This iconic Southern dish was historically served as a morning meal. We find it irresistible 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 touch (or extra) of sizzling 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, strive our Hen and Dumplings or our Southern Fashion Purple Beans and Rice.
Why Our Recipe
- We use white grits for the creamiest grits after which load them up with cheddar cheese.
- The shrimp is cooked in bacon grease and garlic to make sure it’s stuffed with taste.
- It’s topped off with somewhat lemon juice, sizzling sauce (in fact), bacon, and inexperienced onions.
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 dwelling life. This Southern staple is simple 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 somewhat sizzling sauce and also you’ve acquired a scrumptious meal that’s positive to change 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.
- Hen Broth: Utilizing a low-sodium possibility means that you can greatest management the flavour. It’s an incredible 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 comprises components to forestall clumping.
- Shrimp (peeled and deveined): Use massive, uncooked shrimp for the most effective texture. Frozen shrimp can be utilized if thawed correctly. You ca go away tails on or take away them earlier than cooking..
- Garlic: Freshly minced garlic offers the most effective taste, however jarred minced garlic works too.
- Bacon: Use customary bacon or thick-cut. You’ll need to use precise bacon, relatively than pre-cooked, as a result of you’ll be cooking the shrimp within the leftover bacon fats.
- Lemon Juice: Bottled lemon juice works effectively and retains prep to a minimal, however freshly squeezed all the time has the most effective taste.
- Scorching Sauce: Prime off along with your favourite sizzling sauce.
Shrimp Choices
You may have just a few choices to select from in relation to shrimp, actually it’s quite a lot of. There are totally different sizes, frozen or contemporary, veined or deveined, peeled or complete, and all of them work!
For comfort, we choose to cook dinner with already peeled and deveined shrimp. In the event you use frozen, be sure you thaw them earlier than utilizing.
Immediate vs. White Grits
Immediate grits could cook dinner up quicker, nonetheless, they lack the higher taste of white grits. It’s price it to take the time to cook dinner up the true factor which is able to consequence within the creamiest, most flavorful, completely restaurant-quality grits you may make at dwelling.
Avoiding Lumpy Grits
In the event you’re having points with clumping, don’t fear, you aren’t alone. It’s a typical downside that may be simply fastened. The commonest reason behind clumping shouldn’t be stirring the grits instantly after including them to the liquid. This may trigger the grits to stay collectively and kind lumps.
To forestall lumps, ensure that to stir the grits repeatedly for the primary couple of minutes after including them to the liquid. Stir, stir, stir!
Add grits somewhat at a time whereas stirring to make sure that the grits are evenly dispersed within the liquid. You possibly can 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 sizzling water and preserve whisking till the clumps dissolve. For further cussed clumps, you’ll be able to even use an immersion blender briefly to easy them out. Simply don’t overmix.
Alter the Warmth
For much less warmth: In the event you don’t tolerate spice effectively, be at liberty to go away out the recent sauce completely. If you would like somewhat spice however not lots of warmth, add a pinch of paprika and chili powder as an alternative.
For extra warmth: Be happy to only add extra sizzling sauce. Or, add 1/4–1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper when cooking the shrimp for much more warmth. You might additionally high with contemporary jalapeño slices or a sprinkle of crimson pepper flakes.
Storage and Reheating Directions
Refrigerate leftovers in an hermetic container for as much as 3 days.
Reheat leftover grits in a saucepan on low warmth. Add somewhat little bit of water or rooster broth to maintain the grits from drying out, and stir often to make sure that they warmth by evenly.. Reheat the shrimp in a skillet over medium warmth which is able to solely take 1 to 2 minutes.
Microwave the grits in 30-second increments till warmed by. Add a small quantity of water to the grits to skinny out as wanted. Add shrimp on the very finish or reheat individually as they reheat a lot quicker and can get rubbery when overcooked.
Freeze leftover grits in an hermetic container or resealable plastic freezer bag for as much as 3 months. While you’re able to eat them, thaw within the fridge in a single day and reheat as normal.
