Here in Louisiana, we love our seafood! But when the temperature is close to 100 degrees, outdoors is the last place we want to be while cooking. So … enter the crock pot!

A while back my mother-in-law asked me if I had ever heard of boiling shrimp in a crock pot. I had not, but the idea sounded fantastic, so I looked on Pinterest and found several recipes for it. After weeding through them all, I took bits and pieces from a few of the recipes, as well as adding some of my own ingredients and techniques, and came up with this…

Not only was this super easy, but the kids absolutely loved it! The amount of ingredients that fit into the crock pot was perfect for a family of four.

Here’s what you’ll need:

• 1-2 lb large shrimp, raw with shell on (I used gulf shrimp)
• 1 bag Zatarain’s crawfish, shrimp and crab boil
• 1 lb smoked andouille sausage, sliced
• 1-2 lb baby red potatoes
• 4 small frozen corn on cob (or 2 large fresh cut in half)
• 1 lemon, cut into wedges
• 1 whole bulb garlic, cut in half (don’t worry about the skin – it will mostly dissolve while cooking, and it’s not to eat anyway, just for flavor)
• 1 yellow onion, quartered
• 2 tsp Tony’s seasoning
• 2 tsp salt
• 1 stick butter
• fresh chopped parsley

Place everything in crock pot EXCEPT for shrimp, lemon, butter and parsley, and then cover ingredients with water. Cook on low for 6-8 hours.

Several of the recipes I looked at called for cayenne pepper, lemon pepper, etc. but I didn’t want this dish to be too spicy for my kids, especially the corn and potatoes. With just the Tony’s and the bag of shrimp boil I thought it was just spicy enough with plenty of flavor, but you can always add any seasoning you’d like.

Last, add in the remaining ingredients and turn crock pot to high. Cook about 30 more minutes, then serve immediately so the shrimp don’t overcook, removing seasoning bag before serving.

The shrimp were perfect, the sausage was delicious, and the corn and potatoes had a sweet taste from the butter and onion but also a savory taste from the spices. I served mine with garlic bread and a pasta salad, and it was a hit with my family!

So next time you’re craving boiled shrimp, remember to get out your crock pot, because this couldn’t be any easier! And it will definitely impress whoever you’re cooking for!

Thanks y’all!

– Nikki