Cheesy Baked Stuffed Cod

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Years ago, my husband Jack worked for a small family-owned grocery chain as one of the chef managers of their in-store cafés. He was given free rein in the kitchen to create some original dishes and came up with this recipe for Cheesy Baked Stuffed Cod.

This meal instantly became one of the café’s top-selling items, selling out every Friday! It was also added to the café menu in all 27 store locations across Massachusetts and Rhode Island as a permanent offering. He’s sharing his recipe here.

This moist and flavorful fish is pure comfort food and it’s easy to see why so many customers loved it! (We certainly love it in our family too!) The buttery cracker and cheese topping is perfect with a hint of lemon and seasonings, and the fish stays super moist thanks to a little bit of milk that is placed around the fish in the pan while it bakes. Enjoy!

This recipe was originally published on A Family Feast in October 2012. The photos and recipe have been updated.

Cheesy Baked Stuffed Cod

You can either cut the fish into four portions before baking, or lay the whole filets in a baking pan and cook them whole, then cut into portions after it is baked.

Prep Time: 10 mins
Cook Time: 20 mins
Total Time: 30 minutes
Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

1 1/2 pounds fresh cod or haddock (or other white fish of your choice)
¼ teaspoon Kosher salt
Few grinds of black pepper
4 slices Muenster cheese
2 sleeves of Ritz Crackers
Juice from half a lemon (save the other half for later in recipe)
Zest from half a lemon
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 tsp white pepper
1 tablespoon dry parsley flakes
¼ teaspoon paprika
1/8 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
8 Tablespoons butter, melted (1 stick)
½ cup milk
½ lemon cut into four wedges

Instructions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Spray a baking pan with non-stick cooking spray and place the fish fillets (or pieces) in pan. Season the fish with salt and pepper. Place the slices of Muenster cheese evenly over the fish.
Crush crackers into a medium-size bowl (Helpful tip: Crush them right in the sleeve and then pour into the bowl). Add in the lemon juice, lemon zest, garlic powder, white pepper, parsley flakes, paprika, Worcestershire sauce and melted butter. Mix to combine.
Gently pile cracker mixture over fish. Try to leave the stuffing loose and not packed down.
Pour milk around fish but not over. Place lemon wedges in milk next to fish.
Cover with a piece of parchment paper and then cover with foil, sealing tightly around the edges.
Bake covered for 15 minutes, then remove the parchment and foil and bake uncovered for five more minutes. (Cooking time may vary depending on the thickness of your fish. Fish is done when it flakes apart with a fork.)