Deb's Scallops Florentine
Mouthwatering scallops and spinach, topped off with a rich Parmesan cheese sauce, baked until bubbly and delicious!
Mouthwatering scallops and spinach, topped off with a rich Parmesan cheese sauce, baked until bubbly and delicious!
I must say, this is a very good recipe. I have a few suggestions to offer that really help tweak it (at least in my opinion). Use fresh baby spinach, fresh is always better. Skip the mozzarella, it detracts from the dish. I actually put the fresh spinach in the cream mixture and cook the spinach that way. I spread the spinach and cream mixture over the scallops, top off with a dusting of italian seasoned bread crumbs, a nice mix of romano and parm cheese and then a very light dusting of Creole seasoning. This really adds some flavor. Bake at the temp suggested for 10 minutes then broil for the remaining 5 min. Really works nicely. Serve with Basil rice for a real treat.
Read MoreGood concept, but way too many salty ingredients. I followed the advice of other reviewers, by omitting the M. cheese. I also cut way back on the Old Bay, because of reviewers who had found it salty. It was still very salty, probably due to the parmesan cheese. I may try it again someday, by substituting other white cheeses for most of the parmesan, and sticking with just a sprinkling of Old Bay, or substituting other herbs for that, too.
Read MoreI must say, this is a very good recipe. I have a few suggestions to offer that really help tweak it (at least in my opinion). Use fresh baby spinach, fresh is always better. Skip the mozzarella, it detracts from the dish. I actually put the fresh spinach in the cream mixture and cook the spinach that way. I spread the spinach and cream mixture over the scallops, top off with a dusting of italian seasoned bread crumbs, a nice mix of romano and parm cheese and then a very light dusting of Creole seasoning. This really adds some flavor. Bake at the temp suggested for 10 minutes then broil for the remaining 5 min. Really works nicely. Serve with Basil rice for a real treat.
This is a fabulous, easy recipe. I steamed a 10 oz. bag of fresh baby spinach instead of using the frozen variety. I substituted half-and-half for the heavy cream and used unsalted butter. I used just a sprinkling of Old Bay, pepper and mozzarella before baking. I did not precook the scallops, and baked the whole thing for 25 minutes. The scallops came out perfectly done- the sauce had lots of flavor, without overpowering the scallops. My husband declared it a home run. Note: One night when we had unexpected company, I added a pound of shrimp to the mix and it made this recipe twice as good. I will use a combination of one pound shrimp, one pound sea scallops from now on. The loaded-with-seafood approach makes it absolutely stunning.
We just had this tonight - and it was great! My partner insists he is not much on "seafood" unless it is fried catfish or shrimp. He also has a strong aversion to "foo-foo" food, which this clearly is. Even at that - he put this in the recipe book himself!! I made a few changes: Deleted - Old Bay Seasoning (I don't like the taste of it). Also did not precook the scallops, based on other reviews - it was a good call. I also have a way of making the sauce without the added butter. The less fat in this dish, the more often we can have it! Added - 2 cups cooked rice to bottom of dish (I'd prefer a wild/brown mixture myself, but SOMEBODY only likes white rice<sigh>). Topped with 5-6 mushrooms, sliced & sauted. Substitutions - 5 Italian Cheese mix for mozzerella and non-fat half & half for heavy cream (yes, they do make such a thing). I also used fresh spinach (1 bunch) but I think I will use whole leaf frozen next time and see how that works. If not then I will use 2 bunches of fresh - dry fry until soft and lay out in a layer over scallops. Things to change for next time - make a double batch of sauce. This was certainly a great dish, not much work, and well worth the effort. I would serve it to company any day. I can see that it can be made up ahead of time, and refrigerated before baking. Serve with a salad, maybe bread and something very light for dessert. Even without the salad this will serve 6 at our house easily.
This is one of those recipes that tastes like it comes from a great restaurant! Like others, I used fresh spinach leaves not frozen. I used 1/2 pound each of shrimp and scallops. To further make it "my own", I added a dash each of onion powder and garlic salt in place of the Old Bay seasoning. To cut down on the fat a little, I used half-and-half in place of the heavy cream and Smart Balance in place of the butter. A suggestion - Wondra Flour for sauces blends smoother than regular flour. Another great alteration was adding 3/4 cup chopped artichoke hearts. I also put the seafood in without cooking it first. Cook for 25-30 minutes and it comes out just fine! Fantastic recipe, thanks!
I don't think you need to boil the scallops first-I instead baked for about 20-25 minutes at 350 and they came out perfect. I used less Old Bay than called for- I think a tablespoon might make it too salty. Also, I don't think this takes 30 minutes prep time as the recipe says. I cooked the spinach in the micro while I made the sauce. It takes a minute or so to press the water from the spinach and then the recipe goes together quickly. I put the scallops directly in the pie plate instead of boiling. So prep time is less than 15 minutes. I would rather spend less prep time and a little more time in the oven so I can do some other things while it cooks. My husband , who is usually neutral on scallops really liked this, and I did too. Whenever I make scallops I'll use this recipe from now on.
This was wonderfull!!!! I did however make a few changes. I did not boil scallops. Just ran hot water over frozen 1 ½ lb pkg of scallops until ½ thawed. Put in 9x13 pan. Put steamed baby spinach on top. Doubled cream sauce using Kraft’s three cheese poured over all toped with Italian bread crumbs used some of Emerald’s seasoning did not have any Old Bay. Backed 350 for ½ hour or until bubbly. Hmmmmm the best thing I have ever made and my family loved it!!!! I may try puting shrimp with it next time we love sea food and this is just the best!
This is very good. I used fat free half and half, I didn't pre-cook the scallops and used salt-free creole seasoning. I wouldn't use as much seasoning as the recipe calls for and no extra salt. It wasn't too salty. Thanks for the recipe.
This was absolutely fabulous!!I skipped step #2(pre-boiling is not necessary--they bake perfectly in the oven for 25 minutes). I used fresh spinach which I tore into smaller, bite-size pieces. (You could probably use baby spinach.I omitted the OLD BAY seasoning (as did lots of other reviewers who said it made it too salty). Half of the bread crumbs I used were italian style. Its very rich, but you could probably substitute milk for the cream for a lighter version. I don't think you need a side dish... we ate caesar salads while it baked and drank white wine with dinner...yummy. Thanks Deb!!
This was very good. I, too, read the other reviews and did not cook the scallops ahead of time, I used fresh baby spinach, used milk instead of cream, italian bread crumbs -- and I added some fresh crushed garlic, not alot, but it just gave the sauce a hint of it -- YUM!!!! I also elimated the mozzarella b/c the parmesan is perfect!!! Served it over NO YOLK noodles!!! We loved it!!! Thanks for sharing, Deb!!!!
The recipe was very easy to prepare. It was delicious, rich, creamy and tasty. Next time I make it I won't poach the scallops and I won't use the Old Bay seasoning and either skip the mozzarella or substitute it with some other cheese, like Monteray Jack. Overall my husband and I really like. Good Job, Deb.
Don't precook the scallops. I used fat-free half & half, and added about a tsp of low-sodium Old Bay to the sauce. I think a little Cajun or Creole seasoning might be substituted for the Old Bay. I also added the spinach to the sauce. I skipped the mozzarella, and used panko with a little parm as a topping. I also spritzed it with a little olive oil, and sprinkled a littled paprika on it for color. 20 minutes cooked it perfectly. I think I might use some shucked oysters, cook for about 10 minutes, and have a faux oysters Rockefeller casserole.
I love this recipe! I use 1% milk instead of cream, steamed baby spinach instead of frozen and I omit the mozzerella. It comes out fantastic! Very rich and creamy.
Good concept, but way too many salty ingredients. I followed the advice of other reviewers, by omitting the M. cheese. I also cut way back on the Old Bay, because of reviewers who had found it salty. It was still very salty, probably due to the parmesan cheese. I may try it again someday, by substituting other white cheeses for most of the parmesan, and sticking with just a sprinkling of Old Bay, or substituting other herbs for that, too.
Well...this recipe made me a hero at my house :D I made this for my mothers birthday, and she loves seafood so I wanted to make sure I made her the best thing possible. Well, this is it. I did modify it, as per the other reviewers suggestions: used half and half instead of heavy cream, used a pound of scallops and just under a pound of shrimp, didn't pre-boil them but cooked it all for 30 minutes. I added an 8 oz bag of spinach to the cream mixture as it cooked, as well as some garlic. I actually had my wisdom teeth taken out the other day so I was holding a bag of peas to my face and had the brainwave "why don't I add some of these?" so I tossed them on top of the seafood, poured the spinach cream on top and sprinkled some Parmesan, Italian seasoning, basil and a tiny bit of cayenne pepper on top. I didn't bother with any other cheese or the breadcrumbs. I served it with whole wheat fettuccini noodles and it was a home run, in the grandstands, grand slam, world tournament winning meal! We were all freaking out over how good it was. The only thing I might change for next time is to reduce the butter slightly ( I doubled the sauce) but that might have been my fault in the first place since I just eyeballed the butter. Thanks for the smashing recipe to make for my mom!
Oooooh this was delicious! I made a few changes...1) Did not boil the scallops first 2) Used 1/2 and 1/2 in place of the heavy cream 3) Seasoned with garlic and onion powder 4) Used fresh spinach - added it to the liquid so it cooked down 5) Added the mozzarella to the liquid so it cooked into the sauce 6) After covering the scallops with the sauce I sprinkled with parmesan and and Italian bread crumbs, omitting the Old Bay 7) Baked for 20 minutes
This was delicious, but I did "tweek" the recipe a bit. I sauteed 2/3 cup vidalia onion in the butter before adding the flour. I also added about 1T. cooking sherry to the sauce before I poured it over the spinach. It was delicious!!!
I was worried that this sauce wouldn't be flavorful enough, or worse that I'd drown my (expensive) scallops in it and end up with a rubbery mess, but everyone in my home absolutely loved this recipe. It's a welcome change from typical lemon/garlic/white wine approaches to shellfish and the flavors meld together wonderfully. We made double the sauce and served this with a side of angel hair pasta and there were no leftovers the next day. I think what especially helps is making sure you get good quality scallops -- I ended up getting scallops from two different stores and there was a marked difference. Look for scallops that are large and firm and they'll hold up to the sauce and cooking much better and will add wonderful flavor as well. This recipe really doesn't need any fiddling with as far as I'm concerned, but maybe next time I'll try the seasoned bread crumbs as some people did, and perhaps a touch of garlic or some other seasoning.
Super Recipe – thanks! I did not parboil the scallops but rather cooked for 25 minutes as other reviewers suggested – they were perfectly cooked. Also, I used a good gruyere cheese instead of mozzarella because I couldn’t bring myself to put mozzarella on scallops. It was a perfect combination of flavors. Fontina will be good too as another reviewer suggested. Next time I will try fresh baby spinach just to see the difference. The recipe is rich… & so delicious.
oh my goodness this is tasty!! i followed these suggestions 1)no old bay, mozzarella, or pre cooking 3)cooked fresh baby spinach in the sauce 4)added a couple cloves of garlic to the sauce 5)skim milk instead of heavy cream 6)seasoned breadcrumbs. I know that's a lot of changes, but otherwise the recipe was easy and good. I do think I could have used less butter (2 tbsp?) Oh, and I'm still glowing from dinner...YUM
These were pretty good! Loved the sauce they were baked in. The scallops do not need to be cooked first otherwise they get over done.
YUM! This is delicious! And the best part is it's so simple and quick, perfect for a mom who looks at the clock at 5:30 and says, "What's for dinner?" I, too, skipped the precooking of scallops and used milk instead of cream. Thanks for a wonderful new recipe, Deb!!
GREAT flavor! I omitted boiling the scallops first, that isn't necessary, just bake a few minutes longer. I also used all italian blend shredded cheese instead of parmesan and mozzarella. I think that is more flavorful. I also used some seasoned bread crumbs and that was a great addition as well. My 6 year old daughter loved it and there wasn't any left, I also used more than a pound, it was about a pound and 2/3 and kept the measurements the same and it turned out great. I did add a bit more breadcrumbs I think but not much. My hubby isn't a big scallop fan but he did eat this all up! I really does taste like something you would order out of a nice restaurant. Great dish for company if they like seafood. It's really easy and taste superb.
The recipe was pretty good - it was my first time cooking with scallops and i loved the creamy, cheesy taste. The one thing I did not like was the Old Bay seasoning on top! Everyone I made it for took the whole topping off because of the Old Bay. I think the Old Bay would have worked better if it was mixed in the cream sauce, if you like the taste. As for myself, I'll just exclude it the next time I make this dish.
Very good. I used half and half instead of the cream and also skipped the step of boiling the scallops as I read in other reviews. Took someone else's tip of making lemon thyme rice from this website and it paired perfectly. Yum.
Great recipe! I skipped the parboiling, the extra cheese and crumb topping. Also skipped the old bay seasoning. Used some garlicy croutons crushed instead. Made it ahead and cooked it for about 25 mins. We loved it!!
Great recipe. I made minor changes to make this recipe gluten free. I used cornstarch instead of all purpose flour and gluten free bread crumbs. Other than those changes I followed the recipe exactly. Thanks for sharing!
This was very good but next time I will play around with it a little as we found it a tad too bland and a touch too salty.
Very easy and delicious recipe. I decided to make this 1 hour before my dinner guests arrived and even had to go to the grocery! It's so easy to prepare. I used fresh baby spinach (bagged)and skipped the mozzarella cheese (as suggested by an earlier reviewer) and everyone thought it was a rich and luscious meal. I served over a gourmet pasta. I would suggest you serve with a steamed vegie or light tossed salad as it is rich, rich, rich. This is a great recipe that I will make again! Thanks!
fantastic! one of my favorite scallop dishes to make... ever! whole family enjoys it :)
My husband and I liked this very much. My 9 year old didn't like it at all. I lightened it up by using milk, and cut 1 TB butter. After reading other reviews, I did not poach scallops beforehand. I will make this again. I served this over rice.
My husband absolutely raved about this. It was very simple to make too. I like the other reviewer's suggestion to add shrimp as well and I may try that next time...
I guess I am the exception, but I did not care for this. Way too salty between the salt, cheese, and Old Bay. I used fresh spinach but otherwise made no changes. I will not make this again.
Great taste and very easy to make - my husband and I both loved this recipe. Substituted fat free half & half for the heavy cream & margarine for the butter with excellent results. Also added crushed garlic, paprika, ground celery seed, mustard and cloves to the butter in Step 3 & omitted Old Bay sprinkle at the end. Very tasty served on a bed of pasta.
Fabulous! Everyone at the table insisted that I make note of exactly what I did and then share it with them. I had 1½ lbs of nice scallops and that was perfect for 4 people with just a nice Italian bread salad. Unlike others, I feel that boiling the scallops for 2 minutes is important because it reduces the natural saltiness of the scallops and removes excess fishy taste. I also reduced the bay seasoning to 2 teaspoons, used 6 ounces of fresh baby spinach cooked in the cream sauce along with 4 finely chopped green onions and 4 finely chopped brown mushrooms. I also substituted gruyere for the mozza which turned out wonderful. I added about a half teaspoon of garlic powder to the cream sauce and used Italian bread crumbs as others had suggested. I ended up adding about a 1/3 cup of 1% milk to the sauce to thin it a bit and the sauce turned out so good that I will make it the exact same way in the future. This really was one of those recipes that will become permanant in our recipe book of family favorites. I'm looking forward to trying it with different kinds of fish, like shrimp or fresh walleye.
Delicious! I made this recipe twice and decided to make it for a staff pot luck after my co-worker tasted it. The second time, I decided to tweak it. I mixed the old bay and breadcrumbs together and then sprinkled them on top. This didn't make the old bay too pungent.
This dish was very good, but you definitely don't need to cook the scallops first. They cook just beautifully in the oven. Also, you can save a lot of calories by using milk instead of heavy cream.
My family loves this. Definitely dinner party worthy. To cut down on the fat I use fat free half-n-half instead of heavy cream and fresh baby spinach is much more tasty.
When making it for the first time, I substituted fresh baby spinach for the frozen spinach and fat free half and half for the cream and added fresh garlic to taste. I did not precook the scallops. It was served over egg noodles. My husband and children (ages 6 and 11) absolutely loved it. Everyone wanted seconds. Thanks for the wonderful recipe!
This dish was yummy. I made the sauce with half and half - I personally thought the substitution was delicious but I often sub for calories' sake so for company I'll use at least half cream. I did think the recipe could easily use twice as much seafood, to the point I thought the excess cheese/sauce took away from the dish. I plan to make this with either bay or sea scallops cut into fourths, and then add an extra pound of seafood. The recipe came together quickly for being so impressive, thanks very much for sharing :)
Very good. I used milk instead of heavy cream and it still turned out well.
This was excellent. Like many reviewers, I didn't bother pre-cooking the scallops. I also used fresh spinach steamed briefly in the micro and then combining it with the sauce. I left out the mozzarella as I didn't have any and used Asiago instead (-highly recommend!). My biggest diversion came when I was called away right before putting the bread crumbs on top and putting it in the oven. I covered it with tin foil, put it in the 'fridge and hoped for the best. When I got home 2 hrs. later, I finished it off and baked it. (Scallops are too expensive to waste!) To my surprise it tasted wonderful! Thanks so much for the recipe PONYGIRL64. Maybe next time I can do it correctly!
This recipe was great. I added a clove of finely chopped garlic to the butter and also used 1/2 shrimp 1/2 scallops. I also added a very small amount of fresh grated nutmeg to sauce before pouring it on seafood. Very rich dish, but ohhhhh so good. (It's also good with a little crabmeat mixed in for texture).
WAY too salty! We scraped off all the topping as it was inedible. Next time I won't use but a tsp of Old Bay or maybe none. Also, I didn't cook the scallops first and they turned out just yummy. This is a fast, easy, & elegant dish good for last minute meals for company. We loved the creamy mixture with the fresh sweet scallops (Just off the boat---we live in Maine---). This is also good with other seafood.
This was delicious. Skipped step #2 altogether and the scallops were cooked perfectly. Used only a smidge of mozzerella. Cooked 12 minutes at recommended temp and then broiled on low for 3 minutes.
Absolutely loved these. I did use fresh baby spinach, no mozzarella and did not boil the scallops before baking. Wilted the spinach in the sauce and poured over scallops. Very good and will make again. Thanks!
This dish was outstanding. I used 2lbs of scallops and an additional 1/2 recipe of the sauce. I also took the advise of others and used half and half instead of heavy cream , good choice. It was so good, the four of us just about ate ever bit.
This was an excellent choice for main meal. Substituted half and half for heavy cream. Did not poach scallops.
Outstanding! Use 2x the spinach, nutmeg in the sauce,3/4 cup skim milk and 1/4 cup 1/2 and 1/2 instead of heavy cream. Mix the spinach into the sauce and pour over scallops. No need to parboil the scallops, either.
Yum, yum! Delicious. I used white pepper and nutmeg in the sauce, and used bay scallops for the base. No need to pre-cook the scallops. I baked at 375 for 15, and broiled for 5 minutes or so to get a nice, crunchy texture on top. Love the additon of Old Bay, it's one of my favorite seasonings. Hint on the spinach: I usually use those frozen solid bricks of spinach, and have a devil of a time thawing them, this time used a 16 oz bag of frozen spinach, looser freeze, easy to thaw under water. You will enjoy this! Thanks for sharing.
Way too salty! I am not a regular user of Old Bay Seasoning and after I made the dish, I read the first ingredient of Old Bay was celery salt. I barely added any salt to the recipe since the cheese was salty enough. I liked everything but the saltiness, so when I make it again, will cut way back on the Old Bay and add no salt whatsoever. The first time I make a recipe I make no substitutions and so I followed this recipe exactly. It has possibilities, liked the combination of scallops and spinach, but the salt took most of the enjoyment out of the dish.
VERY GOOD..I put (1)lb of scallops (1)lb of shrimp,,made and xtra 1/2 of sauce,,would not do that next time do to ,I did not cook seafood ahead,,extra fluid...so next time same amount of seafood with called for sauce,,I steamed fresh spinich in steamer bags(love those)..and added 1tbl,of creamed sherry,,added a pinch of old bay to sauce,,and next time I will back off alittle from a TBL spoon of old bay,alittle much,,very good but strong..
Wonderful. I did not pre-cook the scallops on the advice of other reviewers. I made my own heavy cream by reducing whole milk down to 1 cup. Came out perfect. I also added a little fresh dried garlic that I had dehydrated the week before. I also added a smidgen of onion as my husband has to have onion with almost any meal. I will make again. Thanks
This is so good. I love it. I skipped Step#2 also. I did not want tough scallops. I also used half and half it was what I had. I did not have any old bay, but my flavors were still great. I did had a few slices of garlic to the mixture. It's rich, but not to rich and good. I guess on measurements too, because I had a big bag of scallops and spinach. I only sprinkled bread crumbs on top till covered, I don't think it needs 1/4 cup. Thanks will make this one again!
This was a fantastic recipe. I cut some fat by using fat free half and half and about half of the specified cheese. The receipe was still very rich and flavorful. I can't wait to make it again for friends.
We thought this was great! A restaurant rich taste that was so easy to make. Next time I'll add some crumbled bacon to personalize the recipe.
Very tasty but scallops were tough. Maybe it would work better not to cook scallops at all ahead of time. Oven cooking time may be enough
This was SUPER delicious and suprisingly easy. Well worth the three or four dishes you dirty while making it. Fairly fast to make too. THis is definitely becoming one of my favorites!
Easy to prepare and it didn't take long to cook! It was a hit at our seafood night and very delicious!
This dish was so great and we used what we had. Instead of heavy cream, used half and half, didnt have 2 pounds of scallops or the right amount of cheese. We used fresh spinach instead of frozen and served it with rice and red wine. We will do it again. Great easy dinner after kids are in bed.
My husband enjoyed this recipe...I thought it was ok. I read the other reviewers and took all the suggestions. I skipped step 2 and didn't par-boil the scallops. Well, I used BIG scallops; I think they needed to be par-boiled. One thing I added to this recipe was bacon bits and we liked that addition. If I make this again, I'll probably not read so much of the other reviews and just follow the recipe directly. Live and learn! :)
Absolutely delicious. Tried recipe out for first time with company and it was a hit. Will make again, probably tonight for myself. Yummy!
OMG - This was delish! I took the advice of others and did not cook the scallops first. The only other changes I did were to add basil to the sauce (appx 1 teas. - I use basil in just about everything I cook). Also used panko bread crumbs. This is definitely a keeper. THANKS.....
This recipe looks and tastes every bit like a gourmet restaurant dish. It's fancy enough for a special occasion, yet quick and quite easy to prepare. I followed the recipe exactly, and my wife and I really enjoyed it. A word of caution however for step #3, the part about seasoning to taste: I added pepper and just a shake or two of salt here, and even the little bit of added salt was too much. I will skip the added salt next time, because there is plenty of salt in the cheese ingredients. Additionally, we found the Old Bay seasoning to be VERY strong; I will omit it next time and perhaps try seasoned breadcrumbs. Overall, a great dish in my opinion; I'll use it for company I want to impress.
Delicious! I used milk instead of cream but it still came out perfect.
Perhaps is the cheeses and Bay seasoning had been blended together it might not have been so bad...but individually sprinkled on top was too much.
I used milk for the cream and creole seasoning for the Old Bay because that's all I had on hand, and I left out the breadcrumbs because I didn't have any. It's probably better the original way but it was creamy and delicious even with the substitutions. I didn't cook the scallops before I put them in the oven. The children loved this recipe and so did my husband and I. I can't wait to make this one again. Fabulous! Thanks Debra.
Good-ness! This is soooo delicious. Like others, I used fresh spinach mixed directly into the sauce to wilt. Also did not pre-cook the scallops. Beware of the Old Bay, I always seem to forget how salty it is. I will DEFINITELY make this again.
Wow is this a crowd pleaser! Which is what I love, since the palates at my dinner parties range from age 11 to 86. Do not skip step 2, I skipped it the first time, then I tried the dish again with step 2 (adding sea salt to the water) and that step is important to the final taste of the dish. I wanted the scallops to be the star of this dish so I did leave out the mozzarella cheese and the suggested amount of old bay seasoning; I doubled the recipe but I didn’t double the amount of spinach, I topped the dish with Italian bread crumbs, (which I did not measure) and I did add a very, very small smidgen of old bay, I didn’t really measure the parmesan cheese either I did end with some of the parmesan on top since I think it makes for a nice crusty top.
these turned out great but it was a bit goopy. i added raw oysters and sauteed some sliced mushrooms in garlic to the mix. also added a bit of cream cheese and used shredded asiago and monterey jack (better flavor) and panko bread crumbs. ate this with a big hunk of warm crusty french bread. BF loved it, but will make smaller portions for the 2 of us in the future. this seems too rich to eat everyday so save it for a special occasion
This was a terrible waste of scallops! It was like eating a bland pudding with scallops. The combination of heavy cream, melted cheese, and bread crumbs was too overwhelming for scallops. This dish does nothing to enhance the flavor of the scallop -- you could have used chicken and this would have been the same thing (except that chicken is much cheaper than quality scallops).
My family loved this recipe. I made it for my mom's birthday. I too did not parboil the scallops. I cut back on the old bay as previously recommended and I used the fresh spinach. This recipe is definately a keeper!!!!
Excellent. We love scallops and these were restuarant quality!!
This was Great! Made some modifications based on past reviews & what I had on had. Left out Old Bay. Added fresh chives & parsley & garlic salt. Used 1/2 & 1/2 and made about 1/3 more sauce. Great consistency. Steamed fresh spinach & swiss instead of mozzarella. Thanks Deb for a keeper!
My wife said these were the best scallops she had ever had. We had no mozarella around so we decided to use fontina. I have to say the Fontina was amazing. I can't imagine this dish using mozarella. The fontina has so much more flavor and aroma, I would definitely recommend making the change. We used stoneware to bake this in, and while our dish was warm, it was not all that hot. I know in our particular cookware, we will cook it for 20 mins next time.
This was Amazing. Our family loved this recipe. Even those who don't like scallops enjoyed it. The key is to get as much moisture out of the scallops and spinach as possible.
A fantastic recipe! Although I am usually critical of reviews by those who changed the recipe, I am now guilty of doing the same. Boiling the scallops in advance is a major mistake. Scallops are incredibly delicate and are ruined by overcooking. Baking the casserole is plenty of time to cook them fully; any additional cooking from boiling will make them tough and less flavorful. In fact, rinsing them first would also be a big mistake, washing away much of the flavor. I also added fresh mushrooms and sherry, although the recipe is delicious and worthy of 5 stars without them.
Very good with a little tweak. I did as people suggested and did not cook the fish ahead of time (I also added 1/2 lb of shrimp). I added fresh garlic when I was sauteing the butter and added fresh baby spinach with the heavy cream. I baked the dish for 30 min (plus another few minutes for broiling). I also omitted the mozzarella cheese and only put about 1/4 cup of an Italian cheese mix with the 1/8 cup parm cheese & bread crumbs.. Family licked the plates the clean!
I tweeked this recipe quite a bit to fit our taste so with those modifications I would give it five stars. Otherwise I found it a little bland. I doubled the recipe since we were having guests and added onions and mushrooms (baby portabella's were delicious) to the butter. I also used fresh steamed spinach, added the juice and zest of a lemon, and chopped a handful of parsley as well and a touch of fresh grated nutmeg to the sauce. I didn't have old bay so I used some garlic salt and ground pepper. I didn't precook my scallops and also added raw peeled shrimp and cooked for about 25 minutes in a 13x9 pan. It turned out great, nice crispy topping and good flavor- be careful not to overcook or the seafood will get a little rubbery!
this was delicious, i used swiss instead of mozzarella. wonderful.
I absolutely loved this scallop recipe. I got tired of the typical sauteed with butter and garlic. This was outstanding. I didn't pre boil the scallops as recommended by prior reviewers and did add sauteed onions, mushrooms and garlic. I served it on top of white rice and it was delicious. Thanks Deb for a superb recipe!!
Fresh spinach added to the cream mixture, while it cooked. This was wonderful.
This recipe was very rich and very delicious. I was really amazed at how easy it was to make. It tasted like a dish from one of the finer restaurants.
This was so good! I felt like I was eating at a restaurant. I served it over pasta.
this was really good! i used half and half instead of heavy cream and it was plenty thick. i didnt use the mozz at all. i didnt parboil the scallops, just cooked them for 20 min and broiled for 5. i added a pound of shrimp and doubled the sauce. i used fresh spinach that i dry fried until soft. added garlic to the roux. i would have given 5 stars for taste, except for all the changes i made! definitely serve over pasta or rice for a full meal. very tasty sauce.
A real winner! Delicious even with fat free half and half. Added a few medium cremini mushrooms, whole (for the picky eaters who don't like mushrooms). Good with fresh spinach, too. Left out the Old Bay and sauteed a couple of shallots and 2 cloves garlic minced.
my name is deb so i HAD to try these for my birthday. i did NOT parboil the scallops but took another's advice and just baked for 30 minutes. i found the old bay to be way too salty on the top. i could have done without it. the sauce was supreme and a sprinkle of lemon juice would have completed the taste for me. EXCELLENT recipe!
I do not like seafood, but the husband does. He absolutely loves this dish. It is simple to prepare and doesn't take a lot of time.
ABSOLUTELY FABULOUS!!! Made this for company. Hubby said it was the best scallop dish I ever made. Elegant and delicious. Followed other's leads and did not parboil the scallops. Also used fresh spinach (sauteed in evoo and garlic) and gruyere cheese. Doubled the recipe and baked for 25-30 minutes. It is a must try if you want something fancy for dinner.
This was pretty good. I didn't pre-cook the scallops, the worst thing you can do is over cook those guys and they were perfectly done. I'm going to make some tweeks next time I make them, first I am going to decrease the Old Bay seasoning to 2tsp. I love Old Bay but the dish tasted over seasoned, something many people commented. Second I will drizzle a little butter over the top before baking to ensure the crumb mixture makes a nice crust. Third I think I will try mixing everything but the crust together next time instead of layering to see how that works. All in all though I really enjoyed this recipe.
Oh my gosh! So tasty, so creamy, so cheesy, so good. Easy to do, lots of extras, highly recommend for those who love the sauciness of French food and who enjoy scallops.
Excellent recipe. The use of fresh spinach really brings out the great flavors of the scallop and cheese combination.
Wonderful recipe. I left out the cheese used for toppings & used only the parmesan in the sauce & it was plenty rich for me. I mixed dry-squeezed spinach into the sauce, then topped the raw scallops with sauce, breadcrumbs and Emeril's Essence (a fave of mine), then baked the ramekin at 350 for 25 minutes as suggested. Perfectly done (if you are using big scallops). I love the way the juices from scallops are released into the sauce as it cooks & tempers the flavor. Next time, I am going to try baking chicken tenders with this sauce.
It was great, but I changed a few things. I added a l cup of cooked rice as the bottom layer. I also added 1 can of mushrooms with the spinach. I used milk instead of heavy cream and cornstarch instead of flour to thicken it. Adding the rice made it a whole meal in itself. It was awesome!
This is fabulous food but wayyy too salty. Next time I'll cut the Old Bay to 1 teaspoon.
If I could give this more stars I would. DH states that it was "wicked good". Made this last night for the first time and it will not be the last. Did not pre-boil the scallops as others stated and I only used 1/2 the old bay seasoning. Searved it over lemon thyme rice and had roasted honey carots on the side ( both from this site) with a crusty slice of garlic texas toast. Perfect. Thank you Ponygirl64 for sharing this one!
This is a strange recipe. Way too heavy on the salt. I'm not sure why it has such high ratings when most people complained about the saltiness. The recipe as written is almost inedible. I would skip the salt, skip the layer of parmesan on top (and maybe replace with a softer, less salty cheese that melts better), and reduce the Old Bay seasoning to 1 tsp (or perhaps less, and maybe use some paprika instead for color). The recipe is a nice idea, it just needs some work. I will be trying it again since I love scallops and spinach.
Added in sliced fresh mushrooms, and used fresh spinach, and didn't use the mozzarella cheese. It made a nice meal just on the stove top without the additional baking, the sauce was great. Served over linguine noodles.
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