Shrimp and grits with a spicy tomato pan sauce
40 min · 44 g protein · 381 cals / serving
Lowcountry comfort in a bowl: creamy cheddar grits made with milk, topped with a heap of seared Cajun shrimp, smoky bacon, sweet peppers and burst cherry tomatoes in a garlicky, lemony pan sauce with a kick of hot sauce. Green onions on top.
Ingredients
Grits
- 2 cups water
- 1 1/2 cups 1% milk
- 1/2 cup + 1 tbsp quick grits grits
- 1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
Shrimp
- 3 slices bacon, cooked crisp and crumbled, fat kept
- 1 3/4 lb large shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 1 1/2 tsp cajun or creole seasoning
- 1 large red or green bell pepper bell pepper, diced
- 1 small onion, diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 1/2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
- 2/3 cup chicken broth
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 2 tsp hot sauce
To serve
- 3 green onions, sliced
Steps
- Bring the water and milk to a simmer in a saucepan, whisk in the grits and cook over low heat, whisking often, 5–7 minutes for quick grits (follow the package for stone-ground), until thick and creamy. Stir in the cheddar, cover and keep warm; loosen with a splash of water if they stiffen.
- Cook the bacon in a large skillet until crisp, lift it out and pour off all but about 1 tsp of the fat. Toss the shrimp with the Cajun seasoning and sear in the hot skillet over medium-high heat, 1–2 minutes a side, until pink and just opaque, 145°F. Move them to a plate.
- Add the pepper and onion to the pan and cook 4 minutes until soft, then add the garlic and tomatoes and cook 3 minutes more, until the tomatoes start to burst.
- Pour in the broth, lemon juice and hot sauce and bubble 2 minutes, scraping up the browned bits. Return the shrimp and bacon and toss to coat.
- Spoon the grits into shallow bowls, top with the shrimp and every drop of sauce, and scatter with green onions.
Good to know
Quick or stone-ground grits?
Quick grits are ready in minutes and work well here. Stone-ground take 40 minutes and taste more of corn; use the same amount and add liquid as they thicken.
Can I skip the bacon?
Yes, sear the shrimp in 1 tsp oil and add 1/2 tsp smoked paprika to the Cajun seasoning for the smoky note.
Per
- Calories
- 73
- Protein
- (46%)
- 8 g
- Fat
- (20%)
- 2 g
- Carbohydrates
- (34%)
- 6 g
- of which sugar
- 2 g
- Fiber
- 1 g
- Sodium
- 177 mg
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Computed from the ingredients with our published formula, not yet kitchen-tested. General guidance, not medical advice. Talk to your prescriber. How
As written, 1526 kcal goes into the pot and 2566 g of ingredients comes out as about 2100 g of food: 73 kcal per 100 g. Cooking moves water and energy density is the score's biggest lever, so the dish is scored as cooked, not as an average of its parts. Every ingredient links to its food page, with the same data and score. The label's percentages are each macronutrient's share of the calories. The full formula.