I developed this recipe years ago and it’s one of my favorite things to make and to eat! The level of flavor in this is OVER THE TOP! I love the versatility of being able to eat this for breakfast, lunch or dinner! Sometimes, I will add andouille sausage in it and really bulk up the flavor! When I serve it for brunch, I will top it with over easy or poached eggs and it is sooo good! This is one of those dinners that needs to be at the top of your list to entertain with because it’s super easy and everyone will be RAVING about how D to the LISH it is! Serve it with a bitter green salad for a nice balance to the cheesy grits!
Cajun Shrimp & Cheesy Grits
4
servings10
minutes10
minutesIngredients
1 1 Bag Frozen Large Shrimp
1 cup 1 Quick Cooking Grits
2 cups 2 Sharp Cheddar Cheese
4 cups 4 Water or Seafood Stock(See Notes)
4-5 4-5 Pieces Bacon
2 Tbsp 2 Butter
Creole or Cajun seasoning to taste
2 2 Green Onions for Garnish
Directions
- To begin, thaw frozen shrimp in a colander under running water for 5 minutes. Once thawed, peel and if you’re making the seafood stock, save the peels
- Heat water or seafood stock to boil and add grits. Turn to medium/low, cover and cook for 5-7 minutes. When there is about 1 minute of cooking time left, melt in the cheese and stir well. Place lid back on and keep warm while you’re making the shrimp
- To make the shrimp, cut bacon strips in small pieces and add to skillet, add butter and cook bacon until almost crisp. Once bacon starts to crisp, add shrimp and season to your liking with cajun or creole
- After 2 minutes, flip shrimp for another minute, then remove from heat to stop the cook
- Ladle grits in bowls and top with the shrimp and bacon. Garnish with sliced green onions and ENJOY!
Recipe Video
Notes
- For the first time, I made use out of my shrimp peels by making homemade seafood stock and I’ll never make this dish another way going forward! I took all of my shrimp peels and in a small sauce pot, I added about 2 1/2 cups of water, a pinch of celery seed, pinch of S&P, pinch of creole seasoning and a bay leaf. I simmered this stock at a low boil/simmer for about an hour and a half to get maximum flavor. I then strained the stock and added 2 more cups of water to it. That gave me my 4 cups of seafood stock. It was super easy and added so much flavor to the grits! I recommend it!
- Andouille sausage is a nice addition in this dish. I sauté them to heat them through before I cook the shrimp because it takes the sausage a little longer to heat through.
- A nice semi sweet Riesling or Gewürztraminer would be the perfect glass of wine to pair with this slightly spicy, rich dish!
- Enjoy this look back to a Saturday Dinners episode where I demonstrate how to make this dish!