Shellie’s Shrimp and Grits!

Hello folks and welcome back to the All Things Southern kitchen. Brace yourself, fellow southerners.

It has come to my attention that some of my readers have never had Shrimp and Grits. I am prone to forgetting that we have people with us who aren’t from around here but never fear. I’m prepared to fix this. My Shrimp and Grits recipe is killer good and I’m about to walk y’all through it.

“Shellie’s Shrimp and Grits”

1 to 1 and ½ pounds fresh shrimp

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 stick of butter
1 bag of frozen chopped onion, bell pepper, and celery
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
2 cans of RoTel Tomatoes
5 cups milk
2 cups old fashioned grits
Green onions
1 pound sharp white cheddar cheese, grated
1 8oz. package cream cheese

We’ll begin by taking a heavy pot and heating a tablespoon of olive oil and a stick of butter. Then we’ll sauté our bag of frozen onions, celery, and bell pepper along with some salt, cayenne, and black pepper. Once the veggies are soft, we’ll add two cans of Rotel tomatoes and a tablespoon of chopped garlic.

Dear ones, this should go without saying, but please don’t use the Instant variety, or the quick grits. Purchase only the old fashioned grits or our grandmothers will roll over in their graves! That said, we will now add five cups of milk to our veggies and bring it to a boil. Then we’ll reduce the heat and stir in two cups of our uncooked old fashioned grits. That’s going to make a lot of grits but they’re great for breakfast the next morning.

Folks, we’ll stir until the grits are tender and creamy, about twenty minutes. Then we’ll stir in a pound of sharp cheddar cheese and an eight ounce package of cream cheese. You’re not going to find those cheeses in all shrimp and grits recipes but I double dog dare you to try mine and see if it doesn’t embarrass some of those imposters!  Meanwhile, we’ll take our freshly peeled shrimp, sprinkle Tonys Chacheres’s over them and broil ‘em in the oven just until they’re pink and sprinkle ‘em with lemon juice. Three to five minutes, tops on those babies! Now for the good part! We’ll ladle our grits into bowls, top with the shrimp and garnish with chopped green onions. UM, UMMMMMMMMM! It’s game on, folks. Enjoy Shellie’s Shrimp and Grits. It’s good eating from the All Things Southern kitchen to yours!