Smokey Cheese Shrimp and Grits

As a Southerner I’ve always had a soft spot for shrimp and grits. But it took a Yankee to wake me up to the amazing way this favorite could be used as an appetizer. So shout out to Iowa Girl Eats. Here’s my version.

Ingredients
Grits
5 cups reduced sodium chicken stock
1 cup water
1.5 cups of corn grits (or Italian polenta)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
8 oz smokey cheese (cheddar or gouda work great)
Generous pinch of salt and pepper

Shrimp
2 cloves garlic
3 green onions (or in a pinch you could use 2 tablespoons minced white onion)
2 tablespoons olive oil
Shrimp (suggest medium pre-cooked and two cups)

Garnish
Green tube-like ends of green onions
Sriracha or hot sauce

Step 1
Bring 5 cups of reduced sodium chicken stock to a boil along with one cup of water and 1.5 cups of corn grits. Cook grits for a minimum of five minutes.

Step 2
Turn off heat and add in shredded smokey cheese, butter, and salt/pepper. Stir to combine.

Step 3
Line an 8x12” pan with foil coated with food release. Pour grit mixture in and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate overnight.

Step 4
Now that the mixture has had an opportunity to congeal lift the mixture out using the foil. Cut mixture into squares or use a biscuit cutter to cut out bite-sized shapes. Place these on a foil lined baking sheet and warm them in a 350-degree oven for 20 minutes or until golden brown on top.

Step 5
On the stovetop, put 2 tablespoons olive oil into a skillet and add in minced garlic and onions. Heat and stir until the fragrances of the garlic and onions appear and the ingredients start to brown. Turn down heat. Add in pre-cooked shrimp minus tails and mix with the garlic and onions until shrimp is warmed.

Step 6
When grit cakes are done arrange them on serving tray and top each cake with shrimp, grit, and onion mixture. You can dress up the shrimp and grit cakes with garnishes such as green onion or sriracha.

This appetizer pairs beautifully with a crisp white wine and is a show stopper at parties.

While NOT my best video (I mean heck, it was the end of the day and I was making dinner for the family AND I was doing my own video work) if you would like to see some video steps on making this recipe you can view it here.