SHRIMP AND CREAMY CHEESY GRITS

By Lsweetnell

Per Shrimp and Creamy Cheesy Grits www.maebells.com

One of our favorite comfort foods is this Shrimp with Creamy Cheesy Grits. Oh my gahhhh this is so freaking good. I kid you not, this makes me a little weak in the knees. Plump shrimp are tossed in spices and perfectly sauteed. Grits are cooked in chicken broth then mixed with cream cheese, extra sharp shredded cheddar cheese to make the creamiest, cheesiest grits you have ever had! And if that doesn’t sound like enough top it all with freshly chopped green onions, crisp bacon, and freshly ground black pepper. Mercy!

If you have never made the leap and tried shrimp and grits before, this is the recipe that should push you over the edge. The grits do not have a distinctive taste on their own, instead they just soak up the flavor of the shredded cheddar, cream cheese, and chicken broth. Really, just give it a try! It is very simple, and comes together pretty quickly.

Ingredients

• INGREDIENTS
• 1/2-3/4 pound deveined and shelled shrimp
• 2 tablespoons Olive oil
• 2 teaspoons Old Bay seasoning
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 1/2 cup yellow corn grits
• 2 ounces cream cheese (I used reduced fat)
• 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
• 2 slices bacon
• salt and pepper to taste

Details

Cooking time 35mins
Adapted from maebells.com

Preparation

Step 1

In a large skillet cook two slices of bacon over medium heat until crisp, remove bacon from skillet, roughly chop. Wipe skillet clean and set aside to use later for the shrimp.
In a medium to large sauce pan bring chicken broth to a boil, add grits and reduce heat to low. Cover and let grits simmer for 7 minutes, stirring occasionally.
When grits have absorbed the liquid add cream cheese, shredded cheese and salt and pepper to taste.
Stir mixture well, cover and remove from heat.
Place shrimp in a large plastic bag or mixing bowl, add Old Bay, Italian seasoning, garlic powder and smoked paprika and toss until shrimp is coated.
Heat olive oil in a large pan over medium high heat. Add shrimp and cook 3 minutes on each side or until shrimp is pink and tender.
To assemble the shrimp and grits add a heaping serving of grits to two shallow bowls. Top with shrimp, chopped bacon and additional pepper.