Shrimp Wiggle Isn't As Fun As It Sounds, But It Is A Vintage Dish To Use Up Your Canned Goods

While "shrimp wiggle" may sound more like an ill-conceived dance move than something you might find on the dinner table, it is, indeed, a food. The recipe dates back to at least 1898 when it was published in Fannie Farmer's "Chafing Dish Possibilities," but it has also been included in other publications like "Joy of Cooking" and even made a regular appearance on Franklin D. Roosevelt's table during his presidency. The simple dish essentially consists of shrimp and peas in a roux-based white sauce. The creamed concoction is then spooned over a starch like rice, toast, or crackers.

If you can't find a good way to organize the canned goods in your pantry, this old-school recipe might be ideal for using up some of those excess ingredients. In addition to the canned peas that the typical shrimp wiggle recipe calls for, you could also use canned shrimp as the protein base. If you have some creamed soup that needs to be used up — particularly cream of shrimp — that makes for a suitable substitution for the white sauce if you add a splash of milk to thin it out. Some versions of the dish also include diced tomatoes, so you can toss those in, too, if you have a can on hand.

Since the sauce for a traditional shrimp wiggle is so simple, it leaves plenty of room for creativity — and opportunities to clean out your cabinet. Try stirring in any number of canned veggies from green beans, mushrooms, or asparagus to carrots or artichokes. Or, incorporate different proteins like high quality canned tuna, salmon, or other preserved meats. And if you want to switch up the flavor profile, you can mix in a soup. Tomato soup has shown up in some recipes but you can also experiment with what you have in the pantry.

Once you've combined all of your ingredients to make the wiggle, you can also jazz it up with other add-ins. Sprinkle in some cheese, add a splash of hot sauce, or stir in fresh or dried herbs. When you're ready to serve it, you can change up the base, too. Chow mein noodles make for a crunchy base that you may already have in your kitchen. Or, clean out the crisper by roasting veggies and using them in place of a starch. Finally, for an elevated version, reach into the freezer for puff pastry and use your muffin tin to make savory cups to fill with the shrimpy sauce.