Ingredients

• 3 Cups Quaker Old Fashioned Grits
• 7 Cups Water
• 12 Oz. Velveeta Cheese, Cubed
• 4 Tbsp. Butter, Cubed
• 2 Tsp. Poppy Seeds
• 1 Lb. Small Shrimp, Cooked and Peeled
• 1 Half, Sweet Onion, Roughly Chopped
• 4 Oz. Sweet Peppadew Peppers, Roughly Chopped
• 4 Oz. Small Mushrooms, Whole
• 6 Strips Thick Cut Bacon
• 1 Bunch Green Onions/Scallions
• 1 Tbsp. Olive Oil
• 1 Tsp. Ground Cayenne Pepper
• Kosher Salt, To Taste

Instruction

Boil the water for the grits in a large saucepan, making sure to salt the water once it boils, and then let it return to a rolling boil. Stir in the grits, and lower the burner to a medium-low heat, and cook for about 12-14 minutes, covered, and stirring occasionally. In a medium-sized skillet, cook the bacon to extra crispy, and then set aside. Add the olive oil to the skillet, mixing with the bacon grease. Add the chopped sweet onion to the skillet, and saute until thoroughly cooked, then lower the burner to a medium-low heat. In a bowl, mix shrimp with the cayenne pepper and kosher salt, and add to the skillet, along with the chopped peppadew peppers, and mushrooms, continuing to saute on low heat. Once the grits have cooked, add the Velveeta cheese, butter, and poppy seeds to the saucepan, making sure to distribute evenly throughout the dish, and continue to stir until completely melted. Roughly chop the bacon.

Serve the dish by spooning a portion of the grits into an individual serving bowl, or high-rimmed plate. Spoon a fair portion of the shrimp mixture onto the top of the grits, and garnish with bacon, and chopped scallions, as shown above. Recipe makes 8-ish servings.

Notes

Everyone in the south has a shrimp and grits recipe; this is mine. Over the years the recipe has evolved based on mine and other opinions and tastes. A good shrimp and grits recipe is solidly built on attention to the basics, but stands out based on the details. For my recipe, that means the poppy seeds in the grits, and the sweet peppadew peppers, as well as the use of a sweet onion, instead of a yellow or white, in the shrimp mixture. As complicated as the ingredients list and instructions seem, this really is a pretty simple low country dish that can be put together in twenty minutes, or less. And, if I’m being completely honest, I generally buy my shrimp pre-cooked and peeled. I’ve found that sauteeing the pre-cooked shrimp mixture on a low enough heat can still bring the flavor out without overcooking the shrimp. But, if you’re serving to southerners, be careful not to burn them. There are some things that we just won’t tolerate.