Shrimp And Grits
- 15m Prep Time
- 35m Cook Time
- 50m Ready In
A classic Southern dish featuring creamy cheese grits topped with sautéed shrimp, bacon, scallions, and peppers. This version was created for a Key West food critic mystery novel.
Ingredients
- 473 ml chicken broth
- 237 ml cornmeal grits
- 237 ml cheddar cheese
- butter divided
- 6 bacon chopped
- 1 bunch scallions chopped
- 0.5 green pepper finely chopped
- Olive oil
- shrimp per person peeled and deveined
- 0.5 lemon
- 59.1 ml parsley chopped
Nutrition (per serving, estimated)
Estimated based off 9 of 11 identified ingredients (per 100 g food data, scaled by amount).
Vitamins & minerals
- Calcium: 241 mg
- Iron: 1.18 mg
- Magnesium: 25.1 mg
- Phosphorus: 215 mg
- Potassium: 290 mg
- Zinc: 1.8 mg
Let's Prepare
Collect
Gather these ingredients — no prep needed yet.
- 473 ml chicken broth
- 237 ml cornmeal grits
- 237 ml cheddar cheese
- Olive oil
- 0.5 lemon
Prepare
- butter, divided
- Chop 6 bacon
- Chop 1 bunch scallions
- 0.5 green pepper, finely chopped
- shrimp per person, peeled and deveined
- Chop 59.1 ml parsley
Let's Cook
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Step 1.
In a medium saucepan, bring 1 cup water and 2 cups chicken broth to a boil. Slowly pour in 1 cup cornmeal grits while whisking constantly to prevent lumps.
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Step 2.
Reduce heat to low and simmer the grits for about 30 minutes, whisking often to prevent sticking and lumps. Be careful as the grits may pop and can burn you.
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Step 3.
Once the grits are thick and tender, stir in 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese and 2 tablespoons butter until melted and smooth. Remove from heat and set aside, covered.
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Step 4.
While the grits cook, fry 6 slices chopped bacon in a large skillet over medium heat until crisp. Transfer bacon to a paper towel-lined plate and pour off most of the bacon grease, leaving about 1 tablespoon in the pan.
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Step 5.
In the same skillet, sauté 1 bunch chopped scallions and ½ finely chopped green pepper over medium heat for 3–4 minutes, until softened. Add a drizzle of olive oil if the pan seems dry. Scrape the vegetables into a bowl and set aside.
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Step 6.
Add a little olive oil or butter to the skillet and sauté the peeled and deveined shrimp (20–28 shrimp, depending on size) over medium-high heat until barely pink, about 3 minutes. Squeeze ½ lemon over the shrimp and add 1 tablespoon butter. Return the cooked scallions and peppers to the pan and toss everything together until warmed through.
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Step 7.
To serve, spoon the cheesy grits onto plates or a platter. Top with the shrimp mixture, then garnish with the reserved crispy bacon and ¼ cup chopped parsley.