tightly after prepping and mixing and refrigerate overnight. Bring to room temperature before baking. Bake as normal.

A serving of cheesy casserole with shrimp, vegetables, and rice sits on a green patterned plate next to a larger glass baking dish on a wooden table.

🍴 PRO TIP!

This is a great way to use fresh, seasonal seafood from your area. For Big D and myself, it’s the always excellent fresh Alabama Gulf shrimp that we love so much in our southern seafood comfort food!

🗹 RECIPE FAQ’S

Can I put other types of seafood in this dish?

Sure! Scallops would be nice in place of either the crab or shrimp in this casserole . Lobster would work well also.

What goes well with this casserole?

A nice green salad would be great with this! And maybe even a nice side of your favorite soup. This casserole pairs well with just about anything for any meal!

Can I just dump everything in, rather than doing layers?

You could, but sticking to our recipe with layering allows you to get the crab and the shrimp evenly spread out within the rice.

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