Seven Seas Casserole - cooking recipe

Ingredients

1 (10 3/4 ounce) can cream of celery soup
3/4 cup milk (3/4 soupcan full)
1 1/4 cups rice, cooked (measured dry before cooking)
2 2 cups bay scallops or 2 cups other seafood, of your choice
10 ounces frozen baby peas (or peas and baby onions)
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
1 teaspoon lemon zest, finely grated (optional)
2 teaspoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons dry sherry (optional) or 2 tablespoons dry vermouth (optional)
8 slices American cheese
paprika

Preparation

Mix soup and milk in saucepan.
Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally.
Combine with cooked rice, seafood (cut seafood into bite-size pieces, if necessary), peas, onion, lemon zest and juice, and sherry.
Turn into a buttered 2-quart casserole dish.
Bake at 375 degrees for 25-30 minutes.
remove from oven and top with slices of cheese; sprinkle with paprika.
Return to oven for an additional 5 minutes, or until cheese melts.
Remove from oven, and let rest for about 10 minutes before serving.
Helpful Tips: I like to put the onion in with the rice while the rice is cooking. Also, be sure to use the designated small-sized shrimp, or bay scallops or other bite-sized seafood in this dish---DO NOT use large or jumbo shrimp or sea scallops unless you cut them up--- as you want a morsel of yummy seafood in every bite!