If there is one comfort food that I would have to say is my favorite it would be Shrimp and Grits. I tried them them for the first time a couple of years ago in Atlanta GA and was immediately hooked. After trying several different recipes, I finally came up with one that the whole family loves. I normally just use sharp cheddar cheese, but this time I added Creamy Havarti and it made a huge difference. Use the recipe below and make it your own by adding different spices. Let me know what you think.
- 1 cup stone-ground grits
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 1/2 cup to 1 cup milk
- Salt and pepper
- 1/4 cup butter
- 4 0z Creamy Havarti - cubed
- 2 cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
- 1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined, left whole if small and roughly chopped if medium or large
- 6 slices bacon, chopped into tiny pieces
- 4 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
- pinch of cayenne pepper
- 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 cup thinly sliced green onions, white and green parts
- 1 large garlic clove, minced
Directions:
- 1. To make the shrimp and grits recipe, bring 3 cups chicken broth to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add the grits and salt and pepper to taste. Stir well with a whisk. Reduce the heat to the lowest possible setting and cook the grits until all the water is absorbed, about 15 to 25 minutes. Remove the grits from the heat and stir in the butter, cheese and milk. Keep covered until ready to serve.
- 2. Rinse the shrimp and pat dry. Fry the bacon in a large skillet until browned and crisp, then drain on a paper towel. Add the shrimp to the bacon grease in the skillet and saute over medium heat just until they turn pink, about 3 minutes. Do not overcook! Immediately add the lemon juice, parsley, green onions, Worcestershire sauce, and cayenne pepper, and garlic. Remove the skillet from the heat.
- 3. Pour the grits into a serving bowl. Pour the shrimp mixture over the grits. Garnish with the bacon bits.
