I first made this Shrimp and Lobster Cheddar Bay Biscuit Pot Pie on a chilly weeknight when I wanted something both luxe and homey. It’s a creamy seafood filling studded with tender shrimp and lobster, topped with cheddar-studded, garlicky biscuit dumplings that bake golden and slightly crisp. It’s the kind of meal that feels special without needing restaurant skills, and if you like comforting pot pies you might also enjoy this hearty chicken pot pie soup for a quicker weeknight spin.
Why you’ll love this dish
This pot pie merges two great ideas: a rich, sherried seafood-style filling (without actual alcohol) and a Cheddar Bay-style biscuit that bakes right on top. The result is creamy, briny, and cheesy all at once. It’s great for date nights, casual dinner parties, or any time you want seafood but don’t want fuss. It also scales well: single-serve ramekins for individual presentations or one baking dish for family-style service.
“A perfect balance of buttery biscuit and succulent seafood — restaurant-worthy, but the kind of recipe you’ll make on a Tuesday.” — home cook review
Why make it now: use it when you have leftover lobster, when you want something impressive for guests, or when spring celery and sweet herbs are fresh. It’s also flexible for pantry substitutions if you don’t have seafood stock.
The cooking process explained
Overview: Sauté aromatics, build a quick roux, whisk in stock and cream to form a velvety sauce, add shrimp briefly, then fold in lobster and herbs. Separately, make a quick cheddar biscuit dough with grated cold butter and drop it over the seafood mixture. Bake until the biscuits are golden and the filling bubbles at the edges. Total active time about 30 minutes; bake 20 to 25 minutes.
What to expect: the filling should be thick enough to spoon but still saucy under the biscuits. The biscuits will brown on top and steam from the filling will keep them tender inside.
What you’ll need
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- 1 stalk celery, diced
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour (for the roux)
- 1½ cups seafood stock or chicken stock (seafood stock gives a brinier depth)
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
- ½ pound cooked lobster meat, chopped (leftovers work well)
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
Biscuit topping
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons cold butter, grated or cut into small pieces
- ½ cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- ⅓ cup whole milk (plus 1 tablespoon if needed)
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives or parsley (optional)
Quick substitution notes: use half-and-half for cream in a pinch but the filling will be slightly less rich. If you want a milder spice, reduce Old Bay to ¾ teaspoon.
Step-by-step instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C). Lightly butter individual ramekins or prepare a 9-inch baking dish.
- Melt 2 tablespoons unsalted butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add minced garlic, chopped onion, and diced celery. Cook, stirring, until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes.
- Sprinkle in 2 tablespoons flour and stir constantly for about 1 minute to cook the raw flour taste and form a roux.
- Slowly whisk in 1½ cups seafood stock and ½ cup heavy cream. Keep whisking until the sauce is smooth and thickened, about 5 to 7 minutes.
- Stir in 1 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon black pepper. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed.
- Add the shrimp and cook 2 to 3 minutes, until the shrimp turns pink and opaque. Remove from heat and fold in the chopped cooked lobster and 1 tablespoon parsley. The seafood will finish cooking in the oven.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together 1 cup flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, and ¼ teaspoon salt for the biscuit topping.
- Cut in 2 tablespoons cold grated butter until the mixture looks crumbly and resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in ½ cup shredded sharp cheddar and the chopped chives or parsley if using.
- Pour in ⅓ cup whole milk and stir until just combined. The dough should be slightly sticky; add the extra tablespoon of milk only if it seems too dry. Do not overmix.
- Spoon the seafood filling into your prepared ramekins or baking dish, leaving a little room at the top. Drop spoonfuls of the biscuit dough evenly over the filling.
- Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the biscuits are golden and a skewer inserted into a biscuit comes out clean. The filling should bubble gently at the edges.
- Let the pot pies rest 5 to 10 minutes before serving so the filling sets slightly and you avoid scalding.
Best ways to enjoy it
Serve straight from the ramekin for individual flair or spoon from a family dish. A crisp green salad with lemon vinaigrette cuts the richness nicely. For a heartier plate, roasted vegetables work well. If you want a textured, earthy side, try pairing with crispy sweet potato hash browns for a sweet-salty contrast. Finish with a sprinkle of extra chopped parsley or chives for color.
Storage and reheating tips
Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container within two hours of cooking. Stored properly, leftovers are good for up to 2 days. To reheat, place individual portions in a 350°F (175°C) oven for 12 to 15 minutes until heated through, or microwave on medium power in short bursts to avoid rubbery shrimp. To freeze: assemble but do not bake, wrap tightly with plastic and foil, and freeze up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before baking; you may need an extra 5 to 10 minutes in the oven.
Food safety note: shrimp should be opaque and firm when cooked. Because lobster here is pre-cooked, you only need to warm it through to avoid overcooking.
Pro chef tips
- Keep the butter cold and grate it for the biscuit topping. Smaller, cold bits give better flakiness.
- Don’t overwork the biscuit dough. Stir just until combined to keep biscuits tender.
- If the filling seems thin, simmer a minute longer to reduce; it will thicken more as it cools.
- Use seafood stock for the truest ocean flavor, but a good chicken stock is an acceptable stand-in.
- For even baking, let ramekins sit on a baking sheet to make them easier to move and catch any bubbling spillover.
Flavor swaps
- Make it lighter: replace heavy cream with half-and-half and reduce butter slightly in the topping.
- Add corn or peas to the filling for sweetness and color.
- Swap cheddar for Gruyère for a nuttier note.
- Make it gluten-free: use a 1-to-1 gluten-free flour blend in both the roux and biscuits; adjust liquid as needed.
- Turn it vegetarian: swap shrimp and lobster for firm mushrooms and hearts of palm, and use vegetable stock.
Common questions
How long does this take to make from start to finish?
Active prep time is about 25 to 30 minutes. Bake time is 20 to 25 minutes, so plan 50 to 60 minutes total from start to table.
Can I use frozen shrimp or lobster?
Yes. Thaw shrimp or lobster in the refrigerator overnight and pat dry before cooking. If using frozen pre-cooked lobster, fold it in at the end so it warms through without becoming rubbery.
Can I prepare this ahead of time?
You can prepare the filling and biscuit dough separately up to a day ahead. Refrigerate both components. Assemble just before baking for best biscuit rise.
Is it safe to freeze assembled, unbaked pot pies?
Yes. Wrap tightly and freeze up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge and bake until bubbly and golden; you may need an extra 5 to 10 minutes of oven time.
How do I prevent overcooking the shrimp?
Cook shrimp briefly in the sauce until just pink, then remove the pan from heat; the oven’s residual heat will finish cooking. Overcooked shrimp become rubbery, so err on the side of slightly underdone in the pan.
Shrimp and Lobster Cheddar Bay Biscuit Pot Pie
Ingredients
Method
-
Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C). Lightly butter individual ramekins or prepare a 9-inch baking dish.
-
Melt 2 tablespoons unsalted butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add minced garlic, chopped onion, and diced celery. Cook, stirring, until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes.
-
Sprinkle in 2 tablespoons flour and stir constantly for about 1 minute to cook the raw flour taste and form a roux.
-
Slowly whisk in 1½ cups seafood stock and ½ cup heavy cream. Keep whisking until the sauce is smooth and thickened, about 5 to 7 minutes.
-
Stir in 1 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon black pepper. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed.
-
Add the shrimp and cook 2 to 3 minutes, until the shrimp turns pink and opaque. Remove from heat and fold in the chopped cooked lobster and 1 tablespoon parsley.
-
In a separate bowl, whisk together 1 cup flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, and ¼ teaspoon salt.
-
Cut in 2 tablespoons cold grated butter until the mixture looks crumbly and resembles coarse crumbs.
-
Stir in ½ cup shredded sharp cheddar and the chopped chives or parsley if using.
-
Pour in ⅓ cup whole milk and stir until just combined. The dough should be slightly sticky; add the extra tablespoon of milk only if it seems too dry. Do not overmix.
-
Spoon the seafood filling into your prepared ramekins or baking dish, leaving a little room at the top.
-
Drop spoonfuls of the biscuit dough evenly over the filling.
-
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the biscuits are golden and a skewer inserted into a biscuit comes out clean.
-
Let the pot pies rest 5 to 10 minutes before serving so the filling sets slightly.
Nutrition
Notes
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Shrimp and Lobster Cheddar Bay Biscuit Pot Pie
Ingredients
Method
- Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C). Lightly butter individual ramekins or prepare a 9-inch baking dish.
- Melt 2 tablespoons unsalted butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add minced garlic, chopped onion, and diced celery. Cook, stirring, until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes.
- Sprinkle in 2 tablespoons flour and stir constantly for about 1 minute to cook the raw flour taste and form a roux.
- Slowly whisk in 1½ cups seafood stock and ½ cup heavy cream. Keep whisking until the sauce is smooth and thickened, about 5 to 7 minutes.
- Stir in 1 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon black pepper. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed.
- Add the shrimp and cook 2 to 3 minutes, until the shrimp turns pink and opaque. Remove from heat and fold in the chopped cooked lobster and 1 tablespoon parsley. The seafood will finish cooking in the oven.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together 1 cup flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, and ¼ teaspoon salt for the biscuit topping.
- Cut in 2 tablespoons cold grated butter until the mixture looks crumbly and resembles coarse crumbs.
- Stir in ½ cup shredded sharp cheddar and the chopped chives or parsley if using.
- Pour in ⅓ cup whole milk and stir until just combined. The dough should be slightly sticky; add the extra tablespoon of milk only if it seems too dry. Do not overmix.
- Spoon the seafood filling into your prepared ramekins or baking dish, leaving a little room at the top.
- Drop spoonfuls of the biscuit dough evenly over the filling.
- Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the biscuits are golden and a skewer inserted into a biscuit comes out clean.
- Let the pot pies rest 5 to 10 minutes before serving so the filling sets slightly.
