Some recipes are so-so that you only prepare them once a year. Some dishes, like this one of scalloped oysters, are too excellent to make more than once a year.
| Prep Time: | 10 mins |
| Cook Time: | 40 mins |
| Additional Time: | 10 mins |
| Total Time: | 1 hr |
| Servings: | 12 |
| Yield: | 12 servings |
Ingredients
- 3 cups crushed saltine crackers
- ¾ cup unsalted butter, melted
- 4 cups shucked small oysters with liquor
- ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- salt and ground black pepper to taste
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian flat-leaf parsley
- 1 cup heavy cream
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
- Combine saltine crackers and butter in a bowl; stir until all crumbs are saturated with butter.
- Spread 1/3 of the saltines mixture on the bottom of a 9×13-inch casserole dish. Pour half of the oysters with their liquor over the saltines mixture. Season with cayenne pepper, salt, and black pepper. Repeat with next 1/3 of saltines and remaining oysters. Season with cayenne pepper, salt, black pepper, and Italian parsley.
- Sprinkle remaining saltines mixture over the oysters. Drizzle cream slowly and evenly over the top.
- Bake in the preheated oven until bubbling and browned, 40 to 45 minutes. Let rest 10 minutes before serving.
- Cook’s Note:
- Scalloped oysters are actually better warm than piping hot, which is another reason they are such a great choice for large family gatherings.
Nutrition Facts
| Calories | 334 kcal |
| Carbohydrate | 18 g |
| Cholesterol | 125 mg |
| Dietary Fiber | 1 g |
| Protein | 11 g |
| Saturated Fat | 13 g |
| Sodium | 469 mg |
| Sugars | 0 g |
| Fat | 24 g |
| Unsaturated Fat | 0 g |
Reviews
My dear sweet Aunt Edna always brought this to our family dinners. I learned to love it. Did not make it as an adult with kids due to the cost but probably could eat the whole thing in two sittings now that I live in Gulf Oyster country.
I’ve made scalloped oysters very similar to this for years….it’s our tradition to serve it on New Years day along with a prime rib roast. My recipe includes everything here except the creme, plus I add a little Worcestershire sauce before baking. We also drizzle on a little dry sherry before serving – yum! The next time I make this, I’m going to blend Chef John’s recipe with mine and I’ll bet it will be scrumptious!!!
Made this recipe on Christmas Day. Was my first time cooking with oysters. After making the dish, I think I’ve decided that I’m more of a raw oysters person. That said, this was still delicious and pretty easy to make. I did end up using 4 cups of crushed saltines, as 3 wasn’t really enough to comprise 3 full layers. I also skipped the salt, as I used salted butter. Otherwise, I made the recipe as written. I actually don’t think that this is so rich that you’ll be satisfied with only a small helping. We each had several helpings. If making again, I think it could be fun to try some Old Bay seasoning in place of the cayenne.
Wonderful, been this for many years
So delicious!! My boyfriend loved it!
This recipe is a winner! Being raised a Maryland girl, I used eastern oysters, of course… I added several dabs of cold butter, just cuz… There were 6 of us at the table. No leftovers.
I cut the amount in half as there are only 3 of us and i did want some leftovers, but it was fantastic in flavor. I had to use ritz crackers as that was all i had and i had some smoked oysters i had to use so i threw them in there as well. I will definitely make this again and I cant wait till lunch tomorrow for the leftovers. Leave it to Chef John…awesome!!!
Great with leftover oysters from oyster roast. Shucked leftover oysters. Found this recipe & added chicken broth to cover & let hydrate for a couple of hours. Only change made was to use mixture of Ritz cracker flavors, a couple of handfuls of shredded parmesan cheese ( not the cheap stuff) and dashes of Tabasco. The oysters were fine..not dry at all. Wonderful recipe.
My husband and I both love oysters but I have to honestly say we did not like this recipe. I felt it was a waste of my ingredients as I ended up throwing it out. Number one it was way to salty. I think omitting the juice of the oysters and adding another wet liquid and using saltless crackers would be the thing to do. Number two , I didn’t like the layered crackers. Will add to the top only if I make it again.
Made this according to the instructions. We shared it with two other couples, and everyone loved the dish. We will be making this again soon.
I made this for Thanksgiving. Two months later, my husband is still talking about it. Used Ritz crackers instead of saltines. Wonderful.
It was very easy to make and I I Used ritz crackers instead… Awesome great flavor easy to make definitely a crowdpleaser…thank you
My husband and son made this and it was a big hit! The only change they made was we did not have the fresh parsley. Delicious!
Easy, peezy! Toughest part of this recipe is finding fresh oysters in the desert highlands of AZ. Even with bottled giant oysters (5-6 per jar), this still hits the spot as a side or the main dish.
I made it as written, the dish came out as perfect as I would hope…
For oyster lovers only! I followed this recipe exactly. Best scalloped oysters ever! And yes, it is so decadent.
The family raved about this recipe! I had been making an Amish recipe for years that never came out the same…sometimes soggy, sometimes greasy….and I never ever thought of dicing up the oysters. Genius!!! This is exactly how scalloped oysters should be! Make it exactly as written and you will not be disappointed.
I added some cooked bacon, some chopped fried shallots, and a little chopped spinach. The flavour was great, but neither of us was a fan of the butter-soaked crackers. I’d rather either make this with a well-vented pastry top, or using crackers only on the top, not in layers.
I used whole wheat saltines and instead of cayenne pepper, I used dabs of Thai red curry paste on each oyster. Everyone loved this side dish, even those at the table who are ambivalent about oysters!
Making this now! I make every Thanksgiving and Christmas. 2 sleeves of saltines, small box of Chicken in a Biscuit, extra butter, maybe some cheddar on top…. If any of it is left after the meal, it’s because someone wanted some for the next day’s breakfast! Great recipe
I start with this recipe, then add spinach, garlic, Worcestershire sauce and top with parmesan to make Scalloped Oysters Rockefeller! It’s a favorite Thanksgiving side dish. I made it last year and got a request to bring it again this year too.