Shrimp and Grits is a classic Southern dish of creamy corn grits topped with shrimp in a tomato and wine Creole sauce.
Shrimp and Grits
By Sue Lau | Palatable Pastime
Shrimp and grits is my recipe of the day with the blogging group Sunday Funday. We get together once per week to post on various cooking topics and take turns hosting.
This week is my turn to host, so I decided on Breakfast for Supper since it is national breakfast month.
One of my favorite recipes that blur the lines between breakfast, brunch and supper for me is the classic southern shrimp and grits. So I have decided to share my version with you.
Mine is essentially a Creole shrimp served over grits, as I prefer it. The sauce is made with a little wine and has a mild amount of spice. It is adapted from a recipe by Justin Wilson.
We used to watch his shows as kids and there was a cookbook around the house from him, so it was formative for me.
We always loved him as a character, although I am not so sure he was such a genteel man in real life. Or so I heard. But he was a good cook and his legacy lives on through food if nothing else.
Sunday Funday: Breakfast for Supper
- Baked Grits with Sausage Gravy from Food Lust People Love
- Breakfast at Tiffany’s Burgers from Making Miracles
- Breakfast Spelt and Oats Muffins from Cook with Renu
- Egg & Bacon Sandwich (Homemade Egg McMuffin) from Amy’s Cooking Adventures
- Eggplant Shakshuka from A Day in the Life on the Farm
- Famous Breakfast Burritos (copycat Lucky Boy) from Karen’s Kitchen Stories
- Shrimp and Grits from Palatable Pastime (You are Here!)
- Steamed Rawa /Semolina Balls from Sneha’s Recipe
- Zege from Mayuri’s Jikoni
Shrimp and Grits
My grits are pretty standard and have mild seasonings in them so I like them that way. Most of my grits are flavored up with cheese and other things although I will eat them very plain.
Plain grits with not much else are good with a sprinkle of cheese, or as I sometimes like – a spoon of sausage gravy over the top. I think Stacy might be sharing something on that order this week. Go take a peek and see if I am right.
My other blogging friends also have an array of deliciousness for you to check out. I can’t wait to get to their blogs myself and pore over the recipes.
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Shrimp and Grits

Shrimp and Grits
Ingredients
Shrimp:
- 1 pound large shrimp (peeled and deveined)
- 1 red bell pepper (diced)
- 1 cup chopped onion
- 1 tablespoon chopped garlic
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh Italian parsley
- 1 teaspoon minced mint leaves
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/3 cup dry white wine
- 2 cups whole canned tomatoes (chopped)
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon each salt and black pepper
- 3/4 teaspoon Cajun spice
Grits:
- 2 cups water
- 3/4 cup regular grits (not instant)
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 6 tablespoons butter
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon white pepper
- 1-1/2 teaspoon Tabasco sauce or Louisiana pepper sauce
Instructions
Shrimp:
- Saute bell pepper, onions, garlic, parsley and mint in oil until the onions become translucent.
- Stir in the wine, tomatoes, Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper, and Cajun spice, bringing to a boil.
- Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 15 minutes low heat.
- Stir in the shrimp and cook a few minutes more, or until shrimp curl and become opaque.
- Keep shrimp mixture warm (a one quart crockpot is excellent).
Grits:
- Bring water and salt to a boil; stir in grits.
- Remove pan from heat and rest, covered, for 15 minutes.
- After resting, stir in butter, milk, garlic, white pepper and Tabasco.
- Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and cook for about 10 minutes more, whisking and stirring frequently to prevent lumps.
- Serve shrimp over grits.
Notes
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Now I”m hankering for shrimp and grits…yours look exceptionally wonderful
I wasn’t thrilled with my photos. But the shrimp and grits are really good.
Thanks for a great theme. This was fun. Your shrimp and grits are perfection with that Creole sauce. I’m not familiar with Justin Wilson but you can bet I’ll be going to the Google machine to find out.
We used to watch Mr. Wilson as well and thought he was a hoot. All of my relatives talked very much like him but we felt like he hammed it up even more for the show. I would love a serving of your shrimp and grits right now!
I’d love to try out grit as a breakfast or dinner option. Have never tried it though here in Kenya, cornmeal or grit is cooked in water, called Ugali and its usually enjoyed with a stew. Grit cooked with milk, cheese, spices sounds interesting.
This dish sounds delicious, I have got to make this soon!
Oh yummm look at those saucy shrimp! This sounds delicious!