Most nights, for things to go smoothly, dinner needs to be served and eaten by 5:30 pm. But lately, mostly because of the sickness going through my house, dinner is being served at 6:45, an hour and fifteen minutes later than it should be. When the cooks lose track of time because they’re doing things like tended to the sick and washing dishes, dinner just seems like another thing added to the plate (ha!). And when you’re helping 5 kids with their studies every day (they’re homeschooled), it’s seems like I never have a free moment to myself. To relax, have a sip of tea, kick my feet up. So a slow cooker kind of meal is exactly what I need to keep my days on track and my dinners tasty.
Slow cooker shrimp creole is amazing. If you’ve never had any form of shrimp creole, you’re missing out on quite a bit. If you have had it before, you know what kind of goodness I’m talking about. It is absolutely irresistible and is surely a kid-pleaser. I myself am not a big fan of mushy vegetables, but this shrimp creole was so good that I honestly didn’t even mind it. You can call me picky, but I have my preferences, okay? Just like I prefer not to eat bananas or prunes. I know they’re healthy for me so I eat them…sometimes.
I could eat this everyday. It’s one of those dinners where everyone’s wondering whether or not they get a second serving. The flavors are so intense and bold. It’s perfectly spicy, not too hot, not too mild. I can tell this is going to be a regular dinner in my house from now on. Yeah, shrimp is a little expensive at times, but I can live with buying a $7.99 bag of shrimp every two weeks.
In case you didn’t notice, I got a new camera two days ago. We’re not talking a Kodak point and shoot. Think bigger. Like DSLR bigger. A Canon EOS Rebel T3 to be exact. I love the heck out of it and spent all of yesterday taking pictures of my garden and my family. AND of this awesome smoothie. Obviously, I’ve still got lots to learn, but I’m so excited about future posts to come (that includes future photos of awesome food).
I seriously recommend that you make this for your loved ones. They will thank you…openly. You know you done did something right when everyone’s gathered around the dining room table, stuffing their faces with the food you made, smiling, and enjoying themselves. It does a heart good. My family loves this slow cooker shrimp creole and the way it makes the house smell all day long. I’m sure your family will love it as much as mine did if not more.
Here’s the recipe:
- ½ cup finely diced onion
- ½ cup chopped green bell pepper
- ½ cup chopped celery
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 1 (8 oz) can tomato paste
- 1¾ cup crushed tomatoes
- 1 cup water
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- 1 tablespoon hot sauce (original heat)
- 1 pound medium or salad shrimp, thawed
- In a medium skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add onions, bell peppers, celery, and garlic; cook until tender.
- In a slow cooker (I use a Crock Pot), toss in the sauteed vegetables. Add in all of the other ingredients, except for the shrimp. Set slow cooker to high and cook for 3 hours. Ten minutes before it's done cooking, add the shrimp. Stir and serve over rice.
[…] Shrimp Creole – A perfect way to spice up the any week night, this recipe only requires a bed of rice or grits to complete the meal. […]