One of my favorite things about the South is its food. There is nothing like some good Southern grub. And Charleston is the hub for fantastic restaurants with world renowned chefs. One of my very favorite Southern dishes is Shrimp and Grits. There are many different takes on this dish, but I think I’ve found {and tweaked} the best one! Here’s my version of the Allrecipes.com attempt.
Ingredients:
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2c of grits
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4c of water
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2c of half and half
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salt to taste
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2 c shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
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2 lbs of uncooked shrimp, peeled/deveined and tails off
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1 pinch of Cayenne pepper
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juice from 1 lemon
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1 package of cooked turkey breakfast sausage (sliced or crumbled)
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5 slices of raw bacon
- 1 green, red, and yellow pepper, each chopped
- 1 onion, chopped
- 2 cloves of garlic, chopped
- 1/4 c butter
- 1/4c all purpose flour
- 1c chicken broth
- 1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
Instructions:
Gather ingredients.
Cook the bacon until crispy, saving the bacon grease. Cool the bacon and crumble it. Put aside. Cook the peppers, onion and garlic in the bacon grease over medium low heat for about 5 minutes.
In a separate bowl, mix the raw shrimp with the lemon juice, a bit of salt and a pinch of Cayenne pepper. Set aside.
In a separate small skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Stir in the flour and use a whisk to stir almost constantly until mixture is almost a paste. Keep stirring and cooking for about 8-10 minutes until the mixture is a caramel color. (Darker than the picture below!)
Add the turkey and raw shrimp to the vegetable mixture, and cook until the shrimp is pink. Add the flour/butter mixture to the veggie mix. Cook everything together for about 6 minutes over medium low. Turn it to low and keep warm while you cook the grits.
To cook the grits, bring the water, salt, and half and half to a boil. Add the grits and cook on medium until creamy, stirring often.
I also made crescent rolls to have with dinner. Jayna helped roll them up!
This recipe was a big hit at Rachele’s baby shower, and now at our house too!
I think I’ll make it again next time we have a houseful…..it serves about 6 as a main dish!!
Instructions:
