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Southern comfort food at its best! This shrimp and rice casserole is creamy, cheesy, and finished with a buttery Ritz cracker topping. Best of all, the easy supper comes together in about 15 minutes, making it a delicious way to feed your family on busy nights.
Table of Contents
Shrimp and rice are staples in Lowcountry cuisine, and this casserole combines them in a single flavorful dish. It’s classic Southern comfort food — from the creamy sauce to the cheesy topping and the crunchy, buttery Ritz crackers on top. Pair it with a simple side salad, green beans with bacon, or flaky buttermilk biscuits for a cozy weeknight dinner!
Ingredients
This is just a quick overview of the ingredients that you’ll need for a shrimp and rice casserole with cream of mushroom soup. As always, specific measurements and step-by-step instructions are included in the printable recipe box at the bottom of the post.
- Butter: to sauté the veggies and to coat the cracker crumbs for the topping.
- Onion, bell pepper, celery, and garlic: fresh vegetables that add great flavor to the casserole.
- Rice: any variety of cooked rice will work here. I’ve shown long-grain white rice, but brown rice, basmati rice, or wild rice will all work, too.
- Shrimp: you’ll need peeled, deveined, and cooked shrimp for this recipe. I typically take a shortcut and purchase fresh or frozen pre-cooked shrimp, but you can also cook your own shrimp for this recipe (see those instructions below).
- Condensed cream of mushroom soup: the creamy base that binds the filling together. You can substitute with cream of chicken soup, cream of celery soup, or any other flavor.
- Chicken broth: to thin the sauce. Use low-sodium chicken broth to control the salt in the dish.
- Mayonnaise: adds flavor and richness to the creamy sauce.
- Kosher salt and ground black pepper: to enhance the other flavors in the casserole.
- Cheese: use grated cheddar cheese, or substitute with Colby Jack, Monterey Jack, Swiss, mozzarella, or another good melting cheese. You can also omit the cheese if you prefer.
- Ritz crackers: combine with melted butter for a crunchy, flavorful topping.
The Best Shrimp for a Casserole
You have plenty of options when it comes to the shrimp that you use in this recipe. You’ll need peeled, cooked, and deveined shrimp, so I typically take a shortcut and purchase fresh or frozen pre-cooked shrimp.
I like small or medium shrimp, because they’re less expensive and they don’t need to be chopped before stirring them into the casserole. Any size shrimp is fine, though!
How to Cook Shrimp for a Casserole
If you’re starting with raw shrimp, you will need to cook them before proceeding with the recipe. To do so, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Once the liquid boils, turn off the heat. Add the shrimp to the hot water and allow the shrimp to poach, uncovered, for a couple of minutes (stirring occasionally) just until they turn pink.
While the shrimp cooks, prepare an ice bath by combining cold water and a lot of ice in a large bowl. When the shrimp is just pink and opaque, transfer the shrimp to the ice bath to immediately chill and stop the cooking process. Allow the shrimp to sit in the ice bath for 10 minutes. Drain, pat dry, and peel (if necessary). Pat dry again, cover, and refrigerate until ready to use.
Do I cook the rice before adding it to the casserole?
Yes! This recipe calls for 3 cups of cooked rice. You can boil your own rice on the stovetop, use leftovers from a previous meal, or cook parboiled rice (such as Uncle Ben’s Ready Rice) in the microwave for a shortcut.
If using the microwaveable rice or Minute Rice instant rice, cook the rice according to the package directions before using it in this casserole. Each packet of the Uncle Ben’s Ready Rice contains about 2 cups of cooked rice, so you’ll need about 1 ½ pouches for this recipe.
How to Make Shrimp and Rice Casserole
In about 15 minutes, you can stir together a cheesy shrimp and rice casserole — and then pop it in the oven! The full step-by-step directions are included in the printable recipe card at the bottom of the post, but here’s the quick version:
- Saute the vegetables in butter in a large skillet.
- Stir together the shrimp and rice filling.
- Transfer the shrimp mixture to a 3-quart casserole dish (or a 13 x 9-inch pan). Top with cheese.
- Sprinkle the buttery Ritz cracker crumbs over top.
- Bake, garnish, and serve!
Serving Suggestions
This creamy shrimp and rice casserole goes well with any of your favorite vegetable sides. Here are some easy options to try:
- 3-Ingredient Buttermilk Biscuits, Sweet Potato Biscuits, Flaky Biscuits, Cheese Biscuits, or Drop Biscuits
- Cranberry Muffins or Apple Muffins
- Pumpkin Bread or Pumpkin Muffins
- Crusty French Baguette, Soft Dinner Rolls, or Homemade Crescent Rolls
- Green Salad with Red Wine Vinaigrette, Mixed Greens with Dijon Vinaigrette, Caesar Salad, or our favorite House Salad with Candied Pecans
- Fried Corn
- Southern Fried Apples, Baked Apple Slices, or Applesauce
- Roasted Asparagus or Sauteed Asparagus
- Amish Green Beans with Brown Butter, Arkansas Green Beans with Bacon, or Southern-Style Green Beans
- Parmesan Roasted Cauliflower or Roasted Broccoli
- Oven-Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Bacon or Roasted Root Vegetables
- Brown Sugar Glazed Carrots
- Cranberry Sauce
Preparation and Storage
- This is a great make-ahead dinner. You can assemble the entire casserole up to 24 hours in advance and keep it covered in the refrigerator until ready to bake. Before baking, allow the dish to sit on the counter and come to room temperature for at least 30 minutes.
- You can freeze the casserole before baking. Wrapped tightly, the assembled casserole will keep in the freezer for up to 2 months. Thaw completely in the fridge before baking according to recipe directions.
- Leftovers will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
- To reheat the casserole: If reheating an entire casserole, cover the dish loosely with foil and bake in a 350°F oven until warmed through (about 20-30 minutes). Individual portions can be reheated in the microwave for 1-2 minutes.
Shrimp Casserole Recipe Variations
- Make a chicken shrimp and rice casserole by replacing half of the cooked shrimp with diced or shredded rotisserie chicken.
- Turn it into a Cajun shrimp and rice casserole by adding Cajun seasoning or Creole seasoning to the filling. Substitute browned andouille sausage or smoked sausage for half of the shrimp.
- Add a can of drained Rotel tomatoes with green chilies for a bit of spicy kick. Crushed red pepper flakes are also a great way to add some heat to the casserole.
- Any variety of cooked rice will work in this casserole. I typically use white rice, but you can substitute with wild rice or brown rice, if you prefer.
- Use any flavor of condensed soup that you like: cream of chicken, cream of mushroom, or cream of celery are all nice options.
- Add more veggies to the filling, such as steamed broccoli, frozen mixed vegetables, canned corn, frozen peas, or sautéed mushrooms. Red bell pepper or diced pimentos are good substitutes for the green pepper, too.
- Don’t have Ritz crackers? Crushed Corn Flakes cereal mixed with the melted butter, buttered panko breadcrumbs, or crushed potato chips are great subs for a crunchy, flavorful topping.
- Add slivered almonds to the filling for a bit of crunch.
- For a tangier flavor, use sour cream instead of mayo, or replace half of the mayo with sour cream for a combination of both.
Tips for the Best Shrimp and Rice Casserole Recipe
- Use microwaveable rice for a shortcut. If you’re using Uncle Ben’s Ready Rice, microwave the rice according to the package directions before adding it to the dish. Each pouch contains about 2 cups of rice, so you’ll need about 1 ½ packets for this recipe.
- For another shortcut, purchase cooked shrimp from the grocery store. If starting with frozen cooked shrimp, thaw it in the refrigerator overnight before using in the dish.
- You can thaw frozen shrimp quickly by running it under cold water in a colander for a few minutes. Pat the shrimp dry before adding it to the casserole filling.
- Cooking for a smaller family? Cut all of the ingredients in half and bake the casserole in an 8-inch square dish. The rest of the cooking instructions remain the same.
- Season the filling with extra herbs or spices. Good options include chives, parsley, thyme, oregano, or basil, as well as garlic powder, onion powder, or paprika.
More Shrimp Recipes to Try
Southern Shrimp and Grits Recipe
25 minutes mins
Shrimp Soup with Corn and Bacon
55 minutes mins
Shrimp and Sausage Pasta
35 minutes mins
Savannah Shrimp and Rice Casserole
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon salted butter
- 1 cup diced yellow onion
- ½ cup diced green bell pepper
- ½ cup diced celery
- 2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed (about 1 teaspoon total)
- 3 cups cooked rice
- 1 lb. cooked shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 1 (10.5 ounce) can condensed cream of mushroom soup
- 1 cup chicken broth
- ¾ cup mayonnaise
- Kosher salt and ground black pepper, to taste
- ½ cup grated cheddar cheese
- 1 sleeve Ritz crackers, coarsely crushed (about 30 crackers or 1 ½ cups crumbs)
- 4 tablespoons melted butter
- Optional garnish: chopped fresh parsley, chives, or other herbs
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray a 3-quart or 9 x 13-inch baking dish with cooking spray and set aside.
- Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion, bell pepper, and celery. Cook, stirring frequently, until the vegetables are soft, about 7-8 minutes. Add the garlic; cook for 1 more minute, stirring constantly. Remove from the heat.
- In a large bowl, stir together rice, shrimp, condensed soup, chicken broth, and mayonnaise. Add the cooked vegetables; stir gently to combine. Taste and season with salt and pepper, if necessary.
- Transfer the shrimp and rice mixture to the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle cheese on top.
- In a separate bowl, stir together Ritz cracker crumbs and melted butter. Sprinkle over top of the casserole.
- Bake, uncovered, for about 25 minutes (or until hot, bubbly, and golden brown on top).
Notes
- Use microwaveable rice for a shortcut. If you’re using Uncle Ben’s Ready Rice, microwave the rice according to the package directions before adding it to the dish. Each pouch contains about 2 cups of rice, so you’ll need about 1 ½ packets for this recipe.
- For another shortcut, purchase cooked shrimp from the grocery store. If starting with frozen cooked shrimp, thaw it in the refrigerator overnight before using in the dish.
- You can thaw frozen shrimp quickly by running it under cold water in a colander for a few minutes. Pat the shrimp dry before adding it to the casserole filling.
- Cooking for a smaller family? Cut all of the ingredients in half and bake the casserole in an 8-inch square dish. The rest of the cooking instructions remain the same.
- Season the filling with extra herbs or spices. Good options include chives, parsley, thyme, oregano, or basil, as well as garlic powder, onion powder, or paprika.
I’m sure this is yummy just as it is but I would be more likely to want to skip the cracker top and make a top-of-the stove version since the ingredients are cooked from the beginning. Would it work like that? Would I keep the sauce ingredients the same? The warm and then very hot weather will be starting very soon here and I discovered that I have to make a choice between top-of- the-stove or oven cooking since the two combined are just too darned hot. I wish we had your lovely, long springs and autumns! Thanks.
Don’t know if you missed my original question about this recipe? Are the renovations interfering with your internet connection? The comments on your sunday report for January 22 weren’t answered and I had a question on another recipe recently which wasn’t answered. I know life is crazy but you are SO WONDERFUL about responding that I thought maybe you didn’t know there was a problem. Not complaining too much but your responding so promptly really makes your blog for me above others. Thanks!
Hi, Marion. Yes, you can definitely make it on the stovetop gently over low heat to warm through and just skip the topping (or place it under the broiler to brown the topping).