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    Home » Recipes » Appetizers

    Layered Shrimp Cocktail Spread

    By Chula King · November 25, 2021 · Updated October 12, 2022 6 Comments

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    Layered Shrimp Cocktail Spread

    If you like shrimp cocktail, you’ll absolutely love this New Orleans inspired Layered Shrimp Cocktail Spread. It’s quick and easy to prepare and tastes as good as it looks! It consists of spicy sauce and succulent shrimp on top of a flavored cream cheese base.

    Layered Shrimp Cocktail Spread.
    Jump to:
    • Ingredients: Here’s What You’ll Need
    • Here’s How I Made The Components of This Recipe
    • Here’s How I Put This Appetizer Together
    • Frequently Asked Questions
    • Recipe

    Ingredients: Here’s What You’ll Need

    This amazing appetizer has three basic layers plus a garnish.

    • Cream Cheese Layer: The cream cheese layer includes cream cheese, Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice, onion, and garlic.
    • The Condiment Layer: For the condiment layer, I used my standard recipe which included chili sauce, prepared horseradish, Worcestershire sauce and lemon juice.
    • The Shrimp Layer: With the word shrimp in the title, you shouldn’t be surprised that I used fresh-boiled shrimp.
    • The Garnish: For the garnish I used sliced green onion tops.

    Here’s How I Made The Components of This Recipe

    A,s I previously indicated, this delicious recipe contains three basic layers.

    1. For the cream cheese layer, I beat together softened cream cheese, Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice, minced onion, and minced garlic.
    Beating together the ingredients for the cream cheese layer.
    1. Next, I spread the cheese mixture evenly in an 8-inch springform pan. Then, I covered the cream cheese layer and refrigerated it overnight to allow flavors to blend together.
    Spreading cream cheese mixture in 8-inch springform pan.
    1. Next, I made the cocktail sauce by whisking together the chili sauce, prepared horseradish, Worcestershire sauce, and lemon juice. I covered and refrigerated this to allow the flavors to blend together.
    Whisking together cocktail sauce ingredients.

    Here’s How I Put This Appetizer Together

    One of the beauties of this recipe is that the three layers can be made ahead of time and assembled right before serving.

    For the assembly, I started by removing the sides of the springform pan from the cream cheese layer.

    Next, I spread about half of the cocktail sauce over the cream cheese layer. I saved the rest of it for another use.

    Then, I sprinkled the chopped shrimp on the top. Finally, I garnished the appetizer with chopped green onions.

    Layered Shrimp Cocktail Assembled.

    I served this amazing appetizer with saltine crackers. My friend Jim was the first to dive into it! Yum!

    Layered Shrimp Cocktail Spread.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Is prepared horseradish the same as creamed horseradish?

    For this recipe, I used prepared horseradish which is not the same as creamed horseradish,. Prepared horseradish which is sold in the refrigerated section of a grocery store is primarily made with the horseradish root. Often vinegar, sugar, and salt are added. As such, it has a pungent and intense flavor. Creamed horseradish which is sold in the condiment section of a grocery store adds a creamy base to the prepared horseradish.

    Can creamed horseradish be substituted for prepared horseradish?

    I wouldn’t recommend substituting creamed horseradish for the prepared horseradish in the cocktail sauce. The reason is that the creamed horseradish would not provide the same depth of flavor as the prepared horseradish.

    Can this be prepared in advance?

    You can prepare the individual layers of the shrimp cocktail spread a day or two in advance. However, you should wait until right before serving to assemble the dish.

    What about leftovers?

    This dish is best eaten right after assembly. While the leftovers, if any will still be yummy, they will look somewhat of a mess as the layers start to mesh together when it’s eaten.

    Can ketchup be substituted for chili sauce?

    The cocktail sauce tends to be spicier and thicker than ketchup. If you’re in a pinch, ketchup can be substituted. However, the cocktail sauce is really better-using than chili sauce.

    What about just using store-bought cocktail sauce?

    To be honest, I’ve never used the store-bought variety, so don’t know whether it could be successfully used in this recipe.

    If you’d prefer a more traditional shrimp cocktail, try my amazing Classic Shrimp Cocktail.

    I hope you liked this recipe for Layered Shrimp Cocktail Spread as much as I do. If so, please consider rating it and leaving a comment. Also, if you’d like to receive notifications of new posts by email, enter your email address in the Subscribe box.

    Thank you so much for visiting Pudge Factor. I hope you’ll come back!

    Recipe

    Eating the shrimp cocktail spread.

    Layered Shrimp Cocktail Spread

    If you like shrimp cocktail, you'll absolutely love this New Orleans inspired Layered Shrimp Cocktail Spread. It's quick and easy to prepare and tastes as good as it looks! It consists of spicy cocktail sauce and succulent shrimp on top of a savory cream cheese base.
    4.74 from 46 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Appetizer
    Cuisine: American
    Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 15 minutes minutes
    Servings: 10 to 12 servings.
    Calories: 182kcal
    Author: Chula King

    Ingredients

    Cream Cheese Layer

    • 12 ounces cream cheese (See Tip 1) softened
    • 1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
    • 1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice
    • 1 Tablespoon grated onion
    • 1 clove garlic minced

    Cocktail Sauce

    • 12 ounce bottle chili sauce
    • 1 Tablespoon prepared horseradish (See Tip 2)
    • 1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
    • 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

    Remaining Ingredients

    • 2 cups fresh boiled shrimp, chopped into ½-inch pieces
    • 2 green onion tops, chopped for garnish chopped, for garnish

    Instructions

    Cream Cheese Layer

    • Blend together cream cheese, Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice, onion and garlic. Spread mixture evenly in an 8-inch springform pan or shallow serving dish. Cover with foil and refrigerate a minimum of 12 hours.

    Cocktail Sauce

    • Combine chili sauce, prepared horseradish, Worcestershire sauce, and lemon juice. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

    Assembly

    • Remove the sides of the springform pan with the cream cheese layer. Spread half of the cocktail sauce evenly over the cream cheese layer. (See Tip 3)
    • Sprinkle chopped shrimp over cocktail sauce. Garnish with chopped green onion tops.
    • Serve with crackers.
    • Yield: 10-12 servings.

    Chula’s Expert Tips

    1. I used full fat cream cheese in this recipe, but you could also use reduced fat cream cheese.
    2. Do not substitute creamy horseradish sauce for the prepared horseradish when making the cocktail sauce.
    3. You will only need to use about half of the cocktail sauce. Refrigerate the rest for a later use.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 182kcal | Carbohydrates: 9g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 101mg | Sodium: 803mg | Potassium: 230mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 710IU | Vitamin C: 8.7mg | Calcium: 83mg | Iron: 1.2mg
    Tried this recipe?Please leave a comment below and/or give this recipe a rating. On Instagram? Take a picture and tag @pudgefactor or #pudgefactor.

    I previously posted this delicious appetizer on January 19, 2018. This post includes updated photographs and text, but the same great recipe.

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      Pizza Roses

    Filed Under: 4th of July, Appetizers, Mardi Gras

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. J.J. says

      July 10, 2021 at 9:52 pm

      5 stars
      This is an all time favorite childhood Christmas memory! As I have lost almost all of my family members, I had no one to ask for this recipe and the memory of my nine year old self couldn’t begin to recreate it. Thank you so much for sharing this!

    2. Chula King says

      July 11, 2021 at 12:40 pm

      Hope you enjoy making it J.J.!

      Chula

    3. Jacqueline says

      December 28, 2021 at 2:14 pm

      5 stars
      my aunt makes this every year for Christmas and it brings back such happy memories!

    4. Anonymous says

      September 18, 2022 at 1:50 pm

      Use shredded crab meat instead.

    5. SHARON says

      December 07, 2022 at 8:27 am

      WHAT CAN BE SUBSTITUTED FOR PREPARED HORSERADISH? ISN’T THIS HOT? I WOULD BE SERVING THIS TO PEOPLE WHO DO NOT LIKE ANYTHING SPICY.

    6. Chula King says

      December 07, 2022 at 11:07 am

      You might try just the bottled chili sauce that goes into the cocktail sauce. It’s not at all spicy but has the same consistency as the cocktail sauce.

      Chula

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    Chula King is an award-winning photographer and videographer behind Pudge Factor. She’s a professor by day and foodie by night, showcasing her favorite tried and true recipes.

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