Southern Shrimp and Grits

Southern Shrimp and Grits are a longstanding Southern staple. Creamy grits made with milk and cheese are topped with sautéd shrimp in a flavorful sauce. An Iconic dish that’s simple to make for a fabulous weeknight dinner, or impressive enough to serve for friends.

My study abroad child will be coming home soon and has requested Southern food, which for her means grits and biscuits.  I went with Southern shrimp and grits, there’s nothing that says Southern comfort food than a dish made with grits.

Why you’ll love it

• You start with the creamiest grits
• The shrimp and sauce come together in the same time it takes to cook the grits
• Easy enough for a weeknight dinner
• Special enough to server at a dinner party

I’m not talking about instant grits, no self-respecting Southerner would make instant grits. If you live north of the Mason-Dixon line you may have to order them. My favorite come from The Old Mill at Guilford where they are stone ground. They come white and yellow, I always go white.

What are Grits

Grits originated with Native Americans and are now a staple for breakfast in the South. Grits are made from ground corn, either yellow or white. They have a mild corn taste, not as strong as cornmeal which makes them great by themselves with butter or cheese but also a fabulous choice to pair with more flavorful dishes like shrimp!

There are basically two types of grits to choose from:

• Stone Ground Grits: This is ground corn with the germ intact so that you get a coarser texture and more flavor. They are less processed than the offer types. These are going to take 20 minutes to cook.
• Quick-cooking grits or Instant Grits: These have been processed and dehydrated so that they will cook quicker which results in a bland tasting product with very little flavor or texture. These can cook in 10 minutes.

I hope you always choose stone ground grits and avoid the instant variety, but remember it will take you 20 minutes to cook the grits.

Do you remember the grit discussion in My Cousin Vinny, it’s what broke the case:

Vinny Gambini: How could it take you five minutes to cook your grits when it takes the entire grit-eating world 20 minutes?

Mr. Tipton: Um… I’m a fast cook, I guess.

Vinny Gambini: What? I’m sorry I was over there. Did you just say you were a fast cook? Are we to believe that boiling water soaks into a grit faster in your kitchen than any place on the face of the earth?

Mr. Tipton: I don’t know.

Vinny Gambini: Perhaps the laws of physics cease to exist on your stove. Were these magic grits? Did you buy them from the same guy who sold Jack his beanstalk beans? 

The trick to good southern grits, is first to not use the instant kind, and follow Joe Pesci’s advice and cook them slow this allows the milk to be absorbed creating a creamy texture.

If you don’t want to mess with the grits on the stove, you can cook them in a slow cooker.

Where did shrimp and grits originate from

Shrimp and cheesy grits are a Southern creation, thought to have originated in Charleston South Carolina where shrimp were plentiful and they were added to grits for breakfast. Since, grits with shrimp has become a dinner time specialty and became well known around here from a local restaurant in Chapel Hill, NC, Crooks Corner.

What you’ll need

• Stone Ground Grits – these can be found in the baking aisle next to the cornmeal. Chose stone ground grits over instant or quick-cooking grits.
• Shrimp – you can use fresh or frozen but they will need to peel and devein them.
• Andouille sausage -the raw variety will add more flavor, it can be found in the same area as the Italian sausage. You can use the precooked variety, it just doesn’t have quite as much flavor.
• Whole milk – this makes the grits creamy, you can use 2% or make it decadant and use half-and-half or cream. I find that whole milk makes it creamy enough.
• Parmesan cheese – for the grits and a little sprinkled on top.
• White wine and cream – these create a wonderful sauce for the shrimp.
• Onion, tomato and green onions and butter
• Optional – cayenne pepper or hot sauce to make it spicy

How to make Southern Shrimp and Grits

Step 1 – Grits

Boil milk and gradually add grits. Turn to low and simmer for at least 20 minutes and they are creamier if you can cook them for 30-45 minutes stirring frequently. Before ready to serve, add butter, cheese and extra milk if needed.

Pro tip: While you can use water and still have fairly good grits, if you use whole milk they are so much better, and if you want to be decadent, use cream.  Since I used milk, I added a little fresh Parmesan which I think is just right with shrimp.  

Step 2 – Shrimp and Sausage

First remove the shells and devein the shrimp. Season them with salt and pepper. Heat butter and oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until melted and foamy. Add sausage and onion and sauté until the onion is tender and the sausage is browned, 5-6 minutes.

Step 3

Add the shrimp and cook for 1 minute per side on medium heat. Once they are opaque, remove with a slotted spoon to a bowl. Add the tomatoes to the pan with a big pinch of salt and pepper and cook, stirring, until they have softened another 3-4 minutes.

Step 4

Stir in wine and reduce until almost dry, about 3 minutes. Stir in heavy cream and reduce slightly.

Return the shrimp to the pan and cook for another minute, just to warm them up.

How to serve

Place grits on a plate and top with the shrimp mixture. Garnish with green onions. It’s a meal in itself, although a mixed green salad is a nice compliment.

Recipe notes

• If you want your grits really creamy, cook them for 30-45 minutes.
• You could use cheddar cheese in place of parmesan cheese in the grits.
• I use pre-cooked andouille sausage but raw would add more flavor.
• This will reheat if you have leftovers, you just need to be careful not to cook it so long that the shrimp get tough. To avoid this, let it come to room temperature first so that the shrimp and grits will be hot at the same time.
• If you want to make this more of a cajun shrimp dish, add some red bell peppers to the onions.

The sauce on this is so creamy and flavorful which is why it’s scrumptious over grits. My motto is a little flavor goes a long way.  This was a hit for my homesick Southerner.

FAQ and tips

Enjoy some other delicious Southern dishes

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