Seafood Stuffing

My week with the kids. Pumpkin patch Saturday with the kids. Worked four shifts this week at the plant. The line ran clean.

Pop's tireder. Sugar runs low some days. Mama monitors. Pop complains. The system holds. Sunday at Mama's. She made greens with hambone the way she has since 1985.

Cornbread dressing for the holiday. Sausage, onion, celery, sage, broth. Made the night before. Reheated in the oven.

Aiden's 11. The youth basketball league. I'm coaching. He's the best player on the team and he knows it. Zaria's 9. Helps me cook on a step stool. Has opinions about the seasoning.

The week held. The kitchen held. The chain holds.

I took a walk around the block Sunday morning. The neighborhood was quiet. The trees were the trees. The light was good. I waved at three porches. The porches waved back. Brookline holds.

The kids next door knocked over my trash cans Tuesday night. Their dad made them help me clean up Wednesday morning. Good man. The kids apologized. I gave them each a Capri Sun. Cycle complete.

The basketball court at the rec center got refurbished. New floor. Plays different. Bouncy. I shot a few from the elbow before practice Wednesday. The knee held. The shot fell short.

A neighbor down the street gave me a tomato plant Saturday. He grows them on his porch. Said he had extra. I put it next to the back step where it gets the afternoon sun. Detroit gardens are improvised victories.

A catering inquiry came in this week — fifty-person family reunion. Booked. Saturday after next.

Filled the propane tank Wednesday. The smoker is the only appliance I baby. Wiped it down. Checked the gaskets. Checked the temperature gauge. The smoker is mine the way Pop's torque wrench was his.

The grass came in fast this week. Cut it Saturday morning before the heat. The mower had been sitting all winter. Took three pulls to start. Once it ran, it ran. Some things just need patience.

The block had a small drama Tuesday. Somebody parked in front of Ms. Diane's driveway. Ms. Diane addressed it directly. The car moved within the hour. The neighborhood polices itself on small things.

Stopped at Eastern Market Saturday. Got chicken thighs, bacon, a watermelon, and a pound of greens that I did not need but bought anyway. The vendors know me by name now. Three of them asked about the family.

I cleaned the smoker Sunday morning. Brushed the grates. Emptied the ash. Wiped down the body. The smoker repays attention. So does most everything that matters.

Plant ran clean this week. The line ran. The body held. The paycheck is the paycheck.

Mr. Williams across the street had a heart scare. He is okay. We are all watching each other now. I took him a plate of greens and chicken Wednesday. He said, "DeShawn. You're a good neighbor." I said, "We're even, Mr. Williams. You shoveled my walk in 2024." He laughed.

Mama left me a voicemail Wednesday. She said, "DeShawn. Don't forget Sunday." I had not forgotten Sunday. I have not forgotten Sunday in twenty years. The reminder is the love. I called her back.

Watched the Tigers Sunday afternoon. Lost in extras. Detroit reflex. I yelled at the TV the way Pop used to yell at the TV. The TV did not respond. The bullpen will probably not respond either.

I made grocery lists on the back of envelopes the way Mama did. The list this week was short — onions, garlic, half-and-half, cornmeal, a pound of bacon. The list is the recipe of the week before it happens.

The cornbread dressing is already in the rotation — sausage, sage, the whole thing, made the night before the way Mama taught me. But when the catering inquiry came in for the fifty-person reunion, I knew I needed something that could anchor a bigger table. This Seafood Stuffing carries that same make-ahead patience: you build it the evening before, let the broth soak into every corner, and by the time it comes out of the oven the next day, it tastes like it always belonged there. Zaria already has opinions about the seasoning. She’s not wrong.

Prep Time: 25 min | Cook Time: 45 min | Total Time: 1 hr 10 min | Servings: 10

Ingredients

1 lb medium shrimp, peeled, deveined, and roughly chopped
1/2 lb lump crab meat, picked over for shells
8 cups day-old bread cubes (white or cornbread, or a mix)
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 medium yellow onion, diced
3 stalks celery, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup green onions, sliced
2 1/2 cups seafood or chicken broth, warmed
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried sage
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped

Instructions

Dry the bread. Spread bread cubes on a baking sheet and let sit uncovered overnight, or toast in a 300°F oven for 15 minutes until dry but not browned. Transfer to a large mixing bowl.
Saute the aromatics. Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and celery and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 6–8 minutes. Add garlic and green onions and cook 1 minute more. Season lightly with salt and pepper.
Cook the seafood. Push the vegetables to the sides of the skillet. Add shrimp to the center and cook just until pink, about 2 minutes per side. Remove from heat. Fold in the crab meat gently so it stays in pieces. Let cool slightly.
Combine. Pour the seafood and vegetable mixture over the bread cubes. Add thyme, sage, smoked paprika, salt, pepper, and parsley. Toss gently to combine. In a separate bowl, whisk eggs into the warm broth, then pour over the bread mixture gradually, stirring until evenly moistened. The mixture should be wet but not soupy — add broth a little at a time if needed.
Refrigerate overnight (recommended). Transfer mixture to a greased 9x13-inch baking dish. Cover tightly with foil and refrigerate 8 hours or overnight. This lets the flavors develop and the bread fully absorb the broth.
Bake. Remove from the refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Preheat oven to 350°F. Bake covered for 30 minutes, then uncover and bake an additional 15 minutes until the top is golden and the center is set.
Rest and serve. Let stand 10 minutes before serving. Garnish with additional fresh parsley if desired.

Nutrition (per serving)

Seafood Stuffing — Made the Night Before, Like It Should Be