If you’re looking for an easy-to-make meal that will impress your guests, Baked Flounder with Shrimp Stuffing needs to be on your holiday menu this year.
Why is Baked Flounder with Shrimp Stuffing the book-inspired recipe for Home for Christmas?
Main character Nell in Home for Christmas wants to create the perfect Christmas for her daughters, which means there’s no shortage of delicious meals and decadent desserts in the story. My book-inspired recipe for this holiday read is the meal I generally make for my own family on Christmas Day.
Baked Flounder with Shrimp Stuffing is a dish that’s sure to impress for the holidays or any other special occasion. It looks mouth-watering, it makes your kitchen smell divine, and the taste is restaurant quality.
And, while it certainly makes for an elegant celebratory meal, this recipe is actually easy enough to make for an elevated weeknight dinner.
The Shrimp Stuffing is really just a topping…
As you see from the photos, I use the term “stuffing” rather loosely here. Most recipes want you to roll up crab or shrimp stuffing inside a fish filet, then secure the little bundle o’ culinary happiness with toothpicks.
Have you ever tried doing this? Because I have, and it was so not worth the trouble.
The first (and only) time I tried the “rolling” method was a complete disaster. The filet kept unfurling as it baked, despite the million toothpicks attempting to hold it together, and almost all of the stuffing fell out and onto the baking dish.
But, the flavor was so good, and I knew I’d have to make the recipe again. But, without that pesky rolling component.
The next time, I just schmeared the stuffing on top of the filets and popped the dish in the oven. The end result was a winner. Not only does the “stuffing” get way more flavor by getting golden and crunchy as it bakes, but each bite of flounder is covered with that delicious topping.
And, since we all know that stuffing, in any form, is the star of any holiday meal — extra shrimp stuffing is never a bad thing.
Why I love Baked Flounder with Shrimp Stuffing
Baked Flounder with Shrimp Stuffing is such a great holiday meal because it feels truly decadent, like you’re eating dinner at a fancy restaurant. While most seafood stuffing mostly consists of breadcrumbs, the bulk of this stuffing is the shrimp.
I mean, just look at these photos — you can barely see the flounder underneath all the shrimpy goodness piled on top! That’s the best (and only) way to serve a seafood dish.
The flounder underneath cooks perfectly in just 10-15 minutes, and you don’t have to worry about it drying out in the oven because the stuffing on top keeps everything moist.
Oh, the fact that this dish is swimming in butter doesn’t hurt anything, either.
Baked Flounder with Shrimp Stuffing is a great (make-head) holiday meal
One of the reasons Baked Flounder with Shrimp Stuffing makes a great holiday meal is that most of the recipe can be prepared ahead of time.
This means way less stress for the host(ess) on the day-of when you have a house packed full of hungry people.
The shrimp stuffing can be made a day or two in advance and refrigerated until it’s time for The Big Meal. Then, about 30 minutes before you’re ready to serve dinner, simply arrange the flounder in a baking dish, microwave the prepared stuffing and spoon it on top of the filets, then bake everything off.
The recipe as I’ve written it below serves 4-6 people, but I often double or even triple it to feed 12-18 people.
What to serve with Baked Flounder with Shrimp Stuffing
This Baked Flounder with Shrimp Stuffing is usually just one of the main dishes on my holiday table. Since not everyone loves fish or seafood (sigh), I’ll also serve another easy-to-make but impressive-looking dish, like Raspberry Thyme Chicken or Chicken Saltimbocca. Some great side dishes with any of these recipes are roasted carrots, broiled broccolini, or mushroom risotto.
When it comes to desserts, you can go heavy since fish dishes are nice and light. Indulge in a slice of rich Mint Chocolate Cake, gooey Cherry Pie Bars, or saucy Sticky Toffee Pudding.
And, because I live in Northern New Jersey, I have to put this out there: if you’re celebrating Christmas Eve with the Italian Feast of the Seven Fishes, Baked Flounder with Shrimp Stuffing should absolutely be on your menu, along with a starter of Chilled Seafood Salad or Cioppino. Top off your meal with Anisette Cookies or Lemon Sprinkle Cookies for an Italian-inspired dessert.
Baked Flounder with Shrimp Stuffing
Ingredients
- 1 lb flounder filets
- 1 1/4 lb shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 6 tbsp unsalted butter, divided
- 1/4 cup diced green pepper
- 1/4 cup diced celery
- 6 tbsp diced onion
- 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 6 tbsp low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 tsp dried dill weed
- 1/2 cup Italian seasoned breadcrumbs
- 1/2 lemon, juiced
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
- ground paprika, to taste
- onion powder, to taste
- salt, to taste
- ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
PREP INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat oven to 375F. Spray a 9x13 baking dish with cooking spray and set aside.
- Dice green pepper, celery, and onion. Set aside.
- Chop parsley and set aside.
- Chop shrimp into bite-size pieces. Set aside.
COOKING INSTRUCTIONS
- Melt 2 tbsp butter in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add the green pepper, celery, and onion, stir to coat, and sauté until the veggies have softened, 5-8 minutes.
- Add the chopped shrimp to the skillet and stir into the veggies. Cook until the shrimp have turned pink.
- Stir the chicken broth, Worcestershire sauce, and dried dill into the skillet. Let the mixture heat through, then turn off the stove and remove the skillet from the heat.
- Stir the bread crumbs into the skillet until you have a thick stuffing mixture. Taste and additionally season with salt and pepper to taste. Set stuffing aside to cool slightly.
- Liberally season both sides of flounder filets with salt, pepper, onion powder, and a dash of paprika. Place seasoned filets in a single layer in the prepared baking dish and squeeze the juice of half a lemon over the fish.
- Spoon the shrimp stuffing on top of the flounder, covering as much of the filets as possible.
- Slice the remaining 4 tbsp of butter into thin pats and place on top of the stuffing all around the baking dish.
- Liberally season the flounder and stuffing with salt, pepper, onion powder, and paprika.
- Bake the flounder at 375F for 10-15 minutes, or until fish flakes easily with a fork. Serve Baked Flounder with Shrimp Stuffing while still hot from the oven.
