(BPT) – Do you love entertaining friends and family with plates of delicious food around the holidays, but feel pressed for time and ideas when it comes to making tasty appetizers? You’re in luck. SeaPak offers a variety of craveable, affordable and easy-to-prep seafood options that come together in just minutes in an oven, toaster or air fryer — perfect for even impromptu holiday get-togethers. Even better, you can use these frozen pantry favorites to create mouth-watering recipes that might just turn into your next holiday traditions.
Here are some ideas for stocking your freezer so you’ll be ready for the busy holiday season:
- Parmesan Encrusted Butterfly Shrimp is SeaPak’s twist on their famous Jumbo Butterfly Shrimp with unique and irresistible flavors. It brings the traditional favorite up a notch with crisp Parmesan, Italian herb breading and a tomato Romano sauce for dipping.
- Shrimp Scampi is America’s No. 1 frozen shrimp scampi and never disappoints! Whole, tail-off Shrimp Scampi comes perfectly seasoned in a delicious garlic butter sauce with a hint of red bell pepper and herbs for extra flavor.
- Calamari is a restaurant-quality appetizer that’s ready in minutes. Wild-caught calamari rings in an oven-crispy breading come with a tomato Romano sauce that everyone will want to gather around — no recipe needed!
These options also provide great opportunities to add more seafood to your diet. Seafood is an excellent source of high-quality protein, along with different nutrients, vitamins and minerals. Eating a variety of seafood ensures that you get a broad spectrum of essential nutrients to contribute to your overall health and well-being — while enjoying the fun and flavor of these family favorites at the same time.
Recipes to amp up the flavor for your next holiday party
If you’d like to bring even more holiday cheer to your next get-together, try these two recipes using SeaPak Shrimp Scampi that will wow your guests with unexpected twists on this seafood favorite.
Merry Shrimp Martinis
5 minutes prep time; 17 minutes cook time. 6 servings.
Pair these festive bites with seasonal cocktails or mocktails for a fun and fast party appetizer that everyone will love.
Ingredients
1 (12-ounce) package SeaPak Shrimp Scampi, frozen
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 teaspoon horseradish
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons hot sauce
6 celery sprigs
Garlic Crostini:
Thinly sliced ciabatta bread
1/2 cup reserved SeaPak Shrimp Scampi butter
Directions
Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat 1-2 minutes. Heat oven to 400F.
Place shrimp in skillet and saute 7 minutes. Pour off 1/2 cup of scampi butter and reserve for crostini.
Brush reserved scampi butter on bread slices. Place on baking sheet and bake 10 minutes.
Add tomatoes, lemon zest, horseradish, Worcestershire sauce and hot sauce to skillet. Stir to incorporate. Bring to simmer.
Portion shrimp and sauce into serving dishes. Garnish with celery sprigs and garlic crostini.
Mini Shrimp Scampi and Spinach Quiches
12 minutes prep time; 13 minutes cook time. 12-15 servings.
Spinach adds a bright earthy note to the savory flavor of Shrimp Scampi in these delightful mini quiches that are perfect for a crowd.
Ingredients
1 (12-ounce) package SeaPak Shrimp Scampi, frozen
2 (1.9-ounce) packages frozen mini phyllo cups
1/2 (5-ounce) package baby spinach, chopped
2 large eggs
1/2 cup whipping cream
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
Directions
Heat oven to 375F. Arrange phyllo cups in mini muffin tins coated with cooking spray; set aside.
Heat large skillet over medium-high heat. Add SeaPak Shrimp Scampi and cook for 5 minutes. Add spinach and cook about 1 minute. Set aside a few whole shrimp to garnish; keep warm.
Cut remaining shrimp into smaller pieces. Use a slotted spoon to divide shrimp mixture evenly among phyllo shells.
Whisk together eggs, cream, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl. Pour egg mixture carefully into shells. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until eggs are set.
Garnish the top of a few of the mini quiches with reserved shrimp. Drizzle quiches with additional pan sauce before serving, if desired.
With these seafood tips and recipes, you’ll have a lot less stress when it comes to hosting holiday celebrations with family and friends. Find these and many more delicious, easy-to-prep products and recipe ideas to elevate your next get-together at SeaPak.com.