3 Cheese Shrimp & Grits

3 Cheese Shrimp & Grits-Joseph Sciascia

At a party earlier in the year, a client of mine wanted me to serve shrimp & grits as one of the appetizers at her husband’s 40 birthday party; she said he was from the south and he loves this dish, but without bacon.  I came up with this creamy and cheesy recipe and it’s so scrumptious and perfect for any kind of party, especially when served in small glasses, cups or spoons as appetizer.

Ingredients

2 ½ cups of water

2 cups whole milk

1 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning

½ teaspoon pepper

1 cup uncooked old-fashioned grits

4 oz. of cream cheese

½ cup of parmesan cheese

1 cup of shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Shrimp

2 tablespoons butter

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 shallots, minced

1 lb. uncooked medium shrimp, peeled and deveined

½ cup of dry white wine

3 green onions, chopped

1 tablespoon lemon juice

¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper

Pinch of Kosher salt and black pepper

Directions

In a medium sauce pan over high heat, bring the water, milk, Old Bay seasoning and pepper to a boil, turn down the heat to simmer and slowly add the grits while whisking to prevent lumps.  Cover and cook for approximately 15 minutes, whisking every 5 minutes or so, stir in cream cheese until melted and then add the parmesan and the cheddar until well combined and melted, take off heat, cover and keep warm.

Shrimp

In a large sauce pan over medium heat, melt the butter and olive oil, add the shallots and sauté until translucent, about 3 minutes.  Add the wine, shrimp, cayenne pepper and pinch of salt and pepper and cook both sides until it turns pink, about 4 minutes.  Add the green onions and finish with the lemon juice.

Serve the grits into bowl and spoon the shrimp over the top and enjoy!