Easy Shrimp and Rice Casserole - Classic Cajun Comfort Food

This easy shrimp casserole is an old family favorite.  A delicious one-pot, one-pan meal with shrimp, cream of mushroom soup, cheddar cheese soup, cooked rice, and Cajun seasoning.  Ready to serve in about 50 minutes.

Welcome to My Kitchen Serenity!  I'm excited to share with you this easy shrimp dinner recipe that the whole family will love.  This shrimp and rice casserole would be great for dinner tonight or any special occasion! 

Why We Love This

Delicious shrimp cooked with butter, onion, bell pepper, and celery, then combined in a creamy sauce with rice and just the right amount of Cajun seasoning.  This delicious recipe was inspired by my sweet Aunt Louise (Nanny).

This recipe is super easy!  Using shortcuts such as buying peeled & deveined shrimp saves a ton of time.  You can't go wrong with buying the frozen, chopped bell pepper, onion, and celery "seasoning blend."  Around here, we call the 3-ingredient mixture of onion, bell pepper, and celery "trinity."

Cajun Shrimp and Rice

Both sets of my grandparents (and many generations before them) were born and raised in St. James Parish, Louisiana.  My mother and grandmothers are/were exceptional cooks. We grew up on all sorts of rice dishes such as jambalaya, shrimp creole, crawfish etouffee, and seafood gumbo.

Fresh seafood is readily available living so close to the Gulf of Mexico.  Growing up, my dad would do a shrimp boil in our kitchen; pouring the boiled shrimp right into the kitchen sink to drain and cool.  If we weren't eating shrimp, we were eating catfish, or some sort of fish every Friday. I vividly remember the fish courtbouillon (coo-bee-yawn) that he made.

I also remember my mom would make elbow macaroni with tuna in a red sauce.  Kinda like a tuna spaghetti-mac.  Delicious!

Ingredients and Substitutions

please scroll down to the printable recipe card for detailed information and nutritional data.

raw shrimp - medium to large, peeled and deveined (frozen shrimp is fine - thaw before using).  Leave just the tails on if desired as they can add additional flavor.  Substitute with peeled crawfish tails, if desired.

frozen seasoning blend - (pre-chopped onion, bell pepper, and celery).  See Quick Tip #2 below if using fresh vegetables.

cooked long-grain rice - pre-cook the rice the day before to save time or buy the pre-cooked rice in the pouches.  You can easily substitute cooked brown rice or wild rice instead of white rice.

minced garlic - keep a jar of minced garlic in your refrigerator for easy use over and over.

condensed cream of mushroom soup - if you don't like mushrooms, use condenses cream of chicken soup instead.

condensed cheddar cheese soup - if you simply can not find cheddar cheese soup, you could use condensed fiesta nacho cheese soup instead.

Cajun seasoning (Tony Chachere's or Slap ya Mama) - if you don't have Cajun seasoning, use cayenne pepper.

butter - makes the casserole creamy and adds flavor.

black pepper - freshly ground pepper is more flavorful than pre-ground pepper.

If you're looking for more delicious Cajun recipes, check out my Chicken and Sausage Jambalaya, Fried Green Tomatoes with Shrimp Creole Sauce, and Quick and Easy Red Beans and Rice with Sausage recipes! You’ll love every spicy, savory bite and the perfect blend of seasonings.

How to Make It

Quick Tip #1:  Buy shrimp that are already peeled and deveined. 

Quick Tip #2:  Buy the frozen chopped onion, bell pepper, and celery.  Save yourself some chopping time!  But if you prefer to use fresh vegetables, use about 1 cup of chopped onion, ½ cup of chopped bell pepper, and ¼ cup chopped celery. 

Saute the veggies in the butter for about 5 minutes.  Longer if using fresh onion, bell pepper, and celery - just until tender.

Add the shrimp, garlic, and seasonings.  Simmer for about 5 minutes  

Stir in the soups and cooked rice (see below "How to Cook Perfect Rice").  Mix it all up really well.  

Pour into a casserole dish.  Bake covered for about 30 minutes at 350 F.   Don't those shrimp look fantastic!

Serving Suggestions

Serve with french bread and a salad.  My husband loves it, especially with a dash of hot sauce!

Recipe Yield

This recipe makes 6 servings. 

Other Amazing Fish and Seafood Recipes

Red Snapper with Lemon Butter Caper Sauce

Thai Coconut Shrimp Soup

Easy Cod with Herb Butter

Easy Miso Ginger Salmon

Grilled BBQ Salmon

TIPS

How to Cook Perfect Rice

• First, you need to buy extra-long grain rice.  Why?  Because it won't get sticky or mushy; especially after all the cooking/baking that it has to go through for this recipe.  You want the rice to be firm, yet thoroughly cooked.
• Place 2-½ cups of water in a 2-quart heavy sauce pan.  Add ½ to 1 teaspoon salt and 1 tablespoon butter to the water.  Bring to a boil.  Stir in 1-¼ cups of raw rice.  Immediately place the lid on the pan, and turn down the heat to low.  Let the rice simmer for about 20 minutes, or until all the water is absorbed.  No peeking!  When the rice is done, remove the pan from the heat.  Remove the lid and fluff the rice with a fork.

Storage/Shelf Life

• Any leftovers should last 2-3 days in the refrigerator.  Store in an airtight, covered container.  I like to use the BPA-free glass containers with locking lids. Check out this 18-piece set of glass food storage containers with locking lids.  These containers are great for meal prep, too!  Available on Amazon.
• Personally, I would heat the shrimp and the rest of the casserole separately.  Remove the shrimp from the leftovers and set aside.  Heat the rice casserole to your liking, then warm the shrimp separately.  Don't overheat the shrimp too much or they will become rubbery. What a shame!  Combine the warmed shrimp with the rest of the rice casserole and enjoy.

Reader Comments and Reviews

• Made this last night and it's a keeper!! Added turkey sausage!  I cooked my sausage and shrimp, then added all the soups and baked!!  Delish!!
• I loved it!! And soo easy to make, simple ingredients!
• Banging!
• Added a can of rotel tomatoes.  Our favorite shrimp and rice bake!

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Nutritional data provided is based on the brands that I used and can vary with different brands.  Nutritional data provided does not include any salt, butter, or other ingredients you use to cook your own rice.

My original photos from 2018.  I think I've made significant improvements since then!