I had grits for the first time when I started going to South Carolina, about 4 years ago. I never really thought about making them myself, and I never really thought I’d actually like them. Boy, was I wrong! I love them. After my trip was canceled this year due to Covid, I decided to try and make some grits myself! These are simple to make, I just used quick grits for the time. Hey, it was my first time…cut me some slack!! Ha Ha! Honestly, even with using the quick grits, they were DELICIOUS and took half the time. I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I did. Give it a go!
Ingredients:
Quick Creamy Grits:
1 cup quick grits
4 cups chicken broth, low sodium or water
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
3 T butter
1/2 cup heavy cream
salt, to taste
pepper, to taste
1lb medium shrimp, cleaned and deveined
1 large red pepper, diced
3/4 cup cooked corn, (I used cooked corn on cob, but can also use frozen thawed corn)
4 slices bacon, crispy cooked & chopped
3 green onion, sliced (both green and white parts)
2 t chili powder
2 t paprika
1 t cayenne pepper, optional
1 t onion powder
1 t garlic powder
2 T olive oil
1/2 t salt
1/2 t pepper
Directions: In a medium sauce pan add in 4 cups of chicken broth, bring to a boil. Once boiling, slowly stir in the grits. Reduce the heat to medium low, cover and cook about 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally. Once the grits have thickened add in the butter, cheddar cheese and cream. Mix until cheese is completely melted and the grits are creamy. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and set aside.
Heat a large sauté pan on medium high heat. Season the shrimp with chili powder, paprika, cayenne and a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Add in 1 tablespoon of oil to the pan and let heat 1 minute. Add the shrimp into the pan, cook about 3-4 minutes on each side until shrimp is pink and has a nice golden crust and shrimp is cooked through. Remove from the pan and set aside.
Next add in the last tablespoon of olive oil and let heat 1 minute. Next add in the red pepper and cook until peppers are slightly tender (or to your preference) about 3-4 minutes. Then add in the cooked corn, season with salt, pepper, garlic and onion powder and put the shrimp back into the pan. Let heat 2 minutes on low.
To assemble the shrimp and grits, add a large spoonful of grits to a bowl. Top with cooked shrimp, the peppers and corn mixture, chopped bacon and chopped green onion, serve!
