SHRIMP AND GRITS CASSEROLE (Adapted from Southern Living)

This recipe is great! I love that it’s not too rich – some shrimp and grits recipes are just too too much cream and/or cream cheese for me. There’s none of that here. It’s got cheddar and jalapeño jack cheeses but the secret is the chicken broth for giving it great flavor. The original recipe called for green pepper as well, but I’m not a fan of those, so I left it out. Another nice thing is that this dish can be made in advance – I made everything the day before, and then I simply popped it in the oven when I was ready – may need to cook a bit longer if you’re taking it directly from the refrigerator to the oven.
4 cups chicken broth
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup regular grits
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded sharp Cheddar cheese, divided
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack cheese with peppers
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
6 green onions, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1 pound small fresh shrimp, peeled and cooked
1 TBSP Olive Oil
1 tsp lemon juice
1 (10-ounce) can diced tomatoes and green chiles, drained
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper

Bring 4 cups chicken broth and 1/2 teaspoon salt to a boil in a large saucepan; stir in grits.

Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes. Stir together grits, 3/4 cup Cheddar cheese, and Monterey Jack cheese. Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat; add green onions and garlic, and sauté 5 minutes or until tender.

In a separate pan sauté the shrimp about 3 minutes in 1 TBSP olive oil, then squeeze a bit of lemon juice over.

Stir together green onion mixture, grits mixture, shrimp, can of diced tomatoes and S & P.

Pour into a lightly greased 2-quart baking dish.

Sprinkle top with remaining 1/4 cup shredded Cheddar cheese.

Bake at 350 degrees F for 30 to 45 minutes.

Categories: Entrees Tags: