The Story & Intro
Bonjour my friends! 👋 I’m Lacamorea, a 31-year-old French girl who traded the cobblestone streets of Paris for the cozy kitchens of America 🇫🇷➡️🇺🇸. Ever since I could reach the countertop, I’ve been whisking, stirring, and sneaking tastes of cake batter when no one was looking 🍰😋. Cooking isn’t just my passion it’s my love language, my therapy, and my favorite way to make people smile.
And today’s recipe? Oh là là… it’s one of those dishes that warms your soul like a soft holiday blanket. My Christmas seafood casserole with lobster has become a holiday tradition in my little blended French-American world and every December, it steals the show.
I still remember the first year I made this Christmas seafood casserole with lobster here in the U.S. It was snowing outside, the fireplace crackling, and I wanted something that tasted both festive and luxurious, yet still comforting. Back home, seafood is a Christmas staple, especially lobster the king of festive ingredients. So I married the French elegance of seafood with the American charm of a bubbling, creamy casserole.
The result? A decadent Christmas seafood casserole with lobster that’s rich, buttery, slightly indulgent, and absolutely holiday-worthy. My friends still joke that if Santa tasted this dish, he’d skip the cookies and park his sleigh for dinner.
By the time you finish reading this (and hopefully cooking it), this recipe may just become a new Christmas Eve tradition at your table too. So grab a spoon, mon ami let’s dive in.
⏱️ Time
- Prep: 20 minutes
- Cook: 35 minutes
- Total: 55 minutes
- Servings: 6–8
🛒 Ingredients
Seafood
- 1 lb cooked lobster meat, chopped
- ½ lb shrimp, peeled and deveined
- ½ lb bay scallops
- ½ cup crab meat (optional but fabulous)
Sauce Base
- 4 tbsp butter
- 1 small onion, finely diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 cups whole milk
- 1 cup heavy cream
- ½ cup seafood stock (or chicken stock)
- ½ cup white wine (optional but recommended)
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- ½ tsp smoked paprika
- ½ tsp dried thyme
- Salt & black pepper to taste
Add-Ins
- 1 cup shredded Gruyère
- ½ cup Parmesan cheese
- 1 cup peas (fresh or frozen)
- 1 cup cooked rice OR small pasta (optional but good for bulk)
Topping
- 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 3 tbsp melted butter
- 2 tbsp chopped parsley
- Lemon wedges for serving
👩🍳 Instructions
1. Prep the Seafood
Rinse and pat dry the shrimp and scallops. If using raw shrimp, keep them whole or cut into large chunks. Crab meat should be picked over for shells. Set everything aside.
2. Make the Creamy Holiday Sauce
In a large skillet or saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté until soft and fragrant, about 3–4 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook another 30 seconds.
Sprinkle the flour over the butter mixture and whisk to form a smooth roux. Let it cook for 1 minute to remove any raw flour taste.
Slowly pour in the milk, whisking continuously. Then add the cream, stock, and wine.
Let the sauce simmer until it thickens slightly and becomes silky.
Season with Dijon mustard, smoked paprika, thyme, salt, and black pepper. Lower the heat and stir in the Gruyère and half the Parmesan. Let it melt until velvety.
3. Add the Seafood
Gently fold in the lobster, shrimp, scallops, and crab meat. Add the peas and cooked rice or pasta if you’re using them.
Stir gently treat the lobster like the royalty it is! 👑🦞
Let everything warm through for 3–4 minutes.
4. Assemble the Casserole
Preheat your oven to 375°F.
Pour the mixture into a buttered casserole dish.
In a small bowl, combine the panko, melted butter, parsley, and remaining Parmesan. Sprinkle evenly on top.
5. Bake to Perfection
Bake uncovered for 25–30 minutes, until golden, bubbly, and your kitchen smells like pure Christmas heaven.
Let rest 5 minutes before serving if your family can wait!
Serving Suggestions
- Serve with warm crusty bread to scoop up every drop of the creamy lobster sauce.
- Add a crisp green salad with lemon vinaigrette to balance the richness.
- Pair with Champagne, Prosecco, or a chilled Chardonnay for a holiday feast that feels restaurant-level.
- For a French twist, spoon it over buttered noodles.
- For Christmas Eve? Place it at the center of the table with candles, soft carols, and a cozy blanket of twinkling lights. ✨
Recipe Card
⭐ Christmas Seafood Casserole with Lobster
⏱️ Time
- Prep: 20 mins
- Cook: 35 mins
- Total: 55 mins
🛒 Ingredients
- Lobster, shrimp, scallops, crab
- Butter, garlic, onion
- Milk, cream, stock, wine
- Gruyère, Parmesan
- Peas, rice or pasta (optional)
- Panko, parsley, butter
👩🍳 Instructions
- Sauté onion & garlic in butter.
- Add flour, milk, cream, stock, wine.
- Melt in cheeses & seasoning.
- Add all seafood + peas.
- Pour in casserole dish.
- Top with buttery panko.
- Bake at 375°F for 25–30 mins.
📝 Notes
- Use pre-cooked lobster for ease.
- Add cayenne for subtle heat.
- Substitute Gruyère with Swiss if needed.
🍽️ Nutrition (Approx. per serving)
- Calories: 480–620
- Protein: 32g
- Fat: 32g
- Carbs: 24g
Conclusion
Making this Christmas seafood casserole with lobster every December reminds me of how food brings people together whether you’re in a chic Parisian apartment or a cozy American home with stockings hanging by the fireplace. This dish is warm, rich, festive, and feels like a culinary hug during the holidays.
I hope it becomes a beloved tradition at your table, too. From my kitchen to yours Joyeux Noël, my friend! 🎄❤️🦞