Oyster Casserole

We were disappointed with this recipe because it did not turn out as we expected. It appears to be misnamed. As an oyster casserole, this fell short because the breadcrumb to oyster ratio was too high. As an oyster stuffing, it was tasty. I read all of the reviews and was concerned about blandness, so I increased the worcestershire to 1T, lemon to 2t, added 1 minced clove of garlic, 1/4 c grated parmesan, and 1/4t of cayenne. Combined with the drained 2 cup tub of Willapoint oysters, the flavor had a deep umame richness of oyster, cream, egg, and cheese. However, there weren't very many oysters in the casserole, it just tasted like oyster stuffing. I would have preferred to prepare the entire recipe without the oysters, and then spoon it over a freshly shucked oyster and baked as a version of oysters rockefeller. If I made this again, I'd use far, far less breadcrumbs. I'd start with 2 cups of breadcrumbs. It's very tasty, but just too carb-centric with all of the breadcrumbs.

• mrkevin

• Gurnee, IL

• 12/4/2017

This dish was part of a large Thanksgiving gathering, and I didn't double it, assuming many guests would not eat oysters. They licked the plate.

• starchgirl

• Cleveland

• 12/19/2013

I made this last Christmas and was pleasantly surprised. My guests loved it! I came back for the recipe to make again and I don't understand how people hated it. It really came out lovely and was a wonderful addition to our holiday table. I purchased the fresh shucked oysters at our local market and followed the directions exactly. If you're hesitant... give it a chance! :)

• jaimekm

• 12/20/2010

I made this at Thanksgiving with some modifications due to dietary restrictions: goat's milk and goat butter instead of the cream, with toasted & shredded gluten-free teff bread for the bread crumbs. I used a lot of pepper and added some minced bacon to the top for the last 15 minutes of baking. I used whatever local Washington oysters Whole Foods was selling at the time. The finished product was a nice oyster-laden bread pudding. A bit on the firm side but it held up well with reheating and didn't dry out if covered properly. It also froze well and we enjoyed it again for a post-Christmas leftovers feast. Would definitely make this again as it worked well with my dietary modifications, was very tasty, and the whole family enjoyed it.

• kmmarkle

• Vancouver, WA

• 1/1/2010

这道菜是不错,但是不要信息技术mpt it if you cannot use judgment as to the proportions of ingredients. We had an excellent use of a can of shucked oysters from CostCo (yes!) and all the guests were delighted with the result. Excellent addition to my recipe box!

• lbarbone

• 12/27/2009

This is a terrible recipe. It should be named "toasted bread crumb casserole" because that it what predominates. It is not appealing either visually or in flavor or texture. This recipe was from the last issue of Gourmet and I'm afraid that it may be responsible for the magazine's demise. It was a disappointing addition to our Christmas feast and will not be invited back next year. Next time I try something like this, I would use more lemon, more Worcestershire, and some Tabasco to add some zip. Some chopped bacon would help. I would cut the bread crumbs in half and toast them only lightly. In short, I'd look for a different recipe.

• i4abuy

• 12/26/2009

First, A cook from KY should note as the recipe reads on it clearly states... "mix ingredients adding salt and pepper" That aside, this was very good - like oyster stuffing without all the other ingredients to conflict with --oyster! After reading reviews, however, I wanted to make sure it was not dry. I regularly use the pints of Willapoint oysters - they are huge and meaty. (A cup of oysters as the recipe calls for is just a tease) Anyway, I do halve or third these and also used all the liquor from the container. The results were great, and the oyster flavor was outstanding. Incidentally, if you have seen Willapoint oysters and have been hesitant to try, don't be. They are nice solid oysters and not overly wet packed, and being that they are not jammed full of water, they don't shrivel up like a lot of oysters can. The container can be frozen, and I just bought pints for less than $6!

• glovefl

• ft pierce fl

• 11/28/2009

it doesnt have any salt or pepper in it. I haven't made it yet but plan to and i'm going to add 1 teaspoon salt, some black pepper and probably a dash of cayenne pepper to the liquid. Also, you could keep some of the oyster liquor instead of draining it. Will update this review after i make it next week for Thanksgiving.

• Anonymous

• lexington, ky

• 11/19/2009

This recipe was awful. There wasn't enough liquid to make a custard. It ended up a lump similar to stuffing. I followed the recipe very carefully and I know my liquid measurements were exact so that's not the problem. Flavors were okay.

• zoey4868

• PA

• 11/17/2009