Low Country Shrimp Dip
In the midst of all of the holiday preparations I find myself immersed in two big moves. My Thanksgiving holiday is going to be anything but a holiday this year and I’m sure I’m not alone. My daughter Emily is moving to North Carolina for a new job and they want her there and in training before Christmas so she will be leaving on December 4th, the day after her birthday. Em lived in Connecticut for a year after college but she has always loved Colorado so was happy to come back home. Moving to North Carolina is different. She was born there and though we left when she was 6, it still holds a special place in her heart; she also knows some people not far from her new job so the entire move should be less traumatic. She’s very excited about going to work for Lowe’s in their operations center in a small town on the west side of the state. She is a small town girl at heart!
After almost eight months of being out of my home; several of those waiting for a new home to be completed, my closing is scheduled for 12/17. Not the best timing because all of my photo props and camera equipment is at Emily’s and will now have to be moved into storage because our dates don’t jive. Once this move business is over I think I will lock the doors and have a major crash; life has been unsettled this entire year dealing with way too many issues in tandem and I can not wait for some quiet moments in my own home.
Still we are planning on having a couple of simple dishes to nosh on and this will most certainly be one of them. I met the PR rep for Parrano Cheese when I went to a tasting held at a new Smashburger in Denver and we connected over cheese. Could you blame me? Heidi offered to send me some and really…who says no to cheese?
Heidi also provided me with some recipes to peruse and I decided to try this one for a cheesy shrimp spread. I am SO glad I discovered that red bell peppers are related in name only to the vile green ones I detest…they add such a great flavor and color to this dish. I think it simply looks like ‘the holidays’ with such festive colors and the flavor of this dip is out of this world. I served it recently during a Broncos football game (which we won) and it literally disappeared; doggone I should have made it again yesterday!
Parrano cheese is a cow milk cheese produced in the Netherlands. It tastes mild and nutty, combining salty and sweet flavors. Made from pasteurized milk, Parrano is produced in 20-lb wheels and is aged for 5 months. It has the smooth creamy texture of a young Dutch Gouda and the nutty, sweet, buttery flavors of aged Parmesan and is marketed as an Italian-style cheese. Taglines have included “The Dutch cheese that thinks it’s Italian” and “Sort of Italian.” Parrano is technically Gouda cheese although its flavor is more pronounced than that of traditional Gouda.
We just loved that nutty taste reminiscent of Parmesan in this melted cheese and shrimp spread. It would be a winning addition to your holiday parties or dinners; or in our case, it just might be our dinner. 🙂
Low Country Shrimp Dip Appetizer
Ingredients
- 1 8 ounce package of cream cheese
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- ¼ tsp Cajun seasoning I found some by Weber labeled just that!
- Dash of Cayenne pepper
- ½ tsp Salt
- ¼ tsp BBlack pepper
- 1 ½ cup Parrano cheeses grated
- 2 green onions finely chopped
- ½ cup red bell pepper chopped
- 1 lb medium shrimp cooked peeled and chopped
Instructions
- With an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese, mayonnaise, Cajun seasoning, cayenne pepper, salt & black pepper until well blended and smooth. Adjust salt and pepper to taste if necessary.
- Fold in Parrano, green onions, bell pepper and shrimp
- Transfer to a 9-inch pie pan. Refrigerate.
- To serve, simply warm mixture on the grill or in the oven at medium high heat until warm and bubbly.
- Serve with toasted bread rounds, crackers or pita chips.
Why not go 100% low country and use Palmetto Piemento Cheese. The best in the US.
I don’t like Pimento Cheese? Yep, there is that!
Who the hell says no to cheese? ONLY CRAZY PEOPLE, that’s who! 😉 Love this dip – I really need to get more creative with my dips than cream cheese mixed with mayo and seasoning… Having heard the saga of your year as it unfolded, I fully agree that you need to crash as soon as you are moved in – hole up for a week in your PJs with cheese and cocktails! Happy Thanksgiving!
This looks amazing, would be great for any kind of get together.
Mmmm I love this kind of dip. There is something so 70’s or 80’s about it and those were the best dip years, weren’t they? I LOVE shrimp and love the flavors you have in this appetizer (lunch?). Actually I can so easily see locking myself indoors, curled up on the couch and watching old holiday movies eating a bowl of this with crackers!
I am so happy for your daughter and I think you have gotten through this past were with courage and fortitude. I am happy mostly to see you surrounded by your two lovely daughters in peace and happiness.
I don’t know anyone who needs to sit in a room alone with her feet up and drink a lovely cocktail and do nothing! I know you have a lot on your plate but you’ll get there. One foot in front of the other they tell me is how it’s done. 🙂
Lovely appetizer!
Hi I was just wondering if you have to substitute the cheese what would you use I haven’t as yet found a good cheese shop around many thanks 🙂 and I hope your move goes smoothly I hate moving :/
I can just imagine how excited you will be to get into your new home! And what a year you and yours have been through! You totally deserve some major down time and I hope you’ll allow yourself to take it. Oh, and this dip? I could eat this for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. For a week. Maybe two. Of course, being “low country” it would certainly appeal to my southern sensibilities 😉
You and me both…want to come up for the housewarming?
Having been in your situation one time in 1984, Barbara, when my husband at the time and I had a home built for us, I know your excitement and also that sense of wanting to just get into your home and have quiet time. It will come, albeit slowly, but it will come… I am looking forward to hearing all about it once you settle in xox
I’ve had new homes before and we had to wait a bit when we first moved to Denver to move into ours. But never this long and never with someone that I can barely and I mean just barely tolerate ; makes every day difficult and the time is dragging, doggone it! Soon…so very soon…yah!!
Wow, you’re going to be busy over the next month! Good luck with things. Stinks you need to store your photo gear for a bit. I’m OK with green bell peppers but prefer the red ones too. I believe they are the same plant; but the green ones are unripe, the red ones fully ripe (thus much more flavorful and sweeter). Nice little dip – one can never have too many at this time of the year!
Congratulations to Emily on this job transfer and I hope she is very happy working for Lowe’s in North Carolina. Quite a way to celebrate a new year for her. Hope she enjoys her birthday though I can imagine it’s quite a busy time for her. And you…moving in on December 17th!!! I’m sure you are chomping on the bit and I’m so excited for you Barb. I wish I could attend that big monster bash you are going to throw, I’ll certainly be there in spirit with you. Lucky for all those that will be there especially if you or someone brings this dip!
Many sweet blessings to you in your new home Barb. It will be worth all the times you have gone through to get yourself settled into it.
P.S. Better get some maple syrup ready for shipping to you soon, you can christen your new kitchen with it (in a drink or dessert of course) 🙂
So are we to blame the Bronco loss on the fact that your dip wasn’t around last night? Maybe, as there is little other excuse to explain blowing a 24 point lead! Ouch. This dip seems to have a lucky edge to it, would you please make it next weekend? And then after that…and after that…
I’m interested in trying this type of cheese. Thanks for introducing me to it.
Wasn’t that TERRIBLE. But as I told my roomie who was having a fit…at least they got beat by a good team! This stuff is addictive; I could have eaten it all by myself!
I hope you’re planning on making some of this for your big unpacking, housewarming, cocktail drinking, bacon corncake eating soiree that you are going to have after we get you moved. It is almost here! Less than a month away!
I will do that; I can not wait and I think you’ve hit most chords; add something chocolate and sounds like the perfect event. Have I mentioned I’m SO ready? Yes? OK, then have I mentioned it more than 100 times? Cause I am!
Whenever I see the phrase “low country” I say “high five”. GREG
Oh that looks divine! Would be perfect for many a football game nights! Good to Luck to Em with the move.
Karen just asked me to add it to the big move-in monster party I’m going to have. Done!
I am so with you about the green peppers–they are really the only food I detest, and for years I avoided other peppers as a result. Then I discovered that all other peppers are wonderful! Your dip looks divine.