seafood boil

School and fall sports season are in full swing at our house, and that makes dinnertime a little complicated.  It’s hard to prepare a meal for my family when I’m driving to and from practices and games during the early evening hours, not to mention all the parent meetings that seem to fill the calendar during the first month of school.

I use my crockpot a ton because I can start a meal earlier in the day and then let the “cooking” happen while I’m busy with the girls’ activities.  However when I think of crockpot meals, I think of soups, stews, and roasts…all heavy winter recipes.  It’s only September…I’m not ready for those foods just yet!

This seafood boil recipe is perfect for these late summer/ early fall days!  You can prepare most of it earlier in the day and let it cook while you tend to other things AND it isn’t too heavy for eating this time of year.  Besides, fresh corn and potatoes are still available at the farmers market.

You will need…

1 1/2 lbs. small red potatoes (cut in half)

5 cups water

12 ounce bottle of beer

1/4 cup Old Bay Seasoning

2 stalks celery (cut into 1-inch pieces)

1 onion (cut into quarters)

3-4 minced garlic cloves

2 lemons (cut in half)

1 lb. cooked kielbasa sausage (cut into 1-inch pieces)

4 fresh cobs of corn (cut into 3-inch chunks)

2 lbs. fresh, uncooked large shrimp in shells

Directions…

Spray the crockpot with cooking spray.

Add water, beer, Old Bay Seasoning, and garlic.  Stir to combine.

Put the onions, celery, and potatoes in the crockpot.

Squeeze the lemons over the mixture, and put the lemon halves in the crockpot.

Place the lid on the crockpot.  Cook on low for 4-5 hours.

Add the sausage and corn.  Cover and cook two more hours.

Then add the shrimp and change your setting to high, cooking for 30-40 minutes (or until the shrimp are pink).  At this point, the crockpot is very full, so just push those shrimp in there the best you can.

Now here comes the fun part…drain the liquid from the crockpot and pour the contents on a newspaper covered table, preferably outdoors.  Just add some cocktail sauce, butter, and corn muffins.

My girls thought I was crazy when I called them to dinner the first time that I made this…”How are we suppose to eat this, Mom?”  They decided pretty quickly that it was a fun meal to enjoy as a family!

And the cleanup was super easy…just wrap up everything in the newspaper and dispose of it.  What a simple and delicious meal!