Cajun Shrimp & White Cheddar Cheese Grits

Cajun Shrimp & White Cheddar Cheese Grits: cheesy grits drowned in a warm shrimp, bacon, corn and cream sauce. The ultimate comfort food.

• Total Time- 45 minutes
• Servings- 4

Why You’ll Love It:

• Comforting– with cheesy southern style grits & a warming creamy corn and bacon sauce, this dish is a cozy blanket for the soul.
• Feels Upscale– without the price tag or need to leave the house, making it great for special occasions at home.
• Cajun Flavor– with notes of paprika, garlic power, black pepper, oregano, cayenne, and thyme you’ll feel like you’re sitting on Bourbon St.

Shrimp and Cheese Grits Ingredients:

For Grits-

• Chicken Broth
• Whole Milk
• Quick Grits– to make this a weeknight meal, quick grits can be done in 5 minutes.
• Butter– salted or unsalted.
• Can Corn– drained, rinsed, and divided in half.
• Shredded White Cheddar Cheese– or any shredded cheese that has a good melt. I’ve made this with Gouda cheese and it was also a fantastic smokey option.
  

For Shrimp Topping-

• Thick Cut Bacon
• Butter– salted or unsalted.
• Shrimp– peeled and de-veined. I like to use extra large or colossal shrimp.
• Garlic– minced.
• Cajun Seasoning– almost every grocery store has a pre-made Cajun Seasoning in the spice aisle. My favorite is the Slap Ya Mama brand.
• Heavy Cream
• Green Onions or Chives– for garnish.

How to Serve Shrimp & Grits:

• When to serve? This dish makes a fantastic dinner but an even better brunch! There’s not much better than a warm bowl of Shrimp & Grits paired with a mimosa (or two).
• How to plate? Spoon 1 cup of grits into a serving bowl. Top with 1/4 of shrimp topping, garnish with green onions or chives, and serve immediately.
• What to serve with it? This dish is pretty hearty and holds up well on it’s own, but there’s always room for a bread to wipe everything up! For bread I highly recommend biscuits, especially Cheddar Bay Biscuits (because all of the cheese please).

Substitutions & Variations:

• Instead of bacon– try a Cajun smoked sausage! Just cut sausage into medallions, add to frying pan in a single layer, and cook as you would the bacon until brown on both sides.
• Instead of White Cheddar Cheese- try a smokey Gouda cheese, Pepper Jack cheese, or Sharp Cheddar cheese.
• Instead of Pre-Made Cajun Seasoning– try making your own! Use a blend of smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, dried oregano, dried thyme, ground black pepper, ground white pepper, ground cayenne pepper, and kosher salt.

How to Make Shrimp & Cheese Grits:

• Make Grits–
  • In a large pot, bring chicken broth and whole milk to a gentle boil.
  • Slowly whisk in quick grits, and turn heat down to medium-low. Continuously whisk grits until thickened, tender, and there are no more lumps, about 5 minutes.
  • Remove pot from heat, add 2 tbsp of butter, shredded white cheddar, and half of drained canned corn. Continue whisking until butter and cheese have melted. Add salt and pepper to taste.

• Cook Bacon– heat a frying pan over medium-high heat. Add bacon to pan and cook about 3-5 minutes per side until crispy. Set bacon aside on a paper towel lined plate to drain grease. Drain grease from frying pan.

• Make Shrimp Topping–
  • In a mixing bowl, toss raw shrimp with minced garlic and cajun seasoning. Melt 2 tbsp butter in frying pan.
  • Add shrimp in a single layer, cook 1.5-2 minutes per side until pink and cooked through.
  • Pour in heavy cream, the rest of canned corn, and crumbled bacon. Simmer and stir for another 2-3 minutes until sauce has thickened slightly. Remove from heat.

• Plate, Top with Garnish, and Serve

Leftovers:

• Store shrimp topping and grits separately in air tight containers. Shrimp topping when properly store will last 1-2 days and grits will last 4-6 days.

Tips & Recipe Notes:

• Shrimp & Grits are best served immediately.
• Shrimp are done frying once they have curled over and the thickest part of the shrimp (where the vein has been pulled out) becomes opaque.

More Fish & Seafood Recipes You Will Love:

• Creamy Chipotle Shrimp
• Creamy Bacon, Corn, & Shrimp Soup
• Baked Shrimp, Feta, and Butternut Squash Orzo Pasta
• Lohikeitto (Finnish Salmon Soup)
• Salmon BLT Sandwich with Cajun Remoulade Sauce

If you try this recipe, please leave a star rating and review in the recipe card below! I always appreciate your feedback. Follow me on Instagram and Pinterest for more garlic goodness and travel inspiration!