How To Make Southern Style Shrimp & Grits

shrimp

🥗Healthier: tofu

💰Cheaper: canned tuna

Tofu is lower in calories and more nutritious; canned tuna is budget-friendly.

cheddar cheese

🥗Healthier: nutritional yeast

💰Cheaper: processed cheese

Nutritional yeast is lower in fat and adds a cheesy flavor; processed cheese is often cheaper.

Cook bacon in a skillet and reserve the fat for later use.

Quarter the smoked sausage and add it to the bacon fat in the skillet.

Saute the sausage on medium heat until browned and fat is rendered.

Finely mince fresh garlic and add it to the skillet once the sausage is browned, cooking for about a minute on low heat to avoid burning the garlic.

Prepare grits using half water and half milk, adding salt and butter, and cook for at least 30 minutes until creamy.

Add flour to the sausage and garlic mixture to create a roux, cooking for about a minute until it thickens and loses its pasty texture.

Pour in chicken broth to deglaze the pan, stirring to incorporate the browned bits.

Add a dash of cayenne pepper to the gravy and adjust to taste.

Add peeled and deveined shrimp to the skillet, cooking until they turn pink and opaque, about a few minutes.

Add heavy cream to the skillet, stirring to combine and heat through.

Taste the gravy and adjust seasoning if necessary, noting that the sausage and broth may already provide sufficient salt.

Check on the grits and spoon the shrimp and gravy over the top.

Garnish with chopped scallions and reserved bacon before serving.

Cooking Techniques

Equipment Needed

Spice Level:

Dietary

Allergens