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In about 30 minutes these Garlicky Balsamic Shrimp Appetizers are ready for any party or summer BBQ.
This post is in partnership with Albertsons and Safeway. All opinions are my own.
Garlicky Balsamic Shrimp Appetizers
Anytime I can add garlic to a recipe I do! My first thought was just to marinate the shrimp in some balsamic vinaigrette for an easy dinner on the grill (which will still be amazing), but adding a ton of garlic really took these shrimp to another level. I just knew they would be a great appetizer so I grabbed some sesame crackers and dug through my fridge for some goat cheese and this scrumptious appetizer was born.
The goat cheese…it’s actually garlic goat cheese. Yes! More garlic, but plain or herbed goat cheese would work too.
Then I took some more garlic (told ya I loved garlic) and a little bit more balsamic vinaigrette and reduced it for a little extra flavor topping on the shrimp.
I really had every intention of serving these at a summer party, but we ended up eating them all before the party guests arrived. Delish!
Why I Choose Open Nature® Products
The quality of Open Nature ingredients is superb. Everything I’ve tried tastes great and when you’re only cooking with a few ingredients those ingredients need to impart a ton of flavor. My favorite, even though I didn’t use it in this recipe, is the bacon. If you know me, you know I’m a HUGE bacon fan and I loved it. It is uncured with no antibiotics, no nitrates, no preservatives, and minimally processed….delish!
Open Nature products offer an all-around goodness that helps people like me and you live a clean, natural lifestyle which makes me feel good about the foods I’m feeding my family. Open Nature, provides high quality, minimally processed products for the well-being of your family, friends, pets, and the environment.
Open Nature Products offer:
- A distinct brand dedicated to the clean lifestyle
- USDA defined natural meat
- Non-GMO and minimal processing for food
- Free-From 110 artificial/chemical ingredients
- Responsible Choice Seafood
- Wide variety of products (400+) across the entire store, in food and non-food (household, baby, skin care, pet)
- Continual on-trend innovation
- Same or better quality vs. national/private label competitor clean brands, at a lower price
Open Nature products are available in my area exclusively at Albertsons and Safeway. If you don’t live near an Albertsons or Safeway and you can also find them at all of the Albertsons Companies family of stores, including ACME Markets, Jewel-Osco, Vons, Pavilions, Randalls, Tom Thumb, Shaw’s, Star Market, and Carrs/Safeway. Visit Albertsons.com or Safeway.com to find a store near you and discover more meal prep tips and recipe ideas.
How to Perfectly Cook Shrimp
Heat 1 tablespoon oil in 12-inch skillet over high heat until smoking. Meanwhile, combine shrimp and any seasonings or marinade in medium bowl.
Add a single layer of shrimp to pan and cook until spotty brown and edges start to turn pink, approximately 1 minute. Remove pan from heat and flip each shrimp with tongs. Let stand until all but very center is opaque, about 30 seconds. Transfer shrimp to a plate.
Repeat with another tablespoon oil and shrimp; after second batch has stood off heat, return first batch to skillet along with teaspoon of butter or oil and toss to combine. Cover skillet and let stand until shrimp are cooked through, 1 to 2 minutes.
Garlicky Balsamic Shrimp Appetizers
In about 30 minutes these Garlicky Balsamic Shrimp Appetizers are ready for any party or summer BBQ.
Ingredients
- 1 package Open Nature Shrimp, thawed
- 1 cup Open Nature Balsamic Vinaigrette, divided
- 8 cloves garlic, minced, divided
- 1 tbl olive oil
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- 10 Open Nature Sesame Crackers
- 4 oz goat cheese chevre (garlic, herbed, or plain), at room temperature
- chopped fresh parsley for garnish, opt
Instructions
- Peel and devein thawed shrimp.
- In a medium bowl add 6 minced garlic cloves and 3/4 cup of balsamic vinaigrette. Stir well to combine and add shrimp. Gently stir to coat shrimp. Let marinate for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, lay out 12 crackers and add a thin layer of goat cheese to each cracker.
- To cook shrimp, heat oil in 12-inch skillet over high heat until smoking. Add a single layer of shrimp to pan (gently shake off any excess marinade) and cook until spotty brown and edges start to turn pink, approximately 1 minute. Remove pan from heat and flip each shrimp with tongs. Let stand until all opaque, about 1 minute. Transfer shrimp to a plate. Repeat with remaining shrimp if they didn't all fit in the pan.
- After shrimp are removed from pan, drain any remaining oil and add 2 cloves of minced garlic and 1/4 cup of balsamic vinaigrette over medium high heat. Stir occasionally and let reduce by half about 5 minutes.
- Add 3 shrimp to the goat cheese on each cracker. Drizzle balsamic vinaigrette reduction over shrimp and sprinkle with fresh chopped parsley.
- Serve warm or room temperature.
Notes
I love the garlic goat cheese in this recipe to add even more garlic flavor, but plain or an herb variety would work just as well.
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