Dear Future Husband,
I don’t know you yet. That’s totally fine. I write you letters sometimes. How creepy is that? Don’t answer that…. rhetorical question.
Look at this bowl of shrimp and grits. Your mouth is probably watering. That’s normal.
Here’s what I’d like to do, Future Husband. I’d like to make you a giant bowl of shrimp and grits. I’d like for you to come home from work, sit in front of the television and watch ESPN… I’m assuming you like that sort of thing. I’ll be in standing in the kitchen eating the other half of the shrimp and grits directly from the pan while reading Martha Stewart magazine. I like that sort of thing. A lot.
Wait… is it weird that we wouldn’t share this meal at a table together? No… right? You understand that I sometimes like to share a meal with Martha Stewart magazine. I understand that dinner with ESPN is equally important.
I’ll even bring you a beer if you call out for one. I hope we have corny beer cozies from the 80′s in our house. I hope we’re cool like that.
Here’s to future marital teamwork. High five.
Love,
Joy (the baker and grits maker)
Please don’t make me do a lot of work here. This dish shouldn’t require any convincing at all.
Grits are stone ground hominy (soaked and dried corn)… very similar to polenta. These grits are cooked up to a medium thickness then finished with sharp cheddar cheese and um… butter. Yea. Salt and pepper make this whole situation ideal.
Now…
The cheesy grits get topped with bacon bits, shrimp, scallions, garlic and a splash of lemon to brighten the whole thing up.
Good grief. Now that’s a meal.
Shrimp and Grits with bacon and cheese
serves four, or just me.
recipe adapted slightly from Bobby Flay
4 cups water
1 cup stone ground grits (also known as polenta)
salt and pepper
3 Tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined without the tails
6 slices bacon
4 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
2 Tablespoons parsley, chopped
1/2 cup thinly sliced scallions
1 large garlic clove, minced
Bring water to a boil. Add grits to the boiling water while whisking to prevent clumps. Add a bit of salt and pepper. Lower heat, bring to simmer and cover until water is absorbed. Follow the directions on your box of grits or polenta. Cooking times vary. Once thick, remove from heat and stir in butter and shredded cheese.
Rinse and pat shrimp dry. Fry the bacon in a large skillet. When cooked through remove from the pan and add shrimp into the bacon grease pan. Cook until shrimp turn pink. Add lemon juice, bacon, scallions, garlic and parsley. Cook for another three minutes.
Spoon the grits into a serving bowl and top with shrimp mixture. Serve immediately.
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Yum! I’m a Southern girl, and I love grits, but had never heard of this dish until a trip to New Orleans last fall, and I instantly fell in love. I’ve made them one other time, using a different recipe, but I stumbled across your blog in my search for a new recipe the other day – and I’m so glad I did – it was AMAZING. So, as it turns out, I’ve been completely worthless ever since, b/c I’ve been consumed with reading and catching up on your other posts. I’m glad my craving for Shrimp and Grits led me to you, I’m pretty sure it was meant to be, Now I’m planning on baking one of your sweet treats this weekend! Cupcakes, perhaps??
Yum. This looks goooooood! Your letter to your future husband made me smile. Cute. Your future husband is a lucky fella. :)
I LOVE to fix shrimp and grits for my husband. It feels so Southern and wifely!
You’ll find him when you least expect it and this dish won’t hurt your chances by any means!
Cheers! Leslie
Leave the cheese out. Use homny grits. Pull your meats from the pan and a bit of butter, toss in a bit of flour and cook. Deglaze with weak coffee. Work it till you got red-eye gravy to go with. So good you’ll smack your momma.
Last night my sister INSISTED that I make the shrimp and grits for her. So I did not have enough shrimp for her and her friend (of course someone extra always shows up in time for dinner) I added andouille sausage to bulk it up. Amazing! Thanks Joy, you’re the best!
This was a very deliciously sinful meal. I made it a couple of weeks ago when it was a little chilly in th evening. It warmed me right up. I love delicious comfort food. Thanks for sharing this.
So, I first was caught and read this post because I happen to love cheese grits. My fam is from the South so I know Down Home Cooking when I see it! But, what I love most about this post was the note to your future husband! I thought that was just too cute, especially because I think your totally sane for doing it! I do it sometimes too, only in my head… LoL
Aint been a big fan of grits before, but this dish was a delicious epiphany !! … And ur hoped-for hubby letter was a hoot! I’m much too old to be a future, but can I be a past lives husband? Shirley Maclaine says it’s ok.
p.s. If Shirley teaches me to channel Bobby Flay, will u go out w/ me?
Sounds real good to this southernboy! I think I’ll try it real soon.
um… do people actually call you ‘hotmetal’ !?
He’s just trying to impress you.
Oh yes, this was GOOD. Made my husband REALLY happy.
And it will surely make your future husband ridiculously happy as well :)
Thank you for this delicious recipe!
i’m so glad it was a hit!
Um…so I made this for my boyfriend and I on a nice, cool, early Fall evening. He was skeptical. “Shrimp and Grits – where do you come up with this stuff?”, he said. “It’s gonna be good…trust me!”, I said. Let’s just say, now he is a believer. The recipe which is supposed to make 4 servings, made 2. Thanks, Joy.
Yay! I’ve been looking for a good shrimp and grits recipe! I’m a southern girl who never had shrimp and grits before a couple of years ago. (I have had fried fish and grits though…I won’t start on how awesome that is). I’m definitely gonna whip this up for my family!
Oh, and even though this recipe looks amazing, your letter to your future husband was totally the best part!
Nothing… But nothing… Says southern cuisine like “Shrimp and Grits”! As someone born and raised in South Carolina, this dish says “Welcome to the South” like no other… Be it for breakfast, lunch, or dinner… Formal, or casual… Shrimp and grits is sure to please!
Joy, there are VERY VERY few things I love more than shrimp and grits – including my future husband or next ex (whichever comes first). I can’t WAIT to make this!!
This blog post makes me love life. Fr rlz.
#1 – Love your round tongs. Never seen anything like them, where’d you get those?
#2 – I’ve looked, but been unable to find grits or hominy anywhere in Toronto. Can I use cornmeal or something similar and more common in Canada? If so, how do I cook it, what with not having instructions on the back of a grits box?
Have you tried looking in the isle with all the cereals? Otherwise, try Amazon. They have everything.
Hey fellow blogger. The picture above just made me want to drool. Nice post. I just posted about my Asian inspired version of shrimp and grits on my blog. Let me know what you think. http://www.cookeatlive.net. Your blog rules BTW
Just made these for dinner…DELISH!!!!! Thanks again, Joy :)
^ Makes shrimp and grits for his wife. Again tonight, in fact. Not much better in the world.
Please consult with my boyfriend :D
Hey! I loved this recipe. I made it for my sorority sisters and they all loved it. I paired it with your red velvet cupcakes for a super southern dinner and I got so many compliments! Thank you so much for your blog, it’s the best and makes me feel like I can bake. You, Joy, are the best!
Love your post and the recipe is wonderful! I’ve been married once – never again – husband or wife, but I want to be able to say, “I can’t believe I ate the whole thing.”
This sounds amazing, maybe because I live in the Middle East where three of the ingredients are difficult to get or expensive. The one ingredient I can’t get at all is the bacon bits. Any ideas, anyone, of how you could get the smoky flavor those delicious pork bits would get you without actually using pork?
There is a product called Liquid Smoke, which you could try using VERY sparingly. You probably can’t get it in the Middle east either, though…
I’ll bet the dish would be good with just butter in place of the bacon grease.
Oh, yummy. Although I would rather eat together, if I wasn’t married, this would be a convincing case to meet, fall in love, propose and marry you. Instead I’ll make and devour this tasty dish. Great job with the pictures and the recipe – can’t wait to give it a go!
I have just stumbled upon your blog from beansandink.com. I have your future husband at home watching TV and eating dinner while I am in the kitchen eating my portion with martha.. funny how when you write it, it sounds great.. but living it… lol well thats another story.
Love your blog.. and I am soooo making shrimp and grits tomorrow! Thank you!
I know this post has been around for ages, I just wanted to thank you for this recipe because it was a huge hit at my Sat morning family brunch. It made me look like a super cook. Thank you, thank you, thank you!!
aaaaaanytime!!
Joy, I just tried this recipe, and it was as delicious as it sounds. So simple and so tasty. I didn’t have scallions and used plain old yellow onion, and I found that it needed a little extra lemon juice. We are not grits eaters (my husband guessed that the shrimp was served over cous-cous…), but this may be the start of a beautiful relationship.
Joy, I made this recipe this morning for a birthday breakfast with friends and we all decided that we are going to make it again…and again. It’s a keeper! Also wanted to let you know that my daughter sometimes writes letters to her future husband. Which I have to admit I thought was weird. But at least I know that she isn’t alone now and somehow it seems a little less weird now. :)
Hi Joy!
My name is Joy too and I feel I’m a soft of “chef.” I had cooked shrimp a day earlier and wanted a great recipe for cheese grits….these were absolutely heavenly.
I think about my future husband too. This recipe looks scrumptious, I have to try it.
I made this recipe tonight for dinner and it’s one of the best new recipes I’ve tried lately! The lemon really ties the whole thing together and I think I could happily eat this every week for dinner!
so glad you like this!
Just made this today and it was so good!!! I’ve never eaten grits before, but (of course) anything with bacon on it is good!!
OMG… lucious food, ESPN, beer, intelligence, sense of humor, I CAN’T TAKE IT ANY MORE!
Joy… will you marry me?
My family loves grits, Friday I making shrimp and grits for my family.
I’d love to make this for a company meal for six people.
What do you think would be a good side dish to round out the meal besides crusty bread?
how about sauteed kale or spinach, with garlic?
This looks so good. I want to make it for a dinner party this weekend but can I use cornmeal instead of grits?
I have been wanting to make this dish for a while, and these photos seal the deal. And bacon, too?! Come on. It’s going to happen. It’s inevitable. Thank you very much. :-)
Oh my goodness, we made this last night (slightly modified with bell peppers and a shot of whiskey) and it was so amazingly delicious. Seriously, wow, what a gorgeous (and simple, and quick to make) recipe! I’ll be making this one again, fo sho.
OMG!!! I’m going to try this recipe ASAP!!
Thanks! It was a husband pleaser. Your future husband is a lucky man!
Joy (my mom and sister’s name!)- I never had shrimp ‘n grits until I moved to Atlanta, and have tried several times now. My favorite place to have it does it with sauteed asparagus on top and tiny crispy fried onions as well….it’s delicious! I tried it at one of the fancy top-chef places here once and paid twice as much, and was twice as disappointed – thick pasty grits, bland shrimp and just a tabasco butter sauce. Can’t wait to try your recipe.
oh my. can we be friends in real life? i’ll be your neighbor who also happens to write letters to her future husband and whips up some amazingness in the kitchen. women like us need to stick together.
salt (n’ butter) of the earth, i tell ya.
Joy – Great recipe for the shrimp and grits! I have lived in Charleston, SC all my life, am a chef and know good shrimp and grits when I meet ‘em. I would, however, add one ingredient to your recipe: Heavy Cream. Reduce the water slightly when cooking the grits and when they are three quarters done incorporate the heavy cream. May not do much for the dietary aspect, but boy does it step up the texture and flavor. One last note, try substituting the shrimp topping (many of my southern friends are cringing at this time…) for grilled beef tenderloin pieces and smother with a portobello cream sauce.
Brian Sanders
I’ve had this recipe bookmarked for ages and I finally made it tonight. Oh my goodness it’s DELISH. Getting a bite with every single ingredient in it… darn near magical. Also, I love your blog, your style, pretty much the whole package!
I had the absolute best “Shrimp and Grits” in Greenwood SC a couple of years ago. It was heaven! There was a touch of bacon and lots of tender shrimp but it was the heavy cream that made it soooo good!! Yum!!!
Wow! Made this for a group of friends last night and it was a HUGE success. Will definitely be making this again! Thanks Joy!
I’ve had my eye on this recipe for a long time, and finally the other night my boyfriend and I made it together for our anniversary dinner. It was totally delicious, simple, and I felt like the completely appropriate thing to make for an anniversary. Thanks Joy!
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