Southern Type Shrimp and Grits

This iconic Southern dish was historically served as a morning meal. We like it a lot, we’d have it for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. These heat, creamy grits are loaded with butter and cheddar cheese, topped with sautéed shrimp and crispy bacon. Add a splash (or extra) of scorching sauce and a squeeze of contemporary lemon and also you’ve acquired a bowl of Southern consolation prepared in simply 45 minutes.

For extra Southern consolation meals, attempt our Chicken and Dumplings or our Southern Style Red Beans and Rice.

Shrimp and grits is an iconic, Southern breakfast meals. Image New Orleans and Charleston, the place this humble dish is an integral a part of their on a regular basis residence life. This Southern staple is straightforward to arrange, hearty and filling, whereas delivering massive taste. Buttery, tacky grits mixed with savory bacon and garlic shrimp makes our mouths water! Prime all of it off with a little bit scorching sauce and also you’ve acquired a scrumptious meal that’s positive to develop into a household favourite.

Ingredient Notes

• White Grits: White grits are extra versatile and tackle the flavors of the dish, whereas yellow grits have a extra assertive corn taste.
• Rooster Broth: Utilizing a low-sodium possibility means that you can finest management the flavour. It’s a fantastic chef tip.
• Butter: We use salted butter so as to add simply the correct amount of salt to reinforce the flavors of the grits.
• Shredded Sharp Cheddar Cheese:  Freshly shredded melts higher than pre-shredded cheese, which incorporates components to stop clumping.
• Shrimp (peeled and deveined): Use massive, uncooked shrimp for the very best texture. Frozen shrimp can be utilized if thawed correctly. You ca depart tails on or take away them earlier than cooking..
• Garlic: Freshly minced garlic gives the very best taste, however jarred minced garlic works too.
• Bacon: Use normal bacon or thick-cut. You’ll wish to use precise bacon, reasonably than pre-cooked, as a result of you’ll be cooking the shrimp within the leftover bacon fats.
• Lemon Juice: Bottled lemon juice works nicely and retains prep to a minimal, however freshly squeezed all the time has the very best taste.
• Sizzling Sauce: Prime off together with your favourite scorching sauce.

Shrimp Choices

You’ve gotten a couple of choices to select from in terms of shrimp, actually it’s quite a lot of. There are totally different sizes, frozen or contemporary, veined or deveined, peeled or entire, and all of them work!

For comfort, we desire to prepare dinner with already peeled and deveined shrimp. In the event you use frozen, make sure to thaw them earlier than utilizing.

Instantaneous vs. White Grits

Instantaneous grits might prepare dinner up sooner, nevertheless, they lack the higher taste of white grits. It’s price it to take the time to prepare dinner up the true factor which is able to outcome within the creamiest, most flavorful, completely restaurant-quality grits you may make at residence.

Avoiding Lumpy Grits

In the event you’re having points with clumping, don’t fear, you aren’t alone. It’s a standard drawback that may be simply mounted. The most typical reason for clumping will not be stirring the grits instantly after including them to the liquid. This will trigger the grits to stay collectively and type lumps.

To forestall lumps, make sure that to stir the grits repeatedly for the primary jiffy after including them to the liquid. Stir, stir, stir!

Add grits a little bit at a time whereas stirring to make sure that the grits are evenly dispersed within the liquid. You may simply gently sprinkle them excessive of the boiling liquid.

In case your grits are already lumpy, seize a whisk! Attempt whisking vigorously. In the event you can’t whisk them out, add a splash of scorching water and preserve whisking till the clumps dissolve. For additional cussed clumps, you possibly can even use an immersion blender briefly to clean them out. Simply don’t overmix.

Modify the Warmth

For much less warmth: In the event you don’t tolerate spice nicely, be happy to go away out the new sauce fully. In order for you a little bit spice however not a whole lot of warmth, add a pinch of paprika and chili powder as a substitute.

For extra warmth: Be happy to only add extra scorching sauce. Or, add 1/4–1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper when cooking the shrimp for much more warmth. You would additionally prime with contemporary jalapeño slices or a sprinkle of crimson pepper flakes.