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
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
Find this tasty seafood recipe, plus many more, in my cookbook. Now available on Amazon!
Questions & Reviews
These are such cute appetizers!! :D!!
Thank you! I will definitely be turning to these as my new go-to app anytime we’re hosting friends or family!
My husband and I are probably the only two people in New England who don’t like seafood LOL. Everyone always makes fun of us for it. I know SO many people that would love these, though.
That’s how I am with olives and pickles! Lots of people love them but they just aren’t for me – we like what we like and that’s OK!
I am such a seafood junkie! Love all of it. I always forget about Old Bay Seasoning. Will have to give this recipe a try
I am the same way, I’ve yet to try a seafood recipe I haven’t liked!
You had my attention at Old Bay! LOL! And luckily for me, I live at the beach so it’s always seafood time 🙂 I have to tell you, I think this seasoning is THE best hands down. To me, if it doesn’t have Old Bay, it’s not seafood! Thanks for the great recipe! And your pictures are awesome!!
Very jealous, I’m landlocked in the Midwest so I usually opt for frozen seafood! Would love to have as much of the fresh stuff as I wanted. Thanks for stopping by to check it out!
I love seafood! This looks absolutely delicious, I would have never thought to make something like this but it looks so great that I need to try it.
Thank you, it was a fun challenge to try to think of a new way to reinvent a classic flavor combo!
I love a good shrimp boil but they are a lot of work. I love how you got the flavors here without all the fuss!
That’s exactly what I was going for because you’re right, they are a TON of work! I don’t know if I’d ever tackle that alone but this is a good substitute 🙂
Oh those appetisers are super cute! A seafood party sounds like so much fun! I’ll need to check out this app for next time!
Old Bay seasoning is so good! I love the idea of shrimp and corn together, what a tasty sounding combo.
Honestly, I grew up having seafood and I don’t mind having it every day, and that’s me without knowing how good it is for me. This is definitely a recipe that I wouldn’t mind trying! It looks so good!
I have never tried that Old Bay seasoning, but it looks like you can’t do seafood without it. Those shrimp stacks look great so I will make it for my son who loves shrimp.
I love love love old bay seasoning. I use it for all my seafood dishes. this recipe looks so good too!
Oh boy do these ever look delicious! My husband is a HUGE shrimp fan so I know he would really appreciate these. They look just yummy!
I’ve seen so many recipes that call for old Bay seasoning’s. I have never used it and I wonder what it would taste like.
Old Bay always makes things taste better. I use it all the time in my vegan crab cakes, but I also like to pair it with other seafood dishes. These little shrimp stakes look so tasty and perfect for any upcoming holiday get together.
Oh, I like this recipe. I love that you made your own with real potatoes. I think anyone would love these and it would be a nice starter at any dinner party.
My husband would absolutely adore these! Shrimp is his favorite food and he loves Old Bay seasoning.
These look SOOOO good! I really like shrimp but my husband doesn’t like it too often. I bet he would love this recipe!
Oh my goodness! Yes to this, I even just bookmarked it. I must try to recreate this pile of goodness.
This is light snack and easy to make! Perfection addition to thanksgiving ensembe
So true! There’s enough complicated dishes at Thanksgiving and we rarely use seafood in the menu for that meal. Great idea!
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Wow, this was tasty! My five year old inhaled it – he’s a meat lover. And we used organic beef shanks instead of veal, but the result was the same: a taste sensation. Visit us: https://www.beckandbulow.com