A few more: GARLIC SHRIMP WITH BLEU CHEESE GRITS Serves 4 For the grits 1 cup grits 1 tsp. salt 1/4 tsp. (freshly ground) black pepper 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper 4 ozs. bleu cheese, or to taste **I prefer asaigo cheese For the shrimp 11/2 lbs. medium-sized or larger shrimp, peeled 3 large cloves garlic 3 Tbsps. butter 1/2 tsp. salt 1/2 tsp. (freshly ground) black pepper Cook grits according to package directions in water (usually 4 cups water to 1 cup grits) with the 1 teaspoon salt added. When grits are tender and thick, remove from heat and stir in black pepper and cayenne and bleu cheese. Meanwhile, peel shrimp if necessary. Mince garlic or run it through a press. Melt butter in a wide skillet set on medium heat. Add garlic and stir 1 minute. Add shrimp, increase heat to high and cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until shrimp is opaque. Season with salt and pepper. Serve beside or over grits. Shrimp and Grits Serves four Cheese grits (recipe below) 1 pound fresh shrimp 6 slices bacon Peanut oil 2 cups sliced white button mushrooms 1 cup minced scallions 1 large clove garlic, peeled and minced 4 teaspoons lemon juice Tabasco sauce Salt and pepper 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley Prepare grits and hold in a warm place or in a double boiler Peel shrimp, rinse, and pat dry Dice bacon and saut� lightly in a skillet until edges of the bacon are brown, but the bacon is not crisp. Remove from heat, drain on paper towels, then crumble. Add enough peanut oil top the pan to make a layer of fat about 1/8 inch thick. When oil is quite hot, add shrimp in an even layer. Turn shrimp as they color; add mushrooms, and saut�, stirring, for about 4 minutes. Add scallions and garlic. Heat and stir for about a minute more. Season with lemon juice, a dash or two of Tabasco, salt and pepper to taste, and parsley. Divide the grits among four plates. Spoon the shrimp on top, sprinkle with crumbled bacon, and serve immediately. Cheese Grits 1 cup stone-ground or quick grits (not instant) 4 cups water (or milk, for creamier grits) 1 cup grated cheddar cheese 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese 4 tablespoons butter 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/8 teaspoon pepper Pinch of cayenne pepper 1/4 teaspoon Tabasco sauce Cook grits according to package instructions for 1 cup of dry grits. Turn off heat and add remaining ingredients to sauce pan. Stir until just mixed and serve. �Posted by gardenlad (My Page) on Tue, Jun 27, 06 at 14:55 In the Low Country, particularly among the Gullah people, it's a more complex dish then in most of the south. More of a Barbecue Shrimp & Grits. Some of the Charleston restaurants serve it by merely mixing cooked shrimp with commercial barbecue sauce. It takes more time to prepare it right, but the results are more than worthwhile: 2 lb shrimp, peeled and deveined for the grits: 4 cups water 1 cup heavy cream 1/2 lb butter salt & white pepper to taste 2 cups stone-ground or quick grits (certainly not! instant) for the sauce: 1/4 lb bacon, diced 1 cup red onion, finely diced 1 cup red bell peper, diced 1 cup green bell pepper, diced 3-4 tbls Southern Comfort 1 bottle (14 oz) ketchup 1/2 cup brown sugar salt & pepper to taste For the grits, bring the water and cream to boil in a large saucepan. Add the butter and salt & pepper to taste. Slowly stir in the grits. Reduce the heat to low and cook for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent scorching. If the grits are too thick, stir in extra water as needed (up to 1/2 cup). Set aside, covered, to keep warm. For the sauce, cook the bacon in a medium saucepan until almost crisp. Add the onion and bell peppers. Saute until onion is translucent, 3-4 minutes. Add the Southern Comfort to the pan and carefully ignite the liquor. Whe flames die, stir in the ketchup and brown sugar. Season with salt & pepper. Simmer sauce over medium low heat for 10 minutes. Bring about 6 cups lightly salted water to a boil. Add the shrimp and reduce heat to low. Gently poach the shrimp until they are pink and just opaque through, 3-5 minutes. Drain the shrimp well, then add them to the hot barbecue sauce. Warm over low heat for one minutes. Spoon portions of warm grits into indivdual serving plates and top with some of the shrimp & sauce mixture. �Posted by ginger_st_thomas (My Page) on Wed, Mar 22, 06 at 17:02 You could use Rotel tomatoes. That would jazz it up. You might like this one, too but it doesn't have tomatoes. Might give you some ideas though: SHRIMP & GRITS (serves 2-4) 6 slices bacon 1/3 cup chopped green pepper 1 cup sliced mushrooms 1 clove garlic, minced 2 TBL flour About 1/3 cup chicken broth 2 TBL lemon juice 1 lb shrimp, peeled 1 cup chopped green onion Salt & cayenne Dash of Creole seasoning Dash of Tabasco 2 TBL chopped parsley For the grits: 2 cups water 2 TBL butter or margarine 1/2 cup grits, uncooked 1/2 cup milk, divided 1/4 tsp salt Cook bacon until crisp. Drain, reserving drippings in skillet. Crumble bacon & set aside. Saute green pepper, mushrooms & garlic in bacon drippings. Sprinkle flour over vegetables & cook, stirring constantly about 2 minutes. Add broth & next 7 ingredients. Cook 5 minutes or until heated thoroughly. Keep warm. For grits, bring water & butter to a boil in a heavy saucepan. Stir in grits & return to a boil over medium heat. Reduce heat & cook, stirring occasionally for 10 minutes or until thick, continuing to stir. Stir in 1/4 cup milk; simmer 10 minutes. Salt. Add remaining 1/4 cup milk; simmer 10 minutes. Serve shrim mixture over cooked grits. Top w/crumbled bacon & parsley.~~

For comparison, here' Paula Deen's that you serve over the grits. Shrimp and Grits Recipe �1 cup stone-ground grits �Salt and pepper �1/4 cup butter �2 cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese �1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined, left whole if small and roughly chopped if medium or large �6 slices bacon, chopped into tiny pieces �4 teaspoons fresh lemon juice �2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley �1 cup thinly sliced green onions, white and green parts �1 large garlic clove, minced 1. To make the shrimp and grits recipe, bring 4 cups water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add the grits and salt and pepper to taste. Stir well with a whisk. Reduce the heat to the lowest possible setting and cook the grits until all the water is absorbed, about 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the butter and cheese. Keep covered until ready to serve. 2. Rinse the shrimp and pat dry. Fry the bacon in a large skillet until browned and crisp, then drain on a paper towel. Add the shrimp to the bacon grease in the skillet and saute over medium heat just until they turn pink, about 3 minutes. Do not overcook! Immediately add the lemon juice, parsley, green onions, and garlic. Remove the skillet from the heat. 3. Pour the grits into a serving bowl. Pour the shrimp mixture over the grits. Garnish with the bacon bits. Note: I had this at a bridal luncheon. It was pretty, but I prefer mine to this one.

I've posted this recipe a few times, but it always comes to mind for a delicious make ahead. I take it to our Christmas celebration where Prime Rib is served and also at Thanksgiving with turkey. I do everything ahead, keep all the ingredients separate from each other and just toss together about 5-10 min before dinner. You can do all a day or two beforehand, just don't bloom the onion until the morning of, so it doesn't get too soft. It is always a BIG hit. Michael Chiarello's Winter Panzanella Salad Ingredients For the croutons: 1/4 cup unsalted butter 2 teaspoons finely chopped garlic 2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh thyme 6 cups day-old bread, crust removed, cubed 6 tablespoons finely grated Parmesan, plus more for garnish Salt and freshly ground black pepper For the salad: 1 small red onion, sliced thinly lengthwise 3 tablespoons sherry vinegar Gray salt 4 cups peeled, seeded, and diced butternut squash (1/2-inch dice) 1/2 cup plus 1 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage Freshly ground black pepper 1/2 pound Brussels sprouts, ends trimmed, then quartered 1/2 cup fresh Italian parsley leaves Directions Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Melt the butter in a large skillet over moderate heat and cook until it foams. Add the garlic and thyme, and immediately add the bread cubes. Toss to coat well. Add most of the grated cheese and stir. Transfer bread to a baking sheet and sprinkle with the remaining cheese and salt and pepper and gently toss again while still warm to melt the cheese. Bake stirring once or twice, until the croutons are crisp and lightly colored on the outside but still soft within, about 10 to 15 minutes. Set aside and let cool. Soak the sliced onion in the sherry vinegar and a pinch of salt for about 15 minutes. Set aside. Toss the squash with 1 1/2 tablespoons of the olive oil, sage, salt, and pepper. Arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet and bake until the squash is tender and lightly caramelized, about 15 to minutes. Let cool. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the quartered Brussels sprouts and cook until tender but retain a touch of crispness, about 1 1/2 minutes, and drain. Into the reserved red onions and vinegar, whisk in remaining 1/2 cup olive oil. Season with pepper. In a large bowl combine the roasted squash, croutons, and Brussels sprouts. Add the vinaigrette and toss. Add the parsley leaves and toss again. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Garnish with grated Parmesan and serve immediately. Chef note: "Soaking the onion briefly in sherry vinegar--sometimes called blooming the onion--mellows the raw onion taste." Olychick note: I use artisan white bread..I prefer ciabatta; it's a lot of crust to trim, but love the texture for this salad. I poke a couple of holes in the butternut and microwave for 3 or 4 min, let cool then peel and chop. Makes it so much easier to cut and to peel.

Looks good, Rob! I’ve made Emeril’s version before, the shrimp/andouille part not the grits part. Wife found it a bit spicy but I liked it. https://www.emerils.com/122851/spicy-shrimp-and-andouille-over-charleston-style-grits Jinx - I like the idea, and I’m sure it’s great. I’d have a hard time pouring three cups of heavy cream into a recipe though! Maybe on a special occasion.