Tags
I remember the first time I tried grits. It was a waffle house in Atlanta 8 years ago. Back then, I thought those were some legit grits. They were delicious covered with a thick slice of American cheese but since that first love affair with grits, I have come to love the grits I make myself. I have discovered a whole new love for grits with cream cheese and cheddar.
So while stockpiling my freezer with several pounds of shrimp, I thought shrimp and grits would be a nice change of pace instead of the regular stir fries I normally do with shrimp.
I found this recipe on MyRecipes.com for Quick Shrimp and grits, submitted by a reader.
- cooking spray
- 2 cups green bell peppers, chopped (1 large green bell pepper)
- 1 (14 1/2 oz) can
petite diced tomatoeswith garlic and olive oilFire roasted tomatoes - 4 slices cooked bacon, crisped and crumbled
- 1/2 teaspoons Creole seasoning
- 1 1/2 pounds large shrimp, peeled and deveined (I used medium shrimp)
- 1 2/3 cups fat-free
milkhalf and half - 2 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
- 1 cups uncooked quick-cooking grits
- 1 tablespoons light butter
- 3/4 cups light cream cheese
- (plus some shredded sharp cheddar cheese for garnishing grits) – optional
Heat a large skillet coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat. Add chopped pepper; sauté 5 minutes. Add tomatoes, crumbled bacon, and Creole seasoning; cook 5 minutes. Add shrimp, and cook 2-3 minutes or until shrimp are done.
Combine half and half and broth in a saucepan; bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Stir in grits; return to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer; uncovered, 5 minutes or until thickened. Stir in butter and cream cheese until melted. Add cheddar cheese. Serve shrimp mixture over grits.
We had intended for there to be lots of leftovers. But there weren’t. Granted, grits are very filling, we could not get enough of the creole shrimp. The spicy shrimp and sauce combined with the creamy semi sweet, semi sharp grits was addicting. It made a fantastic and simple dinner to assemble and an even better lunch the following day.
You can imagine the jealousy when we took out a hearty bowlful of shrimp and grits for lunch, right?
Note to self: get more shrimp.