NEPTUNE'S CASSEROLE

This casserole is the most requested dish at my place of work. The recipe calls for shrimp, scallops, and crab meat, but I have so far only used the shrimp and it is simply divine every time! It gets really quiet around the crowded table after the first forkful is lifted to their mouths...then next comes the uuuuhhh's and ahhhh's.

1 1/2 cups cooked rice
1/2 lb. raw shrimp, cleaned
1/2 lb. sea scallops
1/2 lb. cleaned crabmeat
!/4 cup each of chopped red and green bell pepper
1/2 of a sweet onion, chopped
1 cup chopped celery
16oz. sliced fresh mushrooms
1 heaping tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce
healthy pinch of white pepper
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup mayonnaise
1 cup light cream
1 1/2 cups grated White cheddar cheese
!/2 to 3/4 cup dry breadcrumbs
1/2 stick melted butter

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Saute the veggies in a little butter then combine all ingredients. Place in a greased 9X13 dish. Cover and bake for 30 minutes. Top with grated cheese and bread crumbs and drizzle with butter. Return to oven and bake, uncovered, for 15 minutes. Serve immediately with a smile and a side of mixed greens and freshly stewed silver Queen corn.

COOKS NOTE: I use 2 lbs. medium shrimp in this recipe and top it the last 15 minutes (of the 30) with the crumbs of my Little Bits of Sunshine...and the cheese and butter of course. That is a total cooking time of only 30 minutes. I never cook my shrimp before putting it in any casserole either. There's not much worse than tough shrimp.