Southern Shrimp and Cheese Grits

This is one of my all time favorite dishes.  If your not southern, this dish may sound odd to you.  I promise it is a delicious combination.  I grew up eating grits for breakfast.  I wasn't all that big of a fan. Until I had these.  These are not the boring grits you may have had before.  They are cheesy, creamy, and full of flavor.  They pair perfectly with the shrimp mixture. Using the bacon grease to cook the vegetables and shrimp in creates a wonderful smoky flavor.  I know what your thinking, bacon grease?  This is a southern dish, ya know. It's a small amount.  You can substitute with olive oil. It will not have the smoky flavor though.  This dish can be prepared in no time.  The grits make a great dish to serve at brunch too!

Ingredients

• 2  cups  water
• 1  (14-ounce) can chicken broth
• 3/4  cup  half-and-half
• 3/4  teaspoon  salt
• 1  cup  regular grits
• 3/4  cup  shredded Cheddar cheese
• 1/4  cup  grated Parmesan cheese
• 2  tablespoons  butter
• 1/2  teaspoon  hot sauce
• 1/4  teaspoon pepper
• 3  bacon slices
• 1  pound  medium-size shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 1/4  teaspoon  black pepper
• 1/8  teaspoon  salt
• 1/4  cup  all-purpose flour
• 1  cup  sliced mushrooms
• 1/2  cup  chopped green onions
• 2  garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2  cup  low-sodium, fat-free chicken broth
• 2  tablespoons  fresh lemon juice
• 1/4  teaspoon  hot sauce
• Lemon wedges, optional

Preparation

Bring first 4 ingredients to a boil in a medium saucepan; gradually whisk in grits. Reduce heat, and simmer, stirring occasionally, 10 minutes or until thickened. Add Cheddar cheese and next 4 ingredients. Keep warm.

Cook bacon in a large skillet until crisp; remove bacon, and drain on paper towels, reserving 1 tablespoon drippings in skillet. Crumble bacon, and set aside.

Sprinkle shrimp with pepper and salt; dredge in flour.

Saute mushrooms in hot drippings in skillet 5 minutes or until tender. Add green onions, and saute 2 minutes. Add shrimp and garlic, and saute 2 minutes or until shrimp are cooked through. Stir in chicken broth, lemon juice, and hot sauce, and cook 2 more minutes, stirring to loosen particles from bottom of skillet.

Serve shrimp mixture over hot cheese grits. Top with crumbled bacon; serve with lemon wedges.

Enjoy!

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