Summer is here, and we’re ready to go all out. Seaside vacation, anyone? But even though that’s the summer our hearts want, we can’t be the only ones who are tightening our purse strings thanks to how expensive everything seems to be these days. But just like we can swap our vacation for a staycation, so too can we get a taste of our favorite summer foods without busting the budget. As much as we love Martha Stewart’s lobster rolls (and her lobster BLT’s — cha-ching, amirite?), fresh lobster just ain’t happening this summer. So Ree Drummond‘s clever, affordable swap — shrimp salad rolls — is how we’ll be getting our summer staycation seafood fix.
And let’s be honest, cooking live lobsters is kind of traumatic anyway, even if you do it the most humane way possible. Skip all of that drama, and opt for The Pioneer Woman‘s recipe instead. It starts with cooked shrimp, which you can either cook yourself, or you can grab a bag of frozen cooked shrimp instead and use it once thawed (that’s our favorite option, because it makes the recipe so easy).
Drummond’s shrimp salad rolls are a spin on Maine lobster rolls, which are usually served in a toasted, buttered, split-top hot dog bun and filled with chilled, mayo-dressed lobster meat. That’s as opposed to Connecticut-style lobster rolls, which dress warm lobster meat in melted butter. They’re both delish, but something just hits about a cold, creamy salad on a hot day.
The Pioneer Woman’s recipe dresses the shrimp with mayo that’s infused with fresh flavor thanks to chives, dill, and lemon juice. She also adds some celery for crunch. It’s really that simple, but you can also add your own touches to the recipe. A dash of Old Bay seasoning, swapping out half of the mayo for an equal amount of whole-fat Greek yogurt, adding sliced green onions — there’s a lot of room to play.
And don’t forget to utilize Drummond’s clever trick for making sure the toasted buns don’t get soggy — add a butter lettuce leave in the bun, then spoon the shrimp salad into that. It acts as a moisture barrier, and also adds some more fresh flavor to the shrimp rolls.
We may not be able to have our dream vacation on the coast, but we can still get a taste of our summer favorites with The Pioneer Woman’s budget-friendly shrimp salad rolls recipe.
In search of more summer recipes? Giada De Laurentiis has plenty:
Watch: How to Make Watermelon Mango Salsa
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