When you think about Thanksgiving you probably immediately think of turkey, and with good reason.  According to the National Turkey Federation 88% of us will choose turkey for our holiday meal.  And a few variations in seasonings not withstanding, most of us will cook it in about the same way – baked in the oven until golden brown.  It is all very traditional and all very much the same house to house, table to table, year to year.

That is why I get much more excited about making the stuffing (or dressing if you are from the south) for the Thanksgiving table. With stuffing the variations are endless.  It is a much better place for a cook to express herself and add distinction to the meal.

Stuffing can be made with white bread, corn bread, potatoes or rice. Then you can add an endless variety of things mixed in like sausage, dried fruit, nuts, fresh herbs, eggs, mushrooms, vegetables, seafood and more.

As the name “stuffing” implies, traditionally the mixture was stuffed inside the cavity of an animal, like a turkey, then cooked.  However since stuffing a bird greatly increases the cooking time (and can pose food safety issues if not done correctly) most people prepare the stuffing separately from the meat these days.

I personally love a good seafood stuffing to compliment my turkey on thanksgiving.  It is a great wow dish for the meal.  Now if you are a die hard traditionalist you might be thinking oyster stuffing, but really that is old school and a little dated.  I prefer to modernize on that idea and use shrimp.

Since I am always looking for a way to create a delicious dish in the least amount of time I have used SeaPak Shrimp Scampi as a short cut way to make a delicious Garlic Herb Shrimp Stuffing.  Of course you can make it your own by mixing it up with the type of bread that you use as a base or adding other ingredients like mushrooms or dried fruit.  Stuffing is a great place to express your individuality as a cook.  So what will you do to dress up the stuffing this year?

Garlic Herb Shrimp Stuffing

Cook time: 18 minutes    Servings: 9 1/2-cup servings

• 1 (12 oz) carton SeaPak® Shrimp Scampi, frozen
• Non stick cooking spray
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced
• 2 stalks celery, diced
• 1 medium carrot, shredded
• 3/4 cup hot water
• 1 (6 oz) carton stuffing mix (like Stove Top – Savory Herbs)

SPRAY non-stick cooking spray (3-4 seconds) into large non-stick skillet.  Preheat skillet on medium high for 1-2 minutes.

ADD diced onion and celery.  Sauté for 3 minutes. Add shredded carrots. Stir to incorporate and continue sautéing for 1 minute.

ADD frozen shrimp scampi.  Stir to incorporate breaking up any shrimp that are frozen together.  Sauté for 6-7 minutes or until shrimp are fully cooked. Add 3/4 cup hot water.  Bring mixture up to a simmer.

REMOVE from heat.  Add stuffing mix.  Stir to incorporate.  Cover with a tight fitting lid and set aside for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork and serve.

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