Why it works: Celery and tomato are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 4% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 3,377 recipes. Both carry 4'-methylacetophenone, which smells bitter almond. The science ↓
Shrimp Bake
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare
Saute celery, onions and green pepper in butter until clear (not brown).
Bake and serve
Combine all ingredients.
Season with salt and pepper.
Save 1/3 of cheese to sprinkle on top.
Bake in casserole dish in pre-heated 325-degree oven for 40–45 minutes.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
Counts 9 of 10 ingredients. The other 1 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.
What these numbers assume: 9 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Rice | 1 cup cooked (158g) white | 206 |
| Cheddar Cheese | 1 oz (28g) | 113 |
| Shrimp | 100g cooked | 99 |
| Onion | 1 medium (110g) | 44 |
| Bell Pepper | 1 medium (119g) | 31 |
| Tomato | 1 medium (123g) | 22 |
| Mushrooms | 1/2 cup sliced (35g) | 15 |
| Soy Sauce | 1 tbsp (15ml) | 9 |
| Celery | 1 stalk (40g) | 6 |
| Soup | not in our table | 0 |
One typical portion per ingredient; the recipe's quantities are not counted. A rough guide only, not for medical or dietary planning.
Steps grouped into stages for easier reading; the method is the source's own.
Explore the science
The flavor team
The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.
-
Celery + tomatotop 4% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together3,377 recipes
Shared aroma: 4'-methylacetophenone (bitter almond).
-
Celery + peppertop 5% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together16,012 recipes
Shared aroma: 4'-methylacetophenone (bitter almond).
-
Rice + tomatotop 6% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together3,065 recipes
Shared aroma: trans-2-nonenal (cardboard, fatty).
-
Mushroom + tomatotop 7% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together2,719 recipes
Shared aroma: 1-octen-3-one (mushroom, metallic).
-
Celery + oniontop 7% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together18,518 recipes
Shared aroma: guaiacol (smoky, sweet).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Shrimp
- Provides the main protein and bulk of the casserole.
- Rice
- Adds body and absorbs moisture, making the filling more substantial.
- Cheddar cheese
- Melts into the filling for richness and forms a browned topping.
- Tomato soup
- Supplies liquid and savory flavor that binds the casserole together.
- Mushrooms
- Adds moisture and earthy flavor to the filling.
The step that matters
Saute the vegetables until clear, not brown. Cooking celery, onion and green pepper gently softens them and sweetens their flavor. Browning them would add bitterness and a different taste to the finished casserole.
Swap the onion
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (shrimp, celery, pepper, rice, mushroom, tomato, cheddar cheese):
- Capsicumfits better
- Potatofits better
- Asparagusfits better
- Onionthe original
Fit is the average pairing score against shrimp, celery, pepper, rice, mushroom, tomato, cheddar cheese. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes.
“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.
You might also like
Rice and Cheese Casserole23 recipes
Cheese Rice12 recipes
Tomato Soup526 recipes
Cream of Celery Soup113 recipesThe free Flavor Lab newsletter: one surprising pairing a week and the molecular reason it works, in 60 seconds. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.
Prefer an account? Create a free account to save pairings and unlock the full chemistry.