Preheat oven to 350°. Spray a shallow 3-quart baking dish with cooking spray.
In a small Dutch oven, cook bacon over medium heat until crisp. Remove bacon using a slotted spoon, and let drain on paper towels, reserving drippings in pan. Add onion, bell pepper, and celery; cook over medium-high heat until lightly browned and softened, 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in tomatoes, tomato paste, brown sugar, vinegar, thyme, Creole seasoning, salt, paprika, and garlic powder. Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer for 10 minutes. Stir in rice. Spoon into prepared pan; spray heavy-duty foil with cooking spray and cover.
Bake until rice is tender, about 30 minutes. Stir in shrimp; cover and bake until shrimp are pink and firm, about 10 minutes more. Sprinkle with bacon. Garnish with parsley, if desired.
Recipe by Southern Lady Magazine at https://southernladymagazine.com/shrimp-and-rice-casserole-recipe/