Shrimp and Grits Recipe, A Southern Classic

I have learned a few things from living in the south these last 10 years. One is that I love a nice bourbon lemonade and two, southern gourmet may very well be one of my favorite cuisines. Shrimp and grits is one of those classic southern dishes that you’ll find in everything from a five star restaurant to a dive off the side road. Most restaurants have their own take by varying the type of sausage, or grits used. I’ve had it so many ways and have tested out varieties in my kitchen and finally came up with my famous recipe now always requested when family or friends visits.

A few tips before you get started. Good shrimp and grits starts with the grits. Grits should be creamy, seasoned, and cheesy. And you have to use the right kind. Avoid instant grits by every means. Corn grits are the way to go. My favorite brands are Lake Side Yellow Grits or Bob’s Red Mill Corn Grits.

Next, sauté shrimp in real bacon, preferably maple flavored bacon, not turkey bacon or low-fat bacon. Go for full fat and flavored bacon. And finally, give the sausage, onions, and bell peppers time to simmer to create a sauce that will later be added to the grits for extra flavor. This leads to the secret step that you don’t want to miss or skip! Keep reading…

Recipe: Southern Shrimp & Grits
Makes 5-6 servings

Ingredients

1.5 pounds of peeled and deveined shrimp, tails off or on
1 pound of sausage of your choice
1/2 white onion, chopped
1/2 red and green bell pepper, chopped
1.5 cups of chicken stock plus 1/2 cup reserved
1 cup of milk
2 cups of shredded cheese of choice (I use the Mexican blend and sometimes add some Gouda)
Maple flavored bacon
1 tb. of butter
1 cup of Lake Side Yellow Grits
salt, pepper, garlic seasoning, and Tony Chachere’s Creole Seasoning

Directions: 

1. Add butter to a large pan, then sauté onions and bell peppers in the bacon, then season with salt and pepper
2. Add sausage to pan and brown, season with salt, garlic seasoning, pepper and Tony’s Chachere’s Creole Seasoning
3. In a medium pot, add milk, 1.5 cups of chicken stock and season with salt and pepper. Add cheese and grits and bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer and cover. Stir occasionally. Cook for 5 minutes and remove from heat. Grits will continue to cook, if they get too thick add more stock 1/4 cup at a time.
4. Once sausage is browned nicely, add remaining half cup of stock to pan and cover. Remove bacon. Simmer for 5-7 minutes.
5. Sausage should smell really good by now, and you should have a nice sauce. Scoop about half a cup of that sauce into your grits. More or less depending on how thick you like your grits. This is the secret step that will make your grits, and the entire dish, amazing!
6. In the pan with sausage, add the shrimp, stir, taste and add more seasoning if necessary, then cover. Allow to simmer 3 to 5 minutes until shrimp is a bright pink. (Do not over cook your shrimp!)
7. Now it’s time to enjoy your grits. Crumble bacon over your dish if you like or top with shredded cheese. Pair with a delicious southern drink. Try a Bourbon Lemonade or a Strawberry Lemonade Sparkler with this dish. Enjoy!