Main Course/ Recipes/ Seafood

Shrimp and Rice Casserole

Last Christmas, Adam’s mom made this amazing shrimp casserole full of fluffy rice, bell peppers and spicy goodness that can only come from one thing. I was instantly hooked and spent the next three days eating leftovers.

I copied down the recipe, swore I would make it the following week and then promptly lost it upon returning home to California. Oops.

I found it {only} eight months later when I was cleaning out my desk drawer and stumbled not only on this recipe, but also on the chocolate pie recipe Adam made in Home Ec in high school. Apparently I am a hoarder. Of recipes! Don’t even get me started on my t-shirt collection, though. Things would get real.

This shrimp and rice casserole is incredibly easy to make—you literally just dump everything in the casserole dish (no need to even cook the rice!) and bake. It’s perfect for those busy school nights, or can be jazzed up to serve company.  I’m telling you, this dish is just amazing!!

And the three stars are…….drum roll, please……

Cream of celery soup, Ro-Tel and Cream of Chicken soup!

I know— so retro, right?! Right. But also SO delicious! Adam’s mom used french onion soup in her shrimp casserole, but after hunting for it at three grocery stores this week and coming out empty handed, I swapped it out for cream of celery and it worked great! I don’t know what it is about these old condensed soups, but they make any dish just so comforting and nostalgic, you know?

All you do here is melt a little butter in a dish then pour the rest of the ingredients on top. Raw rice and all. The rice cooks in the oven and absorbs all of the yummy sauce. I told you it was easy to make!

Now anyone want to help me clean out my t-shirt collection?

Shrimp and Rice Casserole

serves 6-8

Print this recipe!

Ingredients:

1 1/2 lbs raw shrimp, deveined with shells and tails off

2 cups raw white rice

4 tbsp butter

1 can (10.75 oz) Campbell’s Cream of Celery soup

1 can (10.75 oz) Campbell’s Cream of Chicken soup

1 can (10 oz) Ro-tel (diced tomatoes & green chilies)

1 tsp salt

1 yellow onion, diced

1 red bell pepper, diced

1/2 tsp pepper

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Place the butter in a 12 x 9″ casserole dish and place dish in the oven so the butter melts. After the butter has melted at the bottom of the dish, remove from oven but keep oven on.

In a large bowl, combine the shrimp, RAW rice (do not cook first!), cream of celery soup, cream of chicken soup, Rotel, diced yellow onion, diced red pepper, salt and pepper. Stir well to combine.

Pour mixture over the melted butter. Cover dish tightly with foil and bake for 30 minutes.

After 30 minutes, stir well. Re-cover dish and cook for an additional 40-45 minutes—when done, the rice should be fluffy and have absorbed all liquid!

Serve warm.

**Will keep covered in the fridge for up to five days

Time:

1.25 hours

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  • movita beaucoup
    August 22, 2012 at 3:07 am

    I love everything about this recipe.

    Especially the hoarding.

  • Jenn
    August 22, 2012 at 3:32 am

    Adam’s mom has good taste 🙂

  • Sally @ Spontaneous Hausfrau
    August 22, 2012 at 4:16 am

    I adore casseroles – I must have been a 1950’s housewife in my past life. I bet this would be good with chicken, too!

  • Anne
    August 22, 2012 at 4:39 am

    Rice you don’t have to cook????For whatever reason I am THE WORLDS WORST RICE MAKER! I cannot even master instant rice, it is the bane of my cooking existance.
    I have to make this for no other reason than to boost my rice cooking ego haha.

  • DessertForTwo
    August 22, 2012 at 4:40 am

    It’s like you knew I had a bunch of shrimp in the freezer I need to use up, and then you knew I hoard Ro-tel. amazing.

  • Molly @ RDexposed
    August 22, 2012 at 5:01 am

    This sounds like the perfect cold winter night, low on groceries kind of dinner!
    PS I made your spinach and cheese quinoa casserole last night-SO GOOD!

  • Angela @ Eat Spin Run Repeat
    August 22, 2012 at 5:11 am

    Love the simplicity (and old-school-ness) of this one! The temperatures are definitely cooler here now in the morning and into the evening, so I’m craving cooked dinners now more than I did earlier this summer. Shrimp, rice, and spice sounds like a great combo!

  • nic
    August 22, 2012 at 5:49 am

    Just wondering how firm the shrimp are at the end of the recipe? I’m not used to cooking shrimp for that long. Everything else sounds pretty good, though (although I haven’t cooked with soup in eons!).

    • jenna
      August 22, 2012 at 7:21 am

      I was hesitant, too, but it works! The shrimp are firm but not dry because they’ve been baking in the sauce (lots of moisture) for so long.

  • Hope Mayer
    August 22, 2012 at 5:52 am

    Sounds delish! Was wondering if it would make a difference if you swapped whole grain rice for the white?

    • jenna
      August 22, 2012 at 7:20 am

      Not sure, haven’t tried it. It would probably be a little less creamy but still taste good 🙂

  • Amanda at the red table
    August 22, 2012 at 5:53 am

    I agree about the condensed soups making you all nostalgic. This reminds me of a chicken casserole we always make where you don’t cook the rice either. Always turns out perfect!

  • Claire @ Live and Love to Eat
    August 22, 2012 at 5:53 am

    I love the versatility of Rotel – good in so many recipes!

  • Amy
    August 22, 2012 at 5:55 am

    This sounds like it would go great with my fave: hot sauce!

  • joelle (on a pink typewriter)
    August 22, 2012 at 6:07 am

    Nostalgic fo sho!

  • Beth
    August 22, 2012 at 6:17 am

    This sounds like a super simple version of a creamy jambalaya. So funny that you posted a shrimp dish this morning because I was thinking about making something with shrimp tonight. Perfect timing. I am a bit resistant to using cream soups because I feel that are calorie loaded. Maybe I will just run and extra mile or two tomorrow.

  • Cathy
    August 22, 2012 at 6:23 am

    This is probably a dumb question but do you think small pasta could be used instead of rice? Like elbows or something? Great recipe! Can’t wait to try it!

    • jenna
      August 22, 2012 at 7:19 am

      I think that the pasta would end up getting mushy because it cooks for so long—better off using rice, which has a much longer cooking time and can absorb all the liquid in the dish!

  • LisaG
    August 22, 2012 at 6:53 am

    I love these kind of casseroles! Now how about the chocolate pie Adam made? I am a cookbook and reipe hoarder too!

    • jenna
      August 22, 2012 at 7:20 am

      I need to re-make that pie!

  • Sam @ Better With Sprinkles
    August 22, 2012 at 6:54 am

    If a casserole has condensed cream-of-anything, it’s going to be good in a 50’s housewife sort of way!

    Especially mom-recipes…my mom makes scalloped potatoes with cream of mushroom soup, and oh goodness – I die. Amazing.

  • Averie @ Averie Cooks
    August 22, 2012 at 7:00 am

    I had never made anything with Ro-Tel until a few months ago I made a corn dip with it and oh I love the spiciness and flavor it adds!

  • The Meaning of Me
    August 22, 2012 at 7:09 am

    My t-shirt is probably just as bad as yours, I’m afraid. Canned soups in casseroles scream Fall is Coming! Yay! Putting it on my shrimp list!

  • Lindsay
    August 22, 2012 at 7:14 am

    I received that same baker as a wedding gift this summer 🙂

  • Devon | the food bitch blog
    August 22, 2012 at 7:15 am

    This totally reminds me of the Campbell’s Cookbook my mom has. It’s basically every single recipe on the back of a Campbell’s soup can & a massive chunk of my childhood.

  • Heather @ Heather's Dish
    August 22, 2012 at 7:20 am

    i actually love stuff made with canned soups! and Rotel? YES PLEASE!

  • Tracey Evans
    August 22, 2012 at 7:24 am

    I am NOT above using Campbell’s condensed soups at all!! Trying this week! Funny about the french onion soup. I’m in GA and our stores carry loads of it. 🙂

    • jenna
      August 22, 2012 at 7:25 am

      really?! Maybe its another weird california thing. You could use that in the recipe OR use the cream of celery then…both are good!

  • Elisabeth
    August 22, 2012 at 8:03 am

    I am definitely a recipe and t-shirt hoarder, too…

  • jenna
    August 22, 2012 at 8:23 am

    did she use condensed french onion soup? i’ve never seen that…will have to look for it next time. cant wait to make this.

    • Logan
      August 22, 2012 at 8:54 am

      I don’t think French Onion comes in condensed form. If you find it, I’d love to know! In SC, it is easy to find the Campbell’s French Onion soup though. I use it in a brown rice recipe that is a family favorite.

  • Sonal
    August 22, 2012 at 8:26 am

    Mmmm this recipe looks delicious and so easy! When there’s no need to cook the rice before using it, you’ve got my vote 🙂

  • kim@hungryhealthygirl
    August 22, 2012 at 8:28 am

    I love this for busy school nights; which are coming way too quick! I love the comfort of those campbell’s can soups. They really take me back to childhood.

  • Megan @ whatmegansmaking
    August 22, 2012 at 8:30 am

    Sounds easy and delicious! Those old casseroles are pure comfort food 🙂

  • Laura (Blogging Over Thyme)
    August 22, 2012 at 8:39 am

    Not a big fan of condensed soup, but you make this look really really good! And now I’m very intrigued

  • Caroline L.
    August 22, 2012 at 8:53 am

    I’m with ya- I have sooo many t-shirts – ha, I just say it proves how “involved” I was in high school 🙂

  • Angela @ Happy Fit Mama
    August 22, 2012 at 9:05 am

    Ahhhh Campbell’s soup…makes me think of growing up. My mom is not the best cook but she came up with some good recipes by just tossing whatever with a Campbell’s soup.

  • Laura @ She Eats Well
    August 22, 2012 at 9:15 am

    I love the simplicity of this recipe. It’s perfect for a Sunday cooking session for the rest of the week….! yum!

  • Beverly Aragon
    August 22, 2012 at 9:17 am

    My mama makes a very similar chicken and rice recipe using the good ‘ol Campbell’s cream of chicken soup and Uncle Ben’s wild rice. It’s one of my favorite comfort foods and I can tell this shrimp version is totally going to become one as well.

  • Anne Weber-Falk
    August 22, 2012 at 9:37 am

    Oh, those soups are so not good for our bodies. Too much fat and WAY too much sodium. I suffer for days after eating these that now I stay away from them. I will find another way to make this fabulous looking dish.

    Hey! I just got confirmation from Amazon that they shipped YOUR BOOK to me TODAY!! I should get it tomorrow or Friday. YEA!

    • jenna k
      August 22, 2012 at 2:37 pm

      just a nit-picky point: low sodium diets are not for everyone! i was following one bc everyone claims it’s healthy, and it ended up bringing out a condition where my blood pressure doesn’t rebound after i stand up like it’s supposed to, causing bursts of intense headaches, fainting, etc.
      not saying i support condensed soups 😉 , but i just had to get that off my chest haha.

      • Anne Weber-Falk
        August 23, 2012 at 9:16 am

        Scary! I don’t have that condition. But I do have high BP and trouble with water retention so I must cut back on sodium. It’s tough because so many things have higher sodium contents and I crave the stuff sometimes.

      • Liz
        August 23, 2012 at 3:47 pm

        I have that condition too (POTS yes?). Sucks.

  • Whitney @ Whit Likes Fit
    August 22, 2012 at 9:41 am

    This recipe looks delicious. Pinning it now 🙂

  • addie @ culicurious.com
    August 22, 2012 at 12:21 pm

    yum, looks like a good week night recipe. 🙂

  • Megan @ Megan's Miles
    August 22, 2012 at 12:37 pm

    Yum! I love simple, one-dish or casserole meals! I’ll definitely be making this soon!

  • Katie
    August 22, 2012 at 1:29 pm

    Love how simple and tasty this looks! Do you think it would work with brown rice? Maybe it would need a little more soup?

  • Emily @ Life on Food
    August 22, 2012 at 2:48 pm

    Lovely. I hate using cans like that but sometimes they make the most delicious things. 🙂

  • jan
    August 22, 2012 at 3:26 pm

    Well that looks easy and fun! Thanks for sharing!

  • Sonia the Mexigarian
    August 22, 2012 at 4:12 pm

    That looks so good. I haven’t had a cream of anything in a while. I have got to make this.

  • Wyndie
    August 22, 2012 at 4:23 pm

    Has anyone tried this with brown rice?

  • Colette
    August 22, 2012 at 4:40 pm

    Just got an email from Amazon that your book should be in my hands on August 27th! Yeah!!!

  • Neena
    August 22, 2012 at 6:35 pm

    I made this recipe tonight and subbed the french onion soup (I’m in Atlanta, it’s everywhere on our grocery shelves) and it was a huge hit with my kids (2 and 4)! I didn’t add any additional salt, since the soups were plenty salty, and used the mild rotel. It took closer to 2 hours to fully cook, since I used long grain rice, but the kids had two servings apiece and it was so easy and hands free once it was baking. Thanks for the inspiration! This working mom thanks you!

  • Stephie @ Eat Your Heart Out
    August 22, 2012 at 7:06 pm

    Who doesn’t love a good casserole? I mean, really.

    Yum.

  • shelly (cookies and cups)
    August 23, 2012 at 6:33 am

    This is the type of dinner that I love! Bring on the creamed soups 🙂

  • sally @ sallys baking addiction
    August 23, 2012 at 6:33 am

    Casseroles are my saving grace when I need something.. that I can just forget about in the oven. And the “retro” soups added it.. make it that much easier. Plus I looooooooooove shrimp. And your website. 🙂 Thanks Jenna!

  • Julie V.
    August 23, 2012 at 6:48 am

    Jenna,

    Do you think chicken could be substituted in this recipe? Looking forward to trying this out at a potluck or the holidays. PS – your poached eggs have changed me life.

    • jenna
      August 23, 2012 at 7:57 am

      I wouldn’t use chicken, personally…I would choose a different recipe with chicken in it (chicken n’ biscuits, maybe?!). Mixing raw chicken in with other ingredients just gets a bit weird…even if it goes right in the oven. It’s like putting stuffing in a turkey.

  • Kathleen @ fittitudefreedom
    August 23, 2012 at 3:33 pm

    I know all about hoarding t-shirts and cookbooks. I have way too many tees and cookbooks that I have run out of room in my house to store anymore. The casserole looks yummy as well- It’s a must try in my book! Thanks for sharing.

  • Debbie
    August 23, 2012 at 4:05 pm

    As much as I love to cook a complicated meal, there is nothing better than a casserole made with soup. I can’t wait to try this. Thank you.

  • Elizabeth
    August 23, 2012 at 8:37 pm

    Could you use frozen raw shrimp? If so, would you thaw them completely first? Sounds yummy!

    • jenna
      August 23, 2012 at 8:45 pm

      Yep–thaw completely before using!

  • Annabet
    August 24, 2012 at 6:58 pm

    Made this for dinner tonight, it was a hit! My store only had cooked shrimp so I just waited and added it during the last 30 minutes. Turned out great!! Thanks!

  • DessertForTwo
    August 25, 2012 at 5:17 pm

    I made this tonight and followed the recipe exactly–it’s PERFECT! Thanks for another great recipe, Jenna! 🙂

  • amy
    August 26, 2012 at 5:47 pm

    Do you think that Cream of Mushroom would work in place of Cream of Celery? I live in Asia and I can find Chicken and Mushroom but not Celery. Or two Cream of Chickens?

    • jenna
      August 27, 2012 at 7:27 am

      I think that would work fine!

  • Mandi
    August 26, 2012 at 6:45 pm

    Yum! Do you think this recipe would freeze well?

    • jenna
      August 27, 2012 at 7:28 am

      I don’t think so because of the rice and shrimp. But it will stay good in the fridge for up to five days!

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  • Kim
    August 27, 2012 at 9:23 am

    This sounds great but as a vegetarian I don’t eat anything with chicken, even stocks. Any suggestions for a swapout of the cream of chicken soup?

  • January Stanback
    August 28, 2012 at 6:16 am

    Wow! This is a delicious recipe! Big hit with the husband! We ended up having it 3 weeks

  • Katie
    August 28, 2012 at 10:23 am

    I loved this recipe! I made it the very night that I read about it here. So easy and really yummy.

    I think next time, though, I will omit the additional tsp of salt – I found the soups to be plenty salty. But excellent dish either way!

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  • Rachel
    August 30, 2012 at 5:52 pm

    Dee. Lish. Us. A little spicy thanks to the Rotel – but perfect since the boyfriend is averse to spicy, so ALL of the leftovers for me!! Thanks for a yummy recipe!

  • Amber
    September 7, 2012 at 8:57 pm

    Making thsi for my mom and sister tomorrow but I was hoping someone would comment on whether they drain the rotel or not?

    Very excited…want to eat my monitor!

    • Karena's Kitchen
      October 14, 2012 at 1:43 pm

      Hey Amber,

      I know I am late but I didnt drain the rotel. I just poured it all in.

  • Francesca
    September 8, 2012 at 2:52 pm

    Just added this to our meal plan for next week!! Is it necessary to use the butter in this recipe?

    • jenna
      September 8, 2012 at 3:12 pm

      Yep! I wouldn’t try it without the butter.

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  • Margo
    September 14, 2012 at 4:28 pm

    Recipe

  • Amanda
    October 4, 2012 at 2:06 pm

    Jenna, I wanted to make this tonight but just realized I only have instant rice. Any suggestions?

  • Karena's Kitchen
    October 14, 2012 at 1:42 pm

    I made this dish for a dinner party I hosted for my birthday last week. This dish was the party favorite!!! It went so fast I didnt even get to try it other than the sample I got when it came out of the oven to make sure the rice was done. It was SUPER easy to make. I will definitely have to make this for just the family.

  • Angela
    November 21, 2012 at 10:45 am

    We don’t have Rotel here in Canada, can I just use diced tomatoes, maybe with green peppers and onion and add some chili flakes for the kick?

  • Angela
    November 26, 2012 at 11:32 am

    As a follow up to my last question, I ended up finding Aylmer diced tomatoes with chili seasoning, so I used that. It was delicious and my husband loved it as well. I do wonder if adding or substituting half the shrimp with sausage would work. I think it would taste great, but wonder if you think it will cook through and properly?

  • Rebecca
    December 2, 2012 at 12:58 pm

    Stupid question maybe. Do you throw the whole can of ro tel in or do you drain it?

    • jenna
      December 2, 2012 at 5:53 pm

      The whole can — do not drain!

      • Rebecca
        December 7, 2012 at 11:38 am

        Thanks! I made it the other night without checking back and used the whole can. It was delicious!

  • Monica
    January 4, 2013 at 8:20 am

    Can someone please chime in on the brown rice? If it works the same, I mean. I’d like to make this tonight. Also, I’d plan to use both the soups “98% fat free versions.” Any thoughts on how it might affect the taste or cooking process? Thanks yall!

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  • Caralyn
    February 6, 2013 at 8:45 am

    Just wondering if I can just use chicken broth instead of the condensed soups…not a huge fan of them. Would I just do 2 1/2 cps of chicken broth or will my liquids be off, given that the condensed soups are creamy? Thanks!

    • jenna
      February 6, 2013 at 8:56 am

      The condensed soup is what gives the casserole a creamy texture and taste — it would be a much different dish if just made with chicken broth and I haven’t personally tried that so I can’t really guarantee what it will be like though. You’re welcome to try!

  • Karen
    April 14, 2013 at 2:03 pm

    I think pasta would work. Just don’t bake as long. I would make chicken strips or nuggets from raw chicken and cook them before using in recipe

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  • Emilie
    September 1, 2013 at 5:59 pm

    Thanks for sharing this recipe. I stumbled upon your website via Pinterest and was mesmerized by your recipe page. I’ve “pinned” several of your recipes and am excited to try them. I made this dish today and it was delish! The hubs had THIRDS. I’m definitely printing it out for my personal recipe binder. Again, thanks for sharing????

  • Jennay
    October 11, 2013 at 1:11 pm

    Tried your recipe out today for tonight’s dinner…so easy and can’t wait to taste it! It’s in the oven as I type and it smells oh so good! I made a few changes-added fresh organic broccoli and carrots to the recipe, substituted the white rice for brown rice, and used cream of mushroom instead of cream of chicken soup. I’m sure you can do all kinds of things with this recipe…thank YOU for sharing! =)

  • Marea
    December 22, 2013 at 6:07 pm

    I made this today for a Christmas gathering. It was a hit. Thanks for a great recipe. I did use the French Onion soup instead of the cream of celery.

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  • jacki
    April 26, 2014 at 10:45 am

    Try wild rice with this.Fab!

  • Terri
    July 30, 2014 at 4:48 pm

    I googled shrimp and rice casserole today and came across your dish. My family makes something very similar to this called, seafood delight. We use the French onion soup and cream of celery or cream of shrimp. We use the rotele and 1/2 cup water and a little red pepper. We also add some lump crab meat. We chop up scallions, green pepper and celery. It is a delicious dish and very easy to make. Thanks for sharing!

  • Eunice
    January 17, 2015 at 1:51 pm

    How about adding a little bacon to the recipe?

  • Kelly
    March 29, 2015 at 5:32 am

    Very very good and very easy to make. This was my 14yr old daughters first recipe that she did on her own and it was amazing, she was so proud. We had it with a side of fresh asparagus.

  • Lauren
    March 23, 2018 at 4:11 pm

    Thank you for pulling up an old recipe on Insta! This was so good and so hands off!

  • Jay
    November 17, 2018 at 12:56 pm

    Was delicious, I slightly tweaked the recipe with a can of condensed lobster bisque instead of the cream of chicken and used arborio rice. Only thing i added was a little seafood stock because the rice absorbed a lot of the mixture.

  • Jerms
    August 17, 2019 at 7:31 pm

    Slice some jalapeno smoked sausage, brown it, drain it and add it. I did 1lb shrimp and 1lb sausage and it was fantastic