Warm up with shrimp and corn bisque or lasagna

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Creamy Shrimp and Corn Bisque

This recipe is from one of my favorite food bloggers Sailor Bailey. Since we're not quite out of cold weather yet, this is the perfect warm meal with lots of shrimp and crab. You can follow Bailey on Facebook, Instagram, and Tiktok at sailor_bailey for more delicious meals.

Ingredients

● 3 tbsp unsalted butter *see notes

● 3 tbsp chopped white onion

● 4 tbsp chopped celery *plus more for garnish*

● ½ cup corn kernels *see notes

● 3 tbsp all-purpose flour

● ½ tsp salt

● ½ tsp black pepper

● 1 tbsp tomato paste

● 1 tsp creole seasoning blend *see notes

● 2 cup milk *see notes

● 1 cup heavy whipping cream

● ½ lb large cooked shrimp

● ½ lb crabmeat, imitation

● 4 tbsp sherry wine

● 3 tbsp chopped parsley

Optional Garnish Toppings

● 4 tbsp chopped celery

● chopped jalapeños

Instructions

1. Melt the butter in a Dutch oven or large saucepan over medium-low heat; add the chopped onion and celery. Sauté, stirring, until tender, about 2 minutes.

2. Blend the flour into the butter and vegetables until well incorporated. Continue cooking, stirring, for about 2 minutes. add in seasonings and tomato paste.

3. Slowly stir the milk into the butter and vegetables. Continue cooking, stirring until thickened, about 3 minutes. Add in the heavy cream.

4. If desired, puree the soup in a blender or food processor at this point and then return it to the saucepan. I enjoy doing it this way best!

5. Stir in the cooked shrimp, shredded crab, corn kernels and sherry. Bring it to a simmer. Serve hot, garnished with parsley and additional chopped celery and corn.

To Cook Shrimp

1. If you have raw shrimp, you will need to clean and shell it. Next heat 1 tbsp of oil in a sauté pan. Add shrimp to the pan once it's hot, on medium/high heat. Add a pinch of salt and pepper to the shrimp. I like to add a dash of cayenne pepper for heat, but that’s up to you! Cook for about 4 minutes on each side and then set the shrimp aside until the recipe calls for it.

Easy Homemade Lasagna

Everyone loves a good lasagna, especially if it's made with Oven Ready Lasagna Noodles. This meal is a mixture of a couple of different family and friends’ recipes. Serve with some Red Lobster cheddar bay biscuits and you have the ultimate comfort meal!

Ingredients

● 1 box oven ready lasagna noodles

● 1 egg yolk

● 1 15oz container ricotta cheese

● 1 16oz bag shredded mozzarella cheese

● 1lb browned hamburger

● 1 6oz bag of pepperoni

● 2 24oz jars pasta sauce of your choice

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Add meat and sauce together in pot and cook on medium for about 10 minutes.

2. Mix egg yolk and ricotta cheese in a bowl and set aside.

3. Lightly coat bottom of a 9x13 baking dish with sauce and meat mixture. Layer noodles, ricotta cheese, pepperoni, sauce and meat mixture, and shredded mozzarella. You should be able to layer these ingredients around three times if your baking dish is deep enough. If you have leftover ingredients, you can also make another smaller lasagna and freeze it.

4. Bake for 25 minutes covered with foil. Remove foil and bake for an additional 20-25 minutes and enjoy!

Pickletini

This cocktail is perfect for celebrating the World’s Only St. Paddy’s Pickle Parade in Mansfield. It's super easy to make and great for pickle juice lovers like me!

Ingredients

● 2 oz pickle flavored vodka of your choice

● 1 oz of dill pickle juice brine (Best Maid is the best!)

● A splash of dry Vermouth

● Pickle salt

● Optional: Dill pickle for garnish

Instructions

1. Rim your martini glass with pickle salt

2. Mix ingredients in a shaker with ice.

3. Pour into glass and enjoy!

Jaydyn Kowalski is a stay-at-home wife and rabbit mom. She developed a passion in the kitchen at a young age while cooking for her family and gives all the credit for her cooking skills to her mother. You can find her making a mess in her kitchen in Athens, Texas. If you have a recipe to share or one to request, please email jaydynkowalski@gmail.com