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A hollowed Italian loaf holds chopped shrimp, cream cheese, mozzarella and garlic. Cook the seafood filling before loading the bread, then finish it in the oven. The supplied ingredients contain shrimp but no crab, so this version is described as shrimp-stuffed bread.
The ingredient list calls for fresh peeled shrimp. Cook it separately until firm, pearly and opaque, using 145°F as the seafood temperature check. Putting raw shrimp into a deep bread cavity makes it harder to assess doneness before the crust darkens.
Ingredient amounts and preparation
- Set out: 1 loaf crusty Italian bread
- Set out: 60 ml unsalted butter, melted
- Set out: 450 g fresh shrimp, peeled and deveined
- Set out: 225 g cream cheese, softened
- Set out: 60 g mozzarella cheese, shredded
- Set out: 15 g fresh parsley, finely chopped
- Set out: 4 cloves garlic, minced
- Set out: Salt, to taste
- Set out: Black pepper, to taste; Red pepper flakes, as desired
Cooking sequence and doneness
- Stage 1
- Heat the oven to 375°F and prepare a rimmed tray.
- Stage 2
- Split the loaf lengthwise and hollow each half, leaving sturdy shells. Pat peeled shrimp dry and chop into similar bite-size pieces.
- Stage 3
- Warm a little of the measured butter in a skillet and briefly cook the garlic. Add shrimp and cook until firm, pearly and opaque, checking 145°F.
- Stage 4
- Mix the cooked shrimp with softened cream cheese, mozzarella, parsley, pepper and salt to taste.
- Stage 5
- Divide between the bread shells without packing into a deep mound. Brush the remaining measured butter over the bread and cover loosely with foil.
- Stage 6
- Bake about fifteen minutes, then uncover for roughly five more minutes or until crisp, checking the filling reaches 165°F. Rest briefly before slicing and serve hot.
Hollow the two lengthwise halves while leaving enough base and side wall to support the filling. Loaf sizes vary; spread the mixture to an even shallow depth rather than forcing it into a narrow cavity. Bake any surplus filling in a separate suitable dish. Use a little of the measured melted butter to cook the garlic and shrimp, then brush the remaining butter on the bread exterior. Keep it within the listed sixty-milliliter allowance. The garlic should become aromatic without turning dark.
How should the cheese filling be mixed?
Combine the cooked chopped shrimp with softened cream cheese, mozzarella, parsley and seasoning while the shrimp is still warm. Softening the cream cheese first helps distribute it without vigorous stirring that can break up the seafood.
Why finish covered and then uncovered?
Foil helps the center heat before the bread browns. Uncover only near the end to crisp the exterior. Check the assembled filling reaches 165°F and tent again if the crust darkens too quickly. Refrigerate perishable leftovers promptly in shallow containers at 40°F or below; do not wait for a large hot batch to cool completely on the counter. University of Illinois Extension’s leftover guidance gives a three-to-four-day refrigerated window and 165°F for reheating foods served hot. Keep cold salads and toppings chilled, and follow shorter product-label limits where applicable.
Related recipe choices
For another complete recipe, see Crispy Baked Garlic Parmesan Shrimp Bites or Garlic Shrimp and Sausage Cabbage Cups. Each has its own ingredient quantities and cooking sequence; keep those measurements separate when choosing a meal. FDA seafood guidance recommends 145°F for most seafood and describes cooked shrimp as firm, pearly and opaque. Keep raw seafood and its utensils separate from ready-to-eat toppings.
Common Questions About This Recipe
- Does the shrimp start raw?
The ingredient list calls for fresh peeled shrimp. Cook it separately until firm, pearly and opaque, using 145°F as the seafood temperature check.
- How much bread should be removed?
Hollow the two lengthwise halves while leaving enough base and side wall to support the filling. Loaf sizes vary; spread the mixture to an even shallow depth rather than forcing it into a narrow cavity.
- Where is the butter used?
Use a little of the measured melted butter to cook the garlic and shrimp, then brush the remaining butter on the bread exterior. Keep it within the listed sixty-milliliter allowance.
- How should the cheese filling be mixed?
Combine the cooked chopped shrimp with softened cream cheese, mozzarella, parsley and seasoning while the shrimp is still warm. Softening the cream cheese first helps distribute it without vigorous stirring that can break up the seafood.
- Why finish covered and then uncovered?
Foil helps the center heat before the bread browns. Uncover only near the end to crisp the exterior.
- Has this recipe been kitchen-tested?
No. This is a research-based editorial revision.