How to Host the Perfect Clambake Party with Walmart+ (2024)

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Today’s post is sponsored by Walmart. As always, all thoughts and opinions are my own. Thanks so much for supporting the brands that make Diary of a Debutante possible!

We normally visit Maine relatively early in the summer, but since we’re getting married in Camden in the middle of August, we’re not heading up to New England until August 2nd. I’m excited beyond words, but I’ll be honest… I miss good seafood, and as bratty as it sounds, I’ve become accustomed to having it way earlier in the season. To help hold me over, I decided to host a midwestern clambake party in the interim! As you might imagine, it can be tough finding all the essential clambake ingredients, but my Walmart+ membership had me completely covered. I had everything I needed (fresh groceries, wine, candles, decor) within two days, and everyone had a blast. I definitely see midsummer clambake parties becoming an annual tradition from here on out!

Honestly, though, the dinner party wouldn’t have turned out as well as it did without Walmart+. Walmart+ offers a variety of delivery and shipping benefits, so you can get what you need when you need it. For my clambake party, I ordered a bunch of small items from Walmart.com and got free shipping, no order minimum required (excludes freight and Marketplace items). I also got free delivery from my store, which isn’t limited to food– you can order groceries and more, and received everything the same day. There is a $35 order minimum for free delivery from your store, but trust me, it’s never hard to hit (restrictions apply).

Another Walmart+ benefit that’s saved the day a bunch of times, like when I had to assemble this Italian charcuterie board, is their Express Delivery option. If you need something right away, Walmart+ members can use Express Delivery to get their items within two hours. You do still have to pay a $10 express fee, but the delivery fee is waived. I didn’t buy nearly enough butter or wine for our clambake, so Walmart+ Express Delivery was the real MVP of the evening.

Keep reading for the world’s easiest sheet pan clambake recipe, along with clambake party tablescape details!

Easy Sheet Pan Clambake Recipe

If memory serves, traditional clam and/or lobster bakes are done by digging a hole in some sand and creating a makeshift grill. I’m not that skilled of a chef, so I bake mine. This sheet pan clambake recipe, which is adapted from Creme de la Crumb, is pretty much impossible to mess up. I also love that you can honestly toss in or take out whatever fresh ingredients you like. Here are all the grocery items I ordered with my Walmart+ membership for this sheet clambake recipe:

1 tbsp Old Bay seasoning– Old Bay seasoning really is the cornerstone of any classic clambake. It’s also a blend of so many different spices, so I don’t recommend making your own. If you want a lower sodium option, you can find one here!
Raw mussels, thawed-Yes, clambakes should probably include clams. However, the store only had cooked clams in stock, so I ordered mussels instead– and musselbake just doesn’t have the same ring to it.
Large (or jumbo) raw shrimp, thawed– Make sure the shrimp is thawed, deveined, and uncooked. Whether the shell and tail are on or off is totally up to you.
Raw lobster tails, thawed– They’re definitely optional, but I thought it’d be fun to throw some lobster tails into the mix. Walmart sells them frozen in two packs, too, which is super convenient!
Andouille sausage– I cut mine into 1/2-inch-thick medallions.
Fresh corn– I ordered some delicious corn with husks and cut it into halves before boiling. You can also cut them into thirds. Either way, I recommend a one cob per person rule of thumb.
Red potatoes– I ordered four average-sized red potatoes and cut them into tiny chunks before boiling. Again, I recommend the one potato per person rule as a minimum.
Red onion, sliced– If you don’t have one on hand, sweet onions make great substitutes.
Stick of butter– Keep an extra stick handy, though, just in case someone wants to dip their seafood in butter.
3 tbsp minced garlic– I buy Walmart’s already minced garlic, and it’s such a time saver.
Lemon wedges– It sounds excessive, but to be on the safe side, I recommend having at least half a dozen lemons handy.
Fresh parsley (for garnish)– Fresh parsley adds such a nice fresh flavor to this recipe! I set aside a separate ramekin so that guests can grab extra.

The sheet clambake recipe really is as easy as it gets. Just boil the corn and potatoes for about 10 minutes, and then transfer them to a large bowl. Add in the thawed clams, thawed shrimp, thawed lobster tails, sausage, and onions. Melt the butter in a small bowl and then mix in the minced garlic and Old Bay seasoning. Pour the melted butter mixture over the seafood/sausage/veggie mix and stir to cover. Finally, dump it all onto a lined baking sheet, scatter a handful of lemon wedges throughout the pan, and bake for 16-18 minutes or until the shrimp is opaque and the clams/mussels have opened. Simple as that!

New England Sheet Pan Clambake

Yield: 4 servings

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 28 minutes

Total Time: 33 minutes

The sheet clambake recipe really is as easy as it gets! Add in or substitute whatever seafood you like and serve it right off the tray for easy clean-up.

Ingredients

1 tbspOld Bay seasoning
Raw mussels, thawed if frozen
Large (or jumbo) raw shrimp, thawed if frozen
Raw lobster tails, thawed if frozen
Andouille sausage, sliced into quarter-thick medallions
Fresh corn, cut into halves or thirds
Red potatoes, scrubbed and cut into wedges
Red onion, sliced
1/2 cup unsalted butter
3 tbspminced garlic
2 lemons, cut into wedges
Fresh parsley (for garnish)

Instructions

Boil the corn and potatoes for about 10 minutes, and then transfer them to a large bowl. Add in the thawed clams, thawed shrimp, thawed lobster tails, sausage, and onions.
Melt the butter in a small bowl and then mix in the minced garlic and Old Bay seasoning. Pour the melted butter mixture over the seafood-sausage-veggie mix and stir to cover.
Dump the entire bowl onto a lined baking sheet, scatter the lemon wedges throughout the pan, and bake for 16-18 minutes or until the shrimp is opaque and the clams/mussels have opened.
Garnish with fresh parsley and leftover lemon wedges. Serve warm and enjoy!

Notes

Recipe adapted from Creme de la Crumb

Nutrition Information

Yield 4
Amount Per ServingCalories 365Total Fat 25gSaturated Fat 15gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 9gCholesterol 86mgSodium 583mgCarbohydrates 27gFiber 3gSugar 4gProtein 11g

Nutritional information isn't always accurate and can vary based on a number of factors, including but not limited to discrepancies among brands, precision of measurements, and freshness of ingredients.

Oh, and I also ordered some fresh french rolls from Walmart’s bakery as an appetizer. I mostly just wanted something to put in this adorable melamine nautical serving bowl I found on Walmart.com. It comes in a set of three (two serving trays and one bowl), and I’m obsessed.

Simple Clambake Party Tablescape

I love floral centerpieces, so trying to create a “pretty” clambake party tablescape without one was a challenge. Luckily, I found some absolutely adorable summer table decor from Walmart.com and got it all delivered for free with my Walmart+ membership. Here’s everything I ordered to style this clambake party tablescape:

Round hyacinth tray– I put a large round plastic serving tray and some blue striped napkins underneath to protect it from all the butter.
White metal lanterns– Walmart always has the cutest lanterns, and they’re so affordable! I bought two white ones for this project, but I also have a few of their galvanized silver lanterns, as well.
White pillar candles– I ordered two white pillar candles to put inside each lantern for some mood lighting.
Square jute plate mats– I was torn between ordering this jute table runner and these jute square plate mats. For spatial reasons, I ultimately went with the plate mats.
French blue-striped tablecloth– This tablecloth is perfect for summer and washes/steams really well!
Blue striped napkins– These are from a Walmart+ order I placed a few months ago, and I still use them all the time.
Nautical serving set– I couldn’t fit it all on the table, but I used this adorable melamine anchor tray to serve drinks and this anchor bowl to serve bread.
Blue glassware– These blue glasses are absolutely gorgeous and under $25 per set!
Gingham dessert plates– I wanted to throw in some gingham to offset all the stripes, and these dessert plates worked perfectly.
Clear mini buckets– Whenever you’re serving seafood, I recommend having multiple buckets or bowls available for discarded shells and whatnot. These cute little clear buckets helped hold party favors and served as individual discard containers.
Navy flatware set– I was shocked when I saw the price tag on this blue flatware set. Under $15, y’all. I couldn’t stop at one, so I ordered the red, too.
Mini bottles of white wine– White wine pairs perfectly with seafood, and I thought it’d be fun to give mini bottles away as clambake party favors.
Fresh lemons– Fresh lemons serve several purposes! Not only are they great for adding flavor, they add a fun pop of color and you can write on them to create super unique place cards.

Click on any of the icons in the two images below for product details! Also, for more of my favorite Walmart+ finds, check out my favorite outdoor entertaining essentials under $25!

How to Sign Up for Walmart+

If you ever get the sudden urge to host a clambake party– or if you ever just need fresh groceries on a whim, I highly recommend having a Walmart+ membership. Signing up is super easy and, in my experience, has been worth every penny. Click hereto sign up for a free 15-day trial! After that, you can either cancel or join for $12.95/month or $98/year. Based on 52 weeks in a year, that’s $2/week if you go with the annual plan. Given all the time and money it’s saved on delivery and shipping fees, our membership has been more than worth it for us.

If you’re still on the fence about whether or not to sign up, here are a few of my favorite Walmart+ benefits–

Free Shipping– Get Walmart+ free shipping from Walmart.com with no order minimum (excludes freight and Marketplace items).
Free Delivery– Get free delivery from your store as soon as today ($35 minimum, some restrictions apply). This benefit saves meat least1.5 hours every week, and I love that I can get everything (fresh groceries and more) I need in one place!(Savings based on 2 store trips per week. Excludes time spent shopping online). If you need an order right away (within two hours), you can also get it with Express Delivery. As a W+ member, the delivery fee is completely waived, and you just pay a $10 express fee.
Member Prices on Fuel– Save 5¢ per gallon at Walmart and Murphy stations. You can also access member pricing at Sam’s Club fuel centers.
Mobile Scan & Go– This is one of my favorite features! Mobile Scan & Go allows you to shop and check out with your phone in-store. Just scan, pay, and be on your way!
Rx for Less*– Rx for Less is a new benefit, and it’s pretty awesome. With a Walmart+ membership, you can get select prescriptions for as little as $0 and save up to 85% on thousands more at participating Walmart pharmacies.

You get all these benefits plus the same every day you love prices you love with a Walmart+ membership! There are no hidden fees or mark-ups, and you pay the same prices as in-store. Click here to try it out!

As always, please let me know if you have any questions about this clambake party tablescape, recipe, or details of my Walmart+ membership. I love hearing from y’all, and I’m more than happy to help. Thanks so much for reading!

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*Not available in all states. The program is not insurance and cannot be combined with insurance. Savings off of the overall regular nationwide retail pharmacy prices based upon 2020 national program savings data from MedImpact; average savings are 65%.