Enjoy the fun, casual side of seafood with our easy variations on the classic clambake -- big jumbles of steamed clams, lobsters, mussels, corn on the cob, potatoes, and sausage -- or old-fashioned seafood boils. These recipes are perfect for summer entertaining: Simply invite everyone to roll up their sleeves and dig in!

No need to dig a pit in the sand! Steam lobsters, clams, mussels, shrimp, corn on the cob, potatoes, and chorizo in beer, all in the comfort of your kitchen, for a casual summer dinner party.

Hot pepper flakes and Old Bay seasoning (or the seafood seasoning of your choice) gives boiled shrimp its savory, spicy flavor. Cover the table with paper and let everyone peel his or her own shrimp.

Slice ears of corn into half-inch "coins" so they cook at the same speedy pace as littleneck clams. Shallot, jalapenos, and cilantro flavor the white wine broth.

Serve this traditional Southern shrimp boil for a casual family meal. Set out the cooked ingredients on butcher paper and have fun digging in. Cook the shrimp with the shells intact for a more hands-on eating experience.

If you can't fit in a trip to Maine this year, making a meal from foil packets of shrimp, cod, potatoes, and corn may be the next best thing. You can prepare the packets up to a day ahead, refrigerate, and throw onto the grill just before it's time to eat -- a boon to low-key summer entertaining.

Andouille sausage, plump shrimp, corn on the cob, and potatoes -- all the delicious components of a shrimp boil -- are corralled on tidy skewers in this recipe. Make a basting sauce with melted butter, Old Bay seasoning, and hot-pepper sauce.

Combine four pounds of clams, a little butter and thyme, and a pint of beer or water to make enough of this casual appetizer for a party. Once the clams are scrubbed, it takes less than 15 minutes to prepare.

Make your own spice packet for this New Orleans-style shrimp boil by tying up allspice berries, bay leaves, and coriander, mustard, and dill seeds in a square of cheesecloth. Serve with lots of melted butter spiked with hot sauce.