Smoked Shrimp and Cheesy Grits

By cdboss

I had a delicious appetizer at a restaurant recently and decided to try and duplicate the flavor here at home. This recipe was the result and it was fantastic. The smoke from the shrimp flavors the cheesy grits beautifully. It is so delicious.

Ingredients

• 2 lbs colossal shrimp, frozen, peeled, Trader Joe's.
• Bay Seasoning, Jeff's seasoning, or any seasoning of choice for shrimp.
• Olive oil
• 15 oz jar Classico Four Cheese Alfredo sauce
• 3/4 cup whole milk
• 4 oz neufchatel low fat cream cheese
• 2 cups Stella brand Three Cheese Italian blend, shredded, or any three cheese Italian blend.
• 10 servings Quick grits

Preparation

Step 1

1. Thaw the frozen shrimp. Put them in a large bowl with cold water. Let them thaw about 45 minutes. Dump the water and replace it with new cold water. If there are any tails on the shrimp, remove them and discard. If the shrimp is already thawed when you change the water, add a few pieces of ice to the water to keep it cold.
2. Fire up the smoker with hickory or pecan wood, then let it come up to settle at a 250°F chamber temp.
3. While the smoker is coming up to temp, drain the shrimp, put them back in the bowl, coat lightly with olive oil, then lightly dust with Bay Seasoning, Jeff's seasoning, or your season of choice, stirring to coat completely. This isn't about the seasoning so use it sparingly.
4. Place the shrimp on a rack in a pan so the smoke can get all around the shrimp. Put them in the smoker for an hour.
5. In a Dutch Oven prep the water and salt according to the box directions for 10 servings of the Quick Grits. While water is heating toward a boil, in a separate saucepan start the cheese sauce. Add the jar of Four Cheese Alfredo sauce, milk, and cheeses. Turn the heat to medium low. Break up the neufchatel cheese with a spoon as you stir constantly to prevent the milk or cheese from burning. Continue to stir and heat until you see the first wisps of steam and the cheeses are all melted into the sauce. Turn off the heat and cover.
6. When the water is boiling stir the grits into the water. Stir quite a bit initially to prevent lumps, then cover and follow the directions, stirring occasionally, cooking the grits twice as long as directed so they are firmer. They'll thin out when you add the cheese sauce.
7. Add the cheese sauce to the cooked grits and stir to mix thoroughly.
8. After the shrimps have been in the smoker for an hour, take them off and add them to the cheesy grits, stir, and turn the heat to low and let them cook for 10 minutes. Stir again and serve in bowls.