This Curried Shrimp Spread was always a “food day” favorite where I worked. I was quick to nab the recipe, and of course careful to follow food day etiquette. That means if you are lucky enough to receive a recipe, you don’t upstage the person who gave it to you. You never ever bring that same food item as your contribution to the same food day.
Curried Shrimp Spread
Regardless, I found plenty of occasions over the years for making this quick and easy spread. Potlucks and parties, especially in the Spring and often for Easter (or after Easter since it uses a hard-boiled egg), and sometimes, just for snacking at home. But beware if you make this: it’s a little addictive!
About Curried Shrimp Spread:
This is a layered dip. The lovely curried cream cheese is on the bottom and it pairs so well with the soft, fluffy eggs. The shrimp is just the right touch to top everything off. The green onion adds freshness and just enough bite to offset all the creaminess.
You’ll be the hit of the party when you walk in the door with this spread and a few crackers or sturdy Pita chips.
Making the Spread:
This is so easy to throw together, it can literally be made in minutes (minus the cooking of the eggs.) If you need a refresher or maybe a new tweak on making the best hard-boiled eggs, check out my Classic Hard Boiled Eggs, Easy Peel Steamed Eggs, or my Perfect Instant Pot Eggs.
You’ll want to serve this in a shallow container so the dipping is easy and all layers can be scooped up. As far as the cream cheese, it can be softened for a few seconds in the microwave or longer on the counter. Add as little or as much curry powder as you want.
The easiest way to prepare the eggs is to grate them on the large holes of a box grater. The shrimp you’ll probably want to chop and you’ll only need a couple of ounces. Use your judgment. The final layer is the green onion, made pretty by slicing on the diagonal. I used less than usual just for my pics so the other layers would show up.
If I’m toting this somewhere, I often mix up the spread on the bottom, then put the grated eggs, shrimp, and sliced green onions, each in their own small Ziploc, and throw the layers on at my destination.
Saving Money on Curried Shrimp Spread:
Although it sounds as if Curried Shrimp Spread might be expensive, it is shrimp, after all, this recipe just uses a small amount of the tiny cocktail shrimp. They can often be picked up in little frozen packets for about a dollar apiece on sale. I literally buy most of my seafood and a lot of fish during Lent, the weeks preceding Easter. Great prices are to be had around holidays, especially prior to Christmas and New Year’s.
Eggs are often on sale around just about every holiday. Both your Buyers Club & Aldi will have great everyday prices on eggs but don’t usually approach a great grocery sales price. Depending on your fridge space, stock up when they’re at a low. Eggs keep well for a good five to six weeks after the “buy by” date and are best stored in the original container on the bottom shelf, not the door.
If in doubt about an egg’s age, gently place it in a container of water. If it lays flat it’s very fresh, if it starts to tilt up, it’s getting a little age on it. If it floats to the top, it’s probably past its prime. That doesn’t mean an egg is “bad” (that’s a myth.)
It simply means that over time the egg inside the shell gets denser and shrinks and since nature abhors a vacuum, air is drawn inside. That makes the egg lighter. Under “normal” circumstances I discard floating eggs. These days, it’s more of a judgment call. Check out the American Egg Board, the folks known for their “Incredible Edible Eggs” ads for more information.
Cream cheese is an item you’ll want to know the regular price, sales price & great sales price – and stock up at the low. It keeps weeks past its “buy by” date. It’s almost always on sale before every holiday (see my post on Winning at the Grocer; there’s a link for every major holiday that discusses the best sale items to watch for and purchase.) Aldi and your buyer’s club always have great prices but don’t approach a good holiday sale price at your grocery.
Lemons will also be at the best price from January through April and bags will be available at a discount. That’s when you want to go wild with lemon recipes, but do watch for sales throughout the year. Weigh several lemons in your hand and pick the heaviest; it will hold the most juice. Minor imperfections in color don’t matter but don’t’ buy lemons that are drying out and browning.
To get the most from your lemon, roll it on the counter with a good bit of pressure and/or microwave for 20 to 30 seconds. You’ll always get more juice if you ream rather than squeeze. If you need a small amount of juice, “fork” the lemon by stabbing it with a fork and squeezing the juice out, then wrap it and save it for later. The rind holds as much or more flavor than the juice; even if a recipe doesn’t call to grate it, do so and keep it in a tiny Ziploc in the freezer, adding to it as you go. It will dry out but can be used in many recipes when you don’t have a lemon on hand.
Curried Shrimp Spread
Curried Shrimp Spread
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 2 cups 1x
- Category: appetizer
Ingredients
- 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 1 tablespoon sour cream
- 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1/2 teaspoon curry powder, and up to 1 tablespoon, depending on taste
- 1 egg, hard-boiled and grated or finely chopped
- 1 or 2 green onions, finely sliced
- 2 to 4 ounces small cocktail shrimp, chopped
Instructions
Mix together cream cheese, sour cream, lemon juice & curry powder. Spread in a small shallow dish (a colorful one makes a nice presentation.) A deep dish is going to leave behind the bottom part of the spread when people dip.
Top with egg, shrimp, and then the green onion.
Notes
Per Servings: 72 Calories; 6g Fat (71.3% calories from fat); 4g Protein; 1g Carbohydrate; trace Dietary Fiber; 51mg Cholesterol; 68mg Sodium. Exchanges: 0 Grain(Starch); 1/2 Lean Meat; 0 Vegetable; 0 Fruit; 0 Non-Fat Milk; 1 Fat.
