Just call me 'Bubba'

I might have to put a sign over my front door that reads Bubba Gump ‘cause I’m in the middle of a serious shrimp phase! This southern favorite would be great to serve for a crowd – use the recipe below as a blueprint and increase the quantity of grits & shrimp until you have enough…

Dinner For One: Shrimp and Grits

Using quick-cooking grits means this can be ready in just a few minutes – perfect for a weeknight. I used leftover shrimp from last weekend’s Shrimpfest but you can buy a bag of frozen shrimp that are already cleaned and ready to go from the grocery store. They’ll thaw really quickly so just grab a handful out of the freezer when you get home. 

What you need:
1.5 cups water
6 TBs quick-cooking grits
1 TB butter
half cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
hot sauce (optional)
salt & pepper
2 slices bacon, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
half a medium onion, chopped
6-8 large shrimp, peeled, deveined and tails removed
half a lemon
1 scallion, thinly sliced

How you make it:
Cook grits according to package instructions. When they’re done, remove from heat and stir in butter, cheese, a dash of hot sauce and salt & pepper to taste.

Fry the bacon in a large skillet until browned, remove from pan and drain all but 1TB of the rendered grease. Add garlic and onion and sauté until the onion is translucent and starting to brown at the edges. Add shrimp and cook until they turn pink. Add a splash of lemon juice and reserved bacon pieces, stir to combine and remove from heat.

Serve shrimp mixture over grits with a sprinkle of green onion on top. Yum.