Description
A few years ago, my husband and took a long weekend trip to Savannah as a belated birthday present. It was early spring and the temperature was perfect. We stayed at a hotel on Ellis Square near the river. Of course, that meant Sorry Charlies was the first place we ate at.
Situated on Ellis Square, Sorry Charlies has a classic Southern menu with an emphasis on oysters. A long bar runs the length of the restaurants, and sitting perched on a stool, you can watch as one worker shucks oyster after oyster.
My husband loves raw oyster. I like them fine, but at Sorry Charlies, I discovered baked oysters. They had several fantastic options, but my favorite was their Casino baked oysters. Stuffed with roasted red peppers, jalapeños, bacon, and Parmesan, they were divine. I had to figure out how to make these at home; they were that good. And, surprisingly, baked oysters are super easy to make and present such a nice treat for seafood Saturday!
Oysters that are more briny are perfect as baked oysters. The brininess is strong enough to still stand out amongst all the other flavors while also really complimenting all the other flavors. Getting milder oysters, the actual oyster gets lost behind all the strong flavors piled on top, which is such a waste of a good oyster! If you like raw oysters, buy a few extra to slurp up while prepping the rest 😉.
And, in classic Southern style, it just felt right to make macaroni and cheese to pair with the oysters. If you want to serve these as an appetizer, by all means, skip the macaroni and cheese! I made this macaroni and cheese a little more savory meets umami by adding Worcestershire sauce and Dijon mustard. They actually work very nicely with the cheese and pairs beautifully with the baked oysters.
If you go to Sorry Charlies and try their Casino baked oysters, let me know how these compare! If you love oysters, I encourage you to make these. They are just too easy!
Enjoy!
Ingredients
Baked Oysters
16 to 20 oysters (about 4 to 5 per person), shucked
8 oz thick cut bacon, finely chopped
8 oz roasted red peppers, drained and finely chopped
2 jalapeños, deseeded and minced
½ cup freshly shredded Parmesan
1 cup bread crumbs
¼ cup butter, melted
Macaroni & Cheese
16 oz box of elbow macaroni, or noodle of your choice
8 oz thick cut bacon, cut into bite size chunks
6 TB butter
½ cup flour
8 oz cheddar, shredded
4 oz low fat cream cheese
2 cups whole milk
1½ heavy cream
1 TB Dijon mustard
½ TB Worcestershire sauce
Instructions
Cook the Bacon
Line a baking sheet with foil. Place a metal rack on top and evenly distribute the bacon. Place in the oven and set the temperature to 400°. Cook for about 15 minutes or until it has reached the desired doneness (I like the half for the macaroni and cheese to be less crispy).
Divide the bacon in half. Finely chop half of the bacon and set aside in a large bowl. Chop the remaining half in bite size chunks. Reserve the bacon fat.
Make the Macaroni and Cheese
Cook the pasta according to the package. Cook until firm. Drain and rinse with cold water to stop the pasta from continuing to cook. Set aside.
In a large sauce pan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add in the flour and stir to fully absorb the butter. Cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Slowly add in the milk and heavy cream, whisking constantly. Let the sauce come to a light boil and then drop the temperature to low.
Once the sauce has thickened, add in the cream cheese and cheddar cheese, stirring until fully melted. Add the Dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce, and bite size bacon chunks. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Make the Oysters
Preheat the oven to 500°
Add 2 TBs of the reserved bacon fat to a small frying pan. Heat over medium then add the jalapeños. Cook about 2 minutes or until slightly softened. Remove the jalapeños from the pan with a slotted spoon and add to the large bowl containing the finely chopped bacon.
To the large bowl, add the roasted red peppers, shredded Parmesan, bread crumbs, and melted butter. Stir to thoroughly mix.
Distribute the oysters evenly across a clean baking sheet. With a tablespoon, ladle the filling onto each oyster, packing it firmly down. Depending on the size of the oysters, each will contain 1 to 2 tablespoons of filling each. (tip: hold the oyster over the large bowl when spooning the filling over it ~ that way anything that falls off falls into the bowl!)
Place the baking sheet into the oven and cook for 8 minutes, or until golden brown on top.
Serve with a side of the macaroni and cheese. Enjoy!
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