Shrimp & Grits
Growing up, I loved grits with a sunny side fried egg for breakfast. Something about creamy, salty grits with a runny yolk was the best. Little did I know that there was another combination I’d fall in love with: Shrimp & Grits.
Grits for dinner? Sign me up.
This recipe, like most, came about when making a trip to the store while hungry, “Shrimp sounds good. Shrimp & grits sound real good. What else do we need? Onion, bell pepper, butter, CHEESE…” Plus about a hundred other things that I didn’t actually need but had to get because I was hungry.
Like any good recipe, this one starts with bacon! Cook up a few strips for the recipe & a few for snacking. Once it’s crispy set the bacon aside & drain out some of the grease leaving about a tablespoon. Over medium heat, sauté the onions & peppers & with few minutes left, add in the minced garlic. Once the onions are translucent, peppers soft, & garlic fragrant, remove them from the pan & set aside.
Peel & devein the shrimp and season with salt, pepper, & chili powder. If there’s extra bacon grease, add it to the pan, if not, add about a tablespoon of avocado oil. Cook the shrimp over medium heat for a few minutes each side, until they’re cooked through.
While the shrimp cooks, get the grits going (I like these from Bob’s Red Mill). In a small saucepan, bring 3 cups of water to a boil. Add some salt and slowly whisk in a cup of grits. Bring it back to a boil then reduce the heat to a simmer for about 5 minutes, whisking often. Remove from heat, cover, & let sit for about 5 minutes. Once the grits are cooked through, stir in the onion & pepper mixture, butter, and cheese. Salt & pepper to taste.
Spoon the grits into a shallow bowl & top with shrimp, bacon, and garnish with chopped parsley. Enjoy!
- 4 strips bacon
- 1 pound shrimp peeled & deveined
- 1 tbsp chili powder
- 1/2 medium yellow onion
- 1 medium red bell pepper
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1/2 medium jalapeño
- 1 cup stone ground grits
- 3 cups water
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 cup shredded, cheddar cheese
- 2 tbsp chopped parsley
- kosher salt
- ground black pepper
- Over medium heat, crisp the bacon. Once cook set it aside & drain the grease from the pan, leaving about a tablespoon. Once cooled, dice the bacon.
- While the bacon cooks, dice the onion, bell pepper, jalapeño, and garlic. Add all but the garlic to the pan and sauté until soft. With a couple minutes left, add the garlic. Remove the mixture from the pan & set aside.
- In a small saucepan, bring the water to a boil & add a teaspoon of salt. Slowly whisk in the grits and bring the mixture back to a boil. Reduce heat & simmer for 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Remove the grits from the heat & cover. After about 5 minutes, stir the pepper & onion mixture into the grits, add the butter and cheese. Salt & pepper to taste.
- While the grits cook, season the shrimp with a sprinkle of salt and the chili powder. Cook over medium in the same pan as the peppers & onions, using any extra bacon grease you have. Cook for a few minutes per side, or until cooked through.
- Spoon the grits into a shallow bowl & top with the shrimp, bacon, and parsley.
