Shrimp & Grits

makes ~ 4 servings

time to prepare: 30 mins

A southern classic. I love shrimp & grits but what I don’t love is how overpriced (and often lackluster) it is at restaurants. It is such a simple dish to make and, honestly, I like my version more. It’s kinda a let down when the restaurant version is just shrimp, grits, and maybe one other thing to jazz it up like sausage. When I make it, I really get into it so it makes no sense to me to order something at restaurant that I feel like I can make better at home. To each their own - that’s just my preference!

Notes for preparation:

When I make shrimp & grits, I have 3 things going on at one time. I wrote the instructions in the order that I do them in - which is bouncing between all the things. If that’s too intense - no worries. You can also cook the items 1 by one then heat everything back up at the end if you’re learning how to multi-task in the kitchen! It’s a learning process that takes trial & error, so take your time :) The most important part is that you start working on the shrimp sauce early & add the shrimp to that sauce just minutes before you’re ready to serve. You want to give the sauce time to simmer but avoid over cooking the shrimp. I would not recommend using pre-cooked shrimp because it gets overcooked & chewy quick but if you do, add it to the sauce very last minute and watch it closely so you can take it off the heat as soon as the shrimp turn pink!

What You’ll Need:

For the shrimp:

• 1-1/2 pint grape or cherry tomatoes

• 1/2 tbsp butter

• 1 tbsp lemon juice

• few springs of fresh thyme (optional)

• 1 tsp garlic powder (or to taste)

• 1 pound medium raw (peeled, deveined, tail-off if possible) shrimp, thawed

• olive oil

• green onion, fresh parsley, or fresh lemon slices for garnish

For the grits:

• 1 1/2 c grits

• 1 1/2 tbsp garlic powder

• 1 tbsp butter

• 1 c shredded cheddar cheese

• 1/2 cup heavy cream (can sub for a DF alternative, but it may change the flavor!)

• salt & pepper to taste

For the veggie mix:

• 1 orange bell pepper, sliced thinly or diced

• 1 zucchini, cut into half moons or diced

• 1/2 red onion, sliced thinly or diced

• 1 tsp garlic powder

• 1 spicy chicken sausage, cut into half moons or diced

• olive oil

How To:

1. Start by heating the water for the grits to cook in & heat a medium-sized pan with a drizzle of olive oil over low-medium heat.

2. When the pan is heated, add the tomatoes whole & cover. Keep the lid on the tomatoes until the tomatoes begin to sweat (have beads of condensation on them) - ~10 minutes.

3. When the water is boiling, add grits & cook according to package instructions (prevent splattering by putting a lid off-center on top of the grits while they cook, leaving a space for steam to escape). Check & stir frequently as grits cook quickly- add additional water as needed.

4. Chop up all your veggies & chicken sausage while the grits cook & the tomatoes heat up. Heat another medium-sized pan with a drizzle of olive oil over low-medium heat. Add veggies & chicken sausage to the pan and sauté until they’re a little charred - ~8-10 minutes.

5. After the tomatoes begin to sweat, add the butter, lemon juice, thyme & garlic powder and mix. Place the lid back on and allow the tomatoes for simmer for a few minutes. When the tomatoes start to blister (the skin starts peeling off/they begin popping), you can start crushing them in the pan. Cook for ~5-10 more minutes until it looks like the consistency below:

6. When the grits are finished cooking, add butter, garlic powder, salt and pepper & mix well. Add the cheese & 1/4 c cream and mix well. Cover and let sit while you finish preparing the shrimp & veggie mix.

7. Once the tomato sauce reaches the consistency pictured, add the shrimp and cook just until the shrimp turn pink. As soon as they turn pink remove from the heat - avoiding overcooking the shrimp is key!

8. Before assembling your shrimp & grits you can reheat the grits and veggie mix as needed. It’s likely that the grits have dried out a little - just add the remaining 1/4 heavy cream and water as needed to rehydrate them. You can add more butter & cream as needed to give them the creamy texture you desire!

9. When everything is warm, assemble your dish by layering grits, veggie mix, and shrimp with tomato sauce in that order. Garnish with green onion, fresh parsley or fresh lemon slices.

xxDesa