Seafood Lasagna

I am a walking contradiction. I know this. There isn't another way to explain how a mere day or so after I claim to be a hippie and post about raw kale, I now go in the completely opposite direction. What is the furthest from hippie food that you can get? A Paula Deen recipe, y'all!

Don't know Paula Deen? Well, she's the southern belle of the Food Network with the most pronounced drawl I've ever heard. Her two favorite foods are butter and mayonnaise. I saw her put a huge hunk of butter on top of hot spaghetti once. She probably drinks melted butter instead of water and puts a scoop of mayo in her morning coffee. She is hard core.

Don't get me wrong. I'm not saying this recipe isn't good for you. It certainly has a higher calorie and fat count than anything I've ever posted before but I guarantee it's better for you than THIS. Because this yummy dish contains real unprocessed ingredients - butter, cheese, and cream. Just like the French eat every day (but in moderation!). This picture is before baking.

My recommendation if you want to make this - forget the lasagna noodles! All that layering business is too putzy for my taste. Just cook up some of your favorite whole wheat pasta (shells would be cute, to go with the seafood....get it?) and mix it with the creamy cheesy seafood mixture, top with more cheese, and bake.

Seafood Lasagna (adapted from a Paula Deen recipe)

4 Tbsp butter

1 medium yellow onion, diced

3 cloves of garlic, minced

4 Tbsp all-purpose flour

3 cups half-and-half

1 1/2 cups grated romano, parmesan, asiago, or other hard cheese

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

pinch freshly grated nutmeg

1 cup shrimp, peeled and deveined (no tails)

2 cups scallops, cut in half or quartered if large

2 cups crab meat

1 box pasta, cooked

3/4 cup grated parmesan

Cook onion in butter over medium heat in a large skillet with deep sides for about 5-8 minutes, or until soft. Add garlic and cook 1 more minute. Add flour and cook 1-2 more minutes. Add half-and-half slowly and whisk until all flour is blended into cream. Let cook over low heat, whisking occasionally, until mixture thickens slightly. Add 1 1/2 cups grated hard cheese (I used a mixture of romano and parmesan) and mix well. Add salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Add all your seafood and cook about 2-3 minutes or until they're cooked through (shrimp turn pink and scallops become firm).

Either mix this creamy seafood mixture with cooked pasta shells or layer with lasagna noodles in greased casserole dish.

Top with 1/2 cup grated parm and bake at 375 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until it's hot and bubbling and golden brown on top. Let sit 10 minutes before serving with a green salad and white wine.

ONE YEAR AGO: A cute pic of my mom at Lombardi's pizza in NYC