Shrimp and Grits

Hooray! Evan is back from traveling all week and I am finally cooking again. I know that’s a lame excuse but I just can’t get motivated to cook for one. Forgive me for not posting for a week. My dinners consisted of frozen Trader Joe’s pizza and other frozen TJ meals. Don’t judge. So finally, I cracked open the pantry and head to the grocery store to load up for my shrimp and grits recipe.

If a restaurant has shrimp and grits on the menu, there’s a 7 out of 10 chance that I’ll probably order it. It’s comforting and flavorful and cheesy… oh my god… I forgot to add the cheese. I knew there was something missing!

But I digress…

The recipe for shrimp and grits (with cheese!)

Shrimp and Grits

1 cup stone-ground grits (I used yellow corn grits)
3 Tb. butter
2 cups shredded fontina cheese
Cayenne pepper

1 lb. shrimp, peeled and deveined
½ lb. bacon, chopped
½ lemon, juiced
2-3 Tb. chopped parsley
1 small bunch chopped green onions (3/4 cup)
1 large garlic clove, minced
Salt and Pepper

In a medium saucepan, bring 4 cups of water to a boil. Add grits, ¾ tsp. salt and ¼ tsp. pepper. Whisk well to avoid clumping. Reduce heat to lowest setting and cook until water is absorbed, 10-12 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in butter, cheese and 2-3 dashes of cayenne pepper. Cover until ready to serve.

Fry the bacon over medium-high heat in a large skillet. When crisp, remove bacon with a slotted spoon and place on a paper towel to drain.

Add shrimp and another dash of cayenne pepper to the bacon grease and sauté until pink—about 3 minutes. Immediately add onions, garlic, parsley and lemon juice. Toss and remove from the heat.

No need to salt the shrimp, since it’s going into bacon grease.

Divide grits onto plates and top with the shrimp mixture and bacon.