Seafood Casserole for Christmas Eve from the Farmhouse

Ingredients

The Main Thing

• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/2 cup chopped green pepper
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1/2 cup chopped celery

• 2 (4 ounce) cans mushroom stems and pieces, drained

Roux

• 2/3 cup flour
• 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic (1 clove pressed)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper (optional)

Sauce

• 1 (10 3/4 ounce) can cream of mushroom soup or cream of shrimp soup or cream of celery soup

• 2 cups milk

Some More Main Thing Ingredients

• 2 lbs frozen shrimp, thawed (cooked, tails off)

• 1 (16 ounce) package frozen imitation crabmeat, thawed

• 1 (8 ounce) can water chestnuts, sliced, drained

Topping

• 1/4 cup butter, melted
• 1 cup breadcrumbs
• 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Serve With

• French bread, sliced, garlic-buttered

Directions

1. 1

   Melt butter over medium-high heat; saute green pepper, onion, and celery until tender (5 minutes?); stir in mushrooms.

2. 2

   Sprinkle flour over veggies, stir and cook for ONE minute; add garlic and remaining Roux ingredients.

3. 3

   Whisk in the Sauce ingredients; cook for ONE minute, until thickened.

4. 4

   Preheat oven to 350; grease a 13x9 pan.

5. 5

   Combine remaining Main Thing ingredients in the cake pan, pour sauce over and toss lightly to coat.

6. 6

   Combine Topping ingredients in a small bowl, sprinkle evenly over the casserole.

7. 7

   Bake, uncovered for 30 minutes until bubbly.

8. 8

   At the last 15 minutes, pop in a loaf of sliced and garlicky-buttered French bread (wrapped in foil for optimum delicious-ness).