Today I’m sharing one of my very favorite seafood appetizers I’ve enjoyed for several years: Â Clams Casino.
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I’m so blessed to live on the coast of North Carolina where fresh local seafood is plentiful and abundant (especially clams!). Â This is by far one of my very favorite seafood appetizer recipes. Â Sometimes I’ll eat them as a meal with a fresh green salad… it’s pure heaven on earth! Â
I love to go clamming and even have my own clam rake (it’s at my mom’s now so she can use it!). Â There’s just something so peaceful about digging that clam rake in the sand… and getting a little rush of excitement when you hear that little scratch on the rake when you hit a clam.
I purchased these clams at my local seafood market because I haven’t been clamming in a while (a long while and talking about it makes me want to go!).
This recipe calls for medium-size clams but a lot of my clams in the photographs are smaller little neck clams because that’s all they had at the market.
I adapted this recipe from The Outer Banks Cookbook: Recipes and Traditions from North Carolina’s Barrier Islands (affiliate link).  There’s a ton of awesome seafood recipes in this book and I have thoroughly enjoyed it over the years.
I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I have!
More Clam Recipes You’ll Love
PrintClams Casino
- Total Time: 23 minutes
- Yield: 4 appetizer servings
Description
Delicious baked clams with a buttery garlic sauce, cracker meal, cheese and bacon.
Ingredients
- ¼ cup butter, melted
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh garlic
- 24 medium-size clams, shucked
- Cracker meal, made from crushing about 8 saltine crackers in a resealable bag with a rolling pin
- 8 slices Swiss cheese
- 6 slices fully cooked bacon, each slice cut into quarters
- ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley, for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 450 degrees F.
- Combine melted butter and garlic in a small bowl and set aside.
- Loosen the meat from the bottom shell of each clam. Â Place clams open-faced on a large rimmed baking sheet.
- Sprinkle the clams evenly with the cracker meal, then evenly dab each clam with the butter garlic mixture.
- Top with a small slice of the Swiss cheese that has been cut to the size of the clam. Â Place cooked bacon slices over the Swiss cheese.
- Bake for approximately 8 minutes, or until the clams are fully cooked and cheese is bubbly and hot.
- Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and garnish with parsley, if desired. Â Serve immediately.
Notes
Adapted from The Outer Banks Cookbook
Consuming raw or undercooked meats, poultry, seafood, shellfish, eggs or unpasteurized milk may increase your risk of foodborne illness.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 8 minutes
- Category: Appetizer
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: American
Originally published January 15, 2012 and updated with new photographs June 23, 2017.
Patrick M Ireland
This is excellent
Lara
Wow,this is one deliciously baked clam with garlic sauce and cracker meal. Thanks for sharing.
Amy @ The Blond Cook
Thanks so much, Lara! 🙂
Audrey Caveness
Amy those were the most clams I ever ate in my life that weekend at Ocracoke, soooo yummy. All seafood is tastey to me but your crab dip is my favorite.
Schuyler Munden
Oh my Gosh!!! Those pictures look so good that i can almost taste them! I cant imagine a better way to have clams. Thanks for the recipe and i look forward to more!! Its almost imposable to pick just one favorite seafood..i guess if i had to pick one it would be shrimp..
Kay Lea
This recipe sounds so good I can almost taste and smell it. I like your presentation, looks nice. Also, I like your neat nefty clam opener, very creative. My favorite seafood is all of it (fresh in season and from our area only). Thanks for sharing your recipes and I will be checking in on you later.
Melinda Hagen
I have to say that I don’t have a favorite cookbook for seafood! I don’t live on the coast, but get clams and seafood as often as I can from the meat store! I am sure not as good as fresh from the sea!
I would absolutely love this recipe!! It looks so good and will be trying it soon.
Looking forward to seeing other’s you have!
Vicky Salter
Pne of my favorite seafood dishes is a good pot of Minced Drum and crispy cornbread. It is divine. I also love Oysters raw, steamed and fried up crispy.
Samantha
Looks delicious!
Judy Betts
WOW!!! LOL! These clams are pure-t sinful, they taste sooooo good. My all time favorite seafood dish would have to be your Carolina Fish Stew recipe posted on theblondcook.com
Cheryl Salter
Looks yummy Amy! Sure hope you are making this for lunch for me sometime ! Hope to try it as soon as I can get out and catch some fresh clams . I have to say my favorite seafood recipe is Shirmp and Grits ! Keep up the awesome work ! Sure would love to win that cookbook !
LAURA
read your story and all the recipes I have seen look yummmy.
Robin Dymes
Oh My Amy! That LOOKS and sounds so good! I have to admit, as many cookbooks as I own, I do NOT own a seafood cookbook! Can you beleive that?? I so enjoyed the stuffed crab your mom made!! YUM, YUM!! When I really crave a special seafood dish it is crab stuffed flounder that is broiled in a butter, wine, slight garlic sauce served with fresh sauteed asparagus and restuffed baked potato! I have to eat early enough in the evening to be able to sleep well after a meal like that; so good and filling! Excellent!!!!
Thank you for sharing your recipes and Good Luck in your new adventour! 2012 is THE YEAR for GREATNESS is so many ways and I am wishing that for you!!
Robin