Garlic Shrimp Casserole

Garlic shrimp casserole is the leftovers-make-good move that transforms yesterday’s garlic shrimp and a carton of cold rice into a fresh baked dinner. The sauce is where this earns its casserole stripes: chicken stock thickened with a cornstarch slurry, enriched with heavy cream, and warmed with a pinch of red pepper flakes.

Everything layers into a foil-lined terra cotta pot (or any ovenproof baking dish) and gets dressed with toasted panko for the crisp top. 45 minutes in a moderate oven turns the whole thing into a creamy, bubbly bake with a shatter-crisp golden crown. A 15-minute rest after baking lets the sauce set so serving stays neat instead of soupy.

Chef Tips

• Toast the panko before it goes on top, in a dry pan with a little butter until golden. Raw panko browns unevenly and can turn soggy before it crisps.
• Fully dissolve the cornstarch in cold water first to make a proper slurry. Cornstarch dumped straight in clumps into raw starchy pockets.
• Simmer the stock-slurry mixture for the full three minutes before adding cream. This cooks out the raw starch taste.
• Let the casserole rest before serving. Straight out of the oven, the sauce is thin; after 15 minutes it sets into the right creamy thickness.

Variations

• Swap the cream sauce for a cheese sauce by stirring in shredded gruyere off the heat.
• Add a layer of baby spinach or frozen peas between the rice and shrimp.
• Use lobster or crab instead of shrimp for a special-occasion version.