Celebrate Mother's Day with a Seafood Restaurant Meal -- At Home!

I rarely get a chance to eat out.  We have taken the kids out on occasion, but we usually try for buffets -- since feeding all 7 of us can be very expensive.  My favorite things to eat at a restaurant, however, are items they just don't serve at an all-you-can-eat establishment: crab cakes, salmon, and shrimp!

I headed out to my local Walmart to see what they offered in the frozen aisle that might help me throw together a restaurant experience at home.  I was hoping to save money, and also try a variety of items. Since I live in Nebraska, fish is rarely available fresh, so even the items in the meat department of the local grocer's is usually thawed from a frozen state.

I found 3 seafood products that I was excited to try, and I took them home to serve up something special!  Here's what we had:

• Southern Bell Seafood Crab Cakes
• Frozen Wild Salmon Filets
• Treasures from the Sea Jalapeno Breaded Shrimp
• Great Value Seasoned Fries
• Restaurant Style Homemade Coleslaw

Most of the seafood items were on Rollback at my store.  I saved even more money by making my own coleslaw from this version I found on Pinterest.  My kids were so excited to try all the yummy food!  We prepared both the Shrimp and the Fries in my deep fryer with some Cookwell Oil.  I made the Crab Cakes in my Big Boss Oil-less Fryer, and I pan seared the salmon with some salted butter and garlic salt.

Everyone but my husband enjoyed the meal.  (He hates fish.)  I made sure to warm up some BBQ pork chops that he had made on the grill the night before.  We also served our meal with some fresh sweetcorn for dessert!

The highlights of the meal included the crab cakes.  They had so much crab in them, and very little breading.  The box contained a full pound, so I'll likely be snacking on the few that are left over the next week.

The shrimp was VERY spicy.  I had a hard time eating them, but my spice-loving kids gobbled them up.  I was surprised that they crisped up so nicely in the Big Boss.  These have the texture of deep-fried, with the option of baking.

The salmon was also nice, and we have been huge fans of the Great Value Seasoned fries for years.  At $2 a bag, the fries are always a good buy.

The total bill for my family to eat an evening meal at a sit-down restaurant with comparable fare is approximately $72, assuming we drink water and not including tax and tip.  The total cost for our meal at home (with plenty of leftovers for another meal) was $28.  The different is amazing, and it was very simple to prepare.

Would you like a meal out for Mother's Day?  What would it cost your family?  I challenge you to seek ways to (easily) prepare similar foods at home.  I would love to see your recipes, too!


As a participant in the Walmart Moms Program, I've received product samples and compensation for my time and efforts in creating this post. All thoughts and opinions are my own.