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 scorching sauce and a squeeze of contemporary lemon and also you’ve bought a bowl of Southern consolation prepared in simply 45 minutes.
For extra Southern consolation meals, attempt our Rooster 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, scorching sauce (after all), 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 straightforward to organize, hearty and filling, whereas delivering large taste. Buttery, tacky grits mixed with savory bacon and garlic shrimp makes our mouths water! High all of it off with somewhat scorching sauce and also you’ve bought a scrumptious meal that’s positive to turn out to be 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 permits you to finest management the flavour. It’s a fantastic chef tip.
- Butter: We use salted butter so as to add simply the correct quantity of salt to reinforce the flavors of the grits.
- Shredded Sharp Cheddar Cheese: Freshly shredded melts higher than pre-shredded cheese, which accommodates components to stop clumping.
- Shrimp (peeled and deveined): Use massive, uncooked shrimp for one of the 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 supplies one of the best taste, however jarred minced garlic works too.
- Bacon: Use normal bacon or thick-cut. You’ll wish 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 nicely and retains prep to a minimal, however freshly squeezed at all times has one of the best taste.
- Sizzling Sauce: High off along with your favourite scorching sauce.
Shrimp Choices
You’ve gotten a couple of choices to select from with regards to shrimp, actually it’s various. There are totally different sizes, frozen or contemporary, veined or deveined, peeled or complete, and all of them work!
For comfort, we favor to cook dinner with already peeled and deveined shrimp. In the event you use frozen, you’ll want to thaw them earlier than utilizing.
Immediate vs. White Grits
Immediate grits might cook dinner up sooner, 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 end result within the creamiest, most flavorful, completely restaurant-quality grits you can also 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 drawback that may be simply mounted. The most typical explanation for clumping just isn’t stirring the grits instantly after including them to the liquid. This may trigger the grits to stay collectively and kind lumps.
To stop lumps, be certain to stir the grits constantly 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! Strive whisking vigorously. In the event you can’t whisk them out, add a splash of scorching water and hold whisking till the clumps dissolve. For further cussed clumps, you may even use an immersion blender briefly to easy them out. Simply don’t overmix.
Modify the Warmth
For much less warmth: In the event you don’t tolerate spice nicely, be at liberty to depart out the new sauce solely. If you would like somewhat spice however not a variety of warmth, add a pinch of paprika and chili powder as a substitute.
For extra warmth: Be at liberty to simply add extra scorching sauce. Or, add 1/4–1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper when cooking the shrimp for much more warmth. You may additionally prime with contemporary jalapeño slices or a sprinkle of purple 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 hen broth to maintain the grits from drying out, and stir sometimes to make sure that they warmth by way of 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 way of. 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 sooner and can get rubbery when overcooked.
Freeze leftover grits in an hermetic container or resealable plastic freezer bag for as much as 3 months. Whenever you’re able to eat them, thaw within the fridge in a single day and reheat as normal.
