Shrimp & Grits

Rich and cheesy, shrimp and grits is the comfort food staple we'll welcome all year long. If you've never made grits before, it can be difficult to get them just right. Luckily, we've tested this recipe again and again to make sure it's sheer perfection. Our recipe is extra-creamy due to a generous amount of cheese (in our book, no grits are complete without) and butter. We also took this recipe to the next-level by adding in crispy bacon. Not only does this amp up the texture of our dish, but cooking our shrimp in bacon fat adds heaps of flavor. The result is a rich and decadent weeknight dinner (or filling brunch!) we’ll happily dig into any time of year. Keep reading on for all of our top tips on how to perfect every step of this Southern staple:

The best shrimp for shrimp and grits:
We used large shrimp in this recipe, but any size will work—just keep an eye out for when they’re pink and cooked through. To peel the shrimp, we recommend using your hands to pull off the legs, then use your thumbs to crack the shell and peel it off. As for the vein running along the shrimp's back (which is really the shrimp's digestive track), make a small incision with a paring knife at the top, then use the tip of the knife to pull out the rest of the vein. It's okay if you don't get every last bit! Of course if you want to skip all this, you can buy it peeled and deveined from the fish counter. Just know you'll likely need to shell out more for the convenience (no pun intended!).

How to make the best grits:
You can use yellow or white grits in this recipe, which may be labeled polenta in the grocery store. No matter what kind you buy, one thing we don’t recommend skipping: cooking your grits in broth for added flavor. To make sure it's not too overpowering, we generally use a combo of equal parts water and chicken broth. If you want to use vegetable broth, go ahead. If you really feel like skipping the broth altogether, just use 4 cups water.

Top tips for making shrimp & grits:
— Cook the shrimp in bacon fat. Because shrimp cooks so quickly (only a couple minutes per side!), you can sauté it in bacon fat without a risk of burning. If you want to avoid the bacon fat, feel free to use a couple tablespoons of butter instead.
— Make the grits extra cheesy. All great grits have cheese. Ours has a ton of cheddar, which gets mixed in with butter at the very end.
— Round it out with lemon juice. There's a lot of richness going on here. Bacon! Butter! Cheese! To cut all the fat, you need some acid to brighten up your bowl. Enter: a generous amount of freshly squeezed lemon juice.

Serving ideas:
When it comes to sides, you’ve got plenty of options here. Although this cheesy, filling dish is hearty all on its own, if you’re looking for a perfect pairing, our hush puppies, collard greens, roasted green beans, or fried okra would all be delicious with this recipe.

Have you made this recipe? Let us know how you liked it in the comments below!