My mother-in-law made Shrimp and Grits while we were visiting. It was my first time eating Shrimp and Grits and it was so good! Shrimp and Grits is a southern dish that started as a basic breakfast for coastal fisherman and families during shrimp season (May through December). Simply called 'breakfast shrimp,' the dish consisted of a pot of grits with shrimp cooked in a little bacon grease or butter. Nowadays, this dish has been dressed up and served in some of the fanciest restaurants. And it's not just for breakfast anymore, it is also served for brunch, lunch, and dinner (whatscookingamerica.net).
I took notes while my mother-in-law was cooking, so I could make this again at home. This is basically her recipe, except that I reduced everything by half. She made enough for twenty people! I also reduced the amount of broth that she used because she told me that her Shrimp and Grits came out too soupy. I hope my Shrimp and Grits are delicious, too!
Recipe Link
Ingredients
Shrimp
4 oz. bacon, chopped1 lb. Andouille sausage, quartered and chopped
1/2 Tablespoon butter
1 large pepper--green, red, yellow or orange
1 onion, chopped
1 cup celery, chopped
about 3 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning
1 cube chicken bouillon
1 can (14.5 oz.) chicken broth
2 lbs. medium shrimp, *cooked or uncooked, peeled and thawed (I prefer gulf shrimp)
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
Juice of 1/2 a small lemon
Grits 1 1/2 cups grits
6 cups water (check your grits package, usually it's 4 cups of water to each cup of grits)
1/4 teaspoon Cajun seasoning
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup dry milk
1 Tablespoon butter
4 oz. cream cheese2 cups various cheeses, grated (provolone, sharp cheddar, mozzarella, etc....)
Directions
1. Pour 6 cups of water in a large pot and put on stove to boil. This will be for the grits. Meanwhile....
2.
In another large pot or Dutch oven, cook bacon over med. high heat
until crispy. Drain grease. Add sausage and brown. Drain extra grease
again. Add 1/2 Tablespoon butter and peppers, onion and celery. Cook until
softened. Stir bottom to keep from burning. Add garlic and stir. *If
using raw shrimp add it now. Add cajun seasoning, chicken
bouillon and chicken broth. Stir. Cook until shrimp is pink and add
lemon zest and lemon juice. Stir.
*If using already
cooked shrimp, add rest of ingredients (seasoning, bouillon, broth,
lemon zest and juice). Bring to a boil. Then, add cooked shrimp to pot
and turn off heat.
3. In a separate bowl, stir together
grits and dry milk. Add to boiling water. Cook according to your grits
package directions. Stir in 1/4 tsp. Cajun seasoning and 1/2 tsp. salt.
Add 1 Tablespoon butter. Stir.
4. Add cream cheese to grits; stir until melted and mixed through. Then, stir in grated cheeses and turn off heat.
5. Serve in a bowl with grits on the bottom and the shrimp mixture ladled on top. Enjoy!
Serves 8-10
Source Mother in law
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| Any recipe that starts with bacon, has to be good! |
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| It's difficult to find Andouille sausage where we live. I did find some at one local grocery store. If you can't find it where you live, a good quality smoked sausage will work and make this dish milder for anyone sensitive to spice like young children. |
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| The grits were rich and cheesy, yum! |
The Results...
Not bad. I forgot to adjust the amount of lemon zest and lemon juice after I had decreased the amount of broth in this recipe. My Shrimp and Grits were too lemony. I need to try this again with the adjusted amounts of lemon zest and juice (I've adjusted the written recipe, but haven't made it again). My son was honest and told me that grandma's Shrimp and Grits were much better. I agree! But, I'm not giving up. This recipe is definitely worth trying again.
I share recipes at Foodie Friends Friday, the Weekend Potluck, and these link parties.
I share recipes at Foodie Friends Friday, the Weekend Potluck, and these link parties.
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