When I think of a seafood party, I think of an outdoor shrimp or crawfish boil, complete with the scent of Old Bay seasoning permeating everything. Now isn’t the best time of the year for that, so I set out to recreate that experience with these Old Bay Shrimp Stacks!

By posting this recipe I am entering a recipe contest sponsored by the Seafood Nutrition Partnership and I am eligible to win prizes associated with the contest. I was not compensated for my time.

I think I was destined to love seafood. I’ll give credit to my dad for the beginning of it all, when he managed to turn canned salmon into something not only edible, but delicious. He also was the master of smoked trout, with the fins and everything else still, um, attached…this freaked my mom out to no end. From there I graduated to sushi (thank you Aunt Kelley), chargrilled oysters, seared tuna, swordfish steaks, scallops (so many heart eyes), and all the rest of it.

There’s plenty of reasons to love seafood besides great taste. Here’s a few more fast facts:

Eating seafood twice a week reduces the risk of death from any health-related cause. Studies show it may reduce your risk of heart disease, plus it gives you more energy throughout the day.
Seafood is a good protein source packed with nutrients such as omega-3s, which many of us could use more of in our diets.
Seafood fits with all of your favorite flavors – it can be incorporated into a spicy Latin dish, flavorful Creole recipe, light and refreshing salad, or a rich Italian pasta bowl.
Fresh, local, seasonal catches are easy on the wallet, as are frozen options and canned seafood, such as tuna or salmon.
The best part for those of us strapped for time: fresh, frozen, or canned seafood can be used to make a meal in about 15 minutes from start to finish.

But I 100% acknowledge that not everyone is such a fan of seafood. In fact, many of my friends, family members, and clients avoid it. Sometimes it’s a true allergy, but more often than not I suspect it has more to do with the flavor, texture, or both. It’s true, if you’ve ever had bad seafood or have never had a good experience eating it, it’s tough to like. I set out to create a recipe that could change that.

The Seafood Nutrition Partnership is on a mission to showcase the incredible variety we see when it comes to seafood. They’re hosting the “Start with Seafood” recipe contest so I created my Old Bay Shrimp Stacks to tell the story of the kind of #SeafoodParty I want to throw.

After we moved back to Kansas City, Mr. Street Smart landed a job and one of colleagues lives in our same neighborhood. They have a tradition of throwing an authentic New England-style seafood boil every year. Now, I don’t want to sound pretentious or anything…but it’s kind of a big deal to get an invite to this event. Luckily we’ve made the cut and it’s nothing short of amazing.

Going to one of these seafood boils is a lot of fun – everyone brings lawn chairs and yard games, kids are running around, music is playing, and there’s so.much.food. Every time I leave I feel like I need a giant nap, I’m that full. I mostly fill up on the contents of the boil itself and my hands smell like Old Bay seasoning for days. I took those elements and broke them down into a sheet-pan style appetizer that’s super simple to prep and doesn’t need to be canceled if there’s rain in the forecast.

Potatoes, corn, and shrimp come together in a nice bite-sized package that delivers all the same flavor you’d find in a classic seafood boil. The only difference here is that you’re also getting a tasty dipping sauce that comes together in seconds and can be paired with other savory appetizers or small bites.

Wondering how I did it? Check out the full recipe below! It could be a new tasty way to work towards getting the recommended two servings of seafood every week.

The key is to slice the potatoes thin, but not too thin. We’re not making homemade chips, just getting them crispy enough they aren’t too soft to hold up under shrimp, corn, and sauce. I used my mandolin to slice them a little less than 1/4″ inch thick, but you could also carefully slice them by hand if you don’t have a mandolin. Adjust the baking time as needed if you make your slices thicker, since the recipe’s cooking time is based on the slices you see above.

You can also try this recipe with crawfish tails or small scallops to mix up the seafood options. Or try adding slices of andouille sausage if you aren’t a fan of shrimp. Creole seasoning mixes are also good stand-ins in you can’t find Old Bay deep in your spice cabinet.

Are you ready to bring all the fun of a seafood boil inside? For other recipe ideas to incorporate seafood into appetizers and small bites, check out the #SeafoodParty hashtag on social media.

Enjoy!

UPDATE: This recipe was the Grand Prize Winner in the “Start with Seafood” Contest!

Old Bay Shrimp Stacks

4 from 7 votes

This is like a seafood boil in every bite! Reimagine the classic New England flavors and prepare an indoor, party-ready version with this recipe.

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 30

Total Time 40

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Servings: 16 pieces

Ingredients

1 Russet potato, large
1/2 cup sweet corn kernels
1/2 pound shrimp, 31-40 ct, peeled and deveined
2 tbsp olive oil
1 1/2 tsp Old Bay seasoning
Fresh parsley for garnish
Chopped chives for garnish

FOR THE SAUCE

1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 tsp garlic powder
1 1/2 tbsp chopped chives
1 tsp dijon mustard
juice of 1/2 lemon

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line a large sheet pan or two smaller sheet pans with aluminum foil or spray with nonstick spray.
Wash and dry the potato. Using an mandolin, slice crosswise into thin slices (1/4″ thick). Discard the smallest ends and arrange the 16 largest slices on the sheet pan(s). Bake in the oven for 20 minutes, flipping halfway through, until the potato slices begin to brown and crisp slightly.
While the potato slices are baking, prepare the other ingredients. If using frozen shrimp and corn, thaw and dry thoroughly. Remove the tails from the shrimp and add to a mixing bowl with the corn, olive oil, and Old Bay seasoning. Stir to combine so the corn and shrimp are evenly coated.
Remove the sheet pans from the oven. Arrange the shrimp and corn on top of the potato rounds. Try to evenly fill each round to be mostly covered, using 1 or 2 shrimp per piece. Return sheet pans to the oven, switch to the BROIL setting, and broil for 5 minutes or until the tops of the stacks begin to brown. Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly, then garnish with fresh parsley and chopped chives.
Combine all ingredients for the sauce in a small bowl. Mix well, then serve with the shrimp stacks for dipping.

Nutrition

Serving: 1 piece, Calories: 94 kcal, Carbohydrates: 4 g, Protein: 3 g, Fat: 7 g, Saturated Fat: 1 g, Cholesterol: 39 mg, Sodium: 159 mg, Potassium: 80 mg, Fiber: 1 g, Sugar: 1 g, Vitamin A: 22 IU, Vitamin C: 2 mg, Calcium: 24 mg, Iron: 1 mg

Course: Appetizer, Snack

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Old Bay, Seafood Party

Find this tasty seafood recipe, plus many more, in my cookbook. Now available on Amazon!

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