Smothered Andouille Sausage and Shrimp Over Creamy Cheddar Grits

By bklynmommy

Ingredients

• Ingredients:
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1/2 onion, diced
• 1/2 green bell pepper, diced
• 1/2 cup celery, diced (about 2 small celery stalks)
• Salt
• 1/2 tsp Cayenne pepper
• 1/2-1 pound andouille sausage, sliced 1/4-inch thick
• 1-1 1/2 pounds shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 1- 14 ounce can chicken broth
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 1/4 cup chopped green onions
• 1 recipe Creamy Stone Ground Grits, recipe below
• Creamy Stone Ground* Grits
• 2 1/2 cups water
• 2 1/2 cups milk
• 1 teaspoons salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1 cups stone ground white grits *I used regular grits, not stone ground.
• 1 1/2-2 cups grated Cheddar

Details

Adapted from thismommycooks.blogspot.com

Preparation

Step 1

In a saute pan, melt the butter. Add the onions, peppers, and celery. Season with salt to taste and 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper. If you think this dish will be a little spicy for your family, half the cayenne pepper. Cook until vegetables are tender and begin to appear translucent. Sprinkle the flour evenly over the vegetables, stir, and cook for a couple of minutes for a medium brown roux. Add the sausage and continue to cook for 2-4 minutes. Stir in the chicken broth and then the cream. Bring the liquid to a simmer and continue to cook a couple of minutes. Season the shrimp with salt and cayenne, and add the shrimp to the mix. Continue to cook for 6-8 minutes, until the mixture thickens and can coat the back of a spoon. Remove from the heat and stir in the green onions. To serve, spoon the grits in the center of each serving bowl. Spoon the shrimp mixture over the grits. Serve warm.

In a large saucepan, over medium heat, combine the water, milk, salt, pepper and 2 tablespoons of the butter. Bring the liquid to a gentle boil. Stir in the grits. Cook for 2 hours, stirring occasionally. (The grits will stick to the bottom of the pan, so make sure not to scrape the bottom of the pan. If the grits absorbed all of the water, add some hot water to thin out.) Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the remaining 2 tablespoons butter and cheese. The grits can either be served immediately or prepared in advance and reheated.

If preparing in advance, grease a pan with a teaspoon of butter. Pour the grits into the pan and reheat in a 400 degree F for 15 minutes.

*This can easily be made in 15-30 minutes. Just increase the heat on your stovetop and stir frequently.