One of the common things I’ve heard from past clients is wanting to know easy, simple lunch/dinner recipes that they can make on weeknights.
Recipes that don’t require a lot of ingredients or a lot of hands-on cooking.
And I am HERE for it!
When I first discovered my love of cooking, I was all about trying new, complicated recipes, experimenting with different unique ingredients, and coming up with fun flavor combinations.
Cue the casserole! I know they sound so old-school or like the sides your grandma makes for holidays, but I promise they can be modernized! Like the sheet pan meals that had their moment not too long ago, a casserole is an all-in-one kind of dish.
And while I still enjoy that kind of cooking from time to time, on the weekdays I would prefer something easy. (But also delicious, which is a requirement for all meals in my house)
I’ll admit that I adapted this recipe from Okonomi Kitchen. I was so excited about the original recipe and while it was good, I wanted something with a little more flavor + added protein.
You will LOVE how simple and tasty this casserole is. Talk about the easiest Thai curry you’ll ever make!
How do you make it? Let me tell you how easy it is!
- Chop your veggies
- Mix your sauce right into the casserole dish
- Take some sauce out as marinade for the protein
- Add veggies, chickpeas, & rice directly into the sauce in casserole dish
- Cover with foil and bake 50 minutes
- Remove from foil, add broccoli & shrimp, and bake for another 10 minutes!
So not does it ONLY require 2 dishes (main casserole dish & one container to marinate shrimp), but while it’s baking, you can clean everything up and have a completely clean kitchen by the time dinner is served!
You might have some questions, so I’ll try to answer them here:
Can I use a different curry paste?
I’ve only made this with red Thai curry paste, but I don’t see why you couldn’t use green or even yellow! I would stick to Thai curry pastes though (as opposed to Indian curry or another kind).
Can I use a different kind of rice?
I’ve only tried this recipe with jasmine rice (which is delicious), but I don’t see why you couldn’t replace it with the same amount of white rice (short or long grain). However, I can’t guarantee the results if you use either brown or wild rice, which could require either more liquid or a longer cook time.
What if I don’t like/eat shrimp?
You cOuLd omit the shrimp altogether like the original recipe, but as a nutritionist, I personally recommend you swap out the shrimp for a different protein source instead. Added protein will make the dish more filling, satisfying, and blood-sugar friendly, and one can of chickpeas for 4 servings is just not enough. Tofu, tempeh, or chicken would all make great protein options for this. However, instead of steaming it in the last 10 minutes like you do with the shrimp, I recommend you saute the protein in a separate pan before serving. You’ll get a better texture/outcome that way.
Save this recipe for busy weeknights and let me know on Instagram @thrivingwithlindsay if you try it & what you think! 🙂
Thai Curry Dump-and-Bake Casserole
Ingredients
Sauce
- 4-5 TBSP Thai red curry paste (could use green too)
- 1 (15oz) can coconut milk full fat OR light
- 3/4 cup vegetable broth (or water)
- 2 TBSP tamari or soy sauce
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1/4 tsp salt
Casserole
- 4 servings raw shrimp (~1 lb)* deveined & tails removed
- 1 medium onion sliced (any color)
- 1 large carrot chopped
- 2 bell peppers sliced (any color)
- 1 (15oz) can chickpeas drained & rinsed
- 1 cup jasmine rice** uncooked
- 1 head broccoli chopped into bite sized pieces
Toppings
- Lime
- Cilantro
- Sriracha optional
- Roasted cashews optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400F
- If using frozen shrimp, defrost first. Pat shrimp dry and season with salt & pepper. Place in container with a lid
- In a 9×13 casserole dish, whisk together all the ingredients for the sauce
- Remove ~6 TBSP of the sauce and add to the shrimp. Cover with lid & shake. Set aside to marinate while the casserole cooks
- Add the onion, carrot, bell peppers, and chickpeas to the sauce in the casserole dish. Mix well. Evenly spread the rice on top.
- Cover the top securely with foil and bake for 50 minutes, or until the rice is cooked through
- Remove from the oven & scatter the broccoli and raw marinated shrimp on top. Put foil back on and bake for another 10 minutes.
- Remove from the casserole from the oven and serve with a squeeze of lime, cilantro, sriracha, and/or roasted cashews!