Shrimp & Grits

Let's be honest. I'm Southern - yes, with a capital S. I was born and raised in Georgia. I have sweet tea coursing through my veins. And I can smile while silently looking down my nose at you with a "Bless your heart." So to say that shrimp and grits is a favorite meal of mine is an understatement! J treats me to a meal of shrimp and grits at least once per month, and more often if it's summertime and the shrimp is fresh!!!

Shrimp and grits is an easy, flexible dish. Have 2 for dinner? No problem. 8 people? Still a cinch! It is easy to make an amount specific to the number of mouths you are feeding. The best part?! It takes no more than 20 minutes to make this amazingly satisfying dish! It's also very popular, particularly here in the South! Recipes abound! Just check out Pinterest. But J makes an amazing, slightly hot (spicy hot) version that is to die for! So how do YOU get your paws on such a Southern tradition?! Look no further! J has given me access to his secrets.

Ingredients:
Shrimp (I generally guesstimate about 6 shrimp per person)
Grits (Don't frown at us - we use Instant Grits)
2 Tbsp Butter
1/4 tsp Garlic
Dash Hot Sauce
1/4 tsp Tony's Cajun Seasoning
Shredded Monterrey Jack cheese

Directions:
1. Melt butter in saucepan (large enough to hold all your shrimp) on medium heat. You may need to use a bit more butter for larger amounts of shrimp. Keep in mind we cook for 2.)
2. Add in garlic and Tony's seasoning, as well as a dash (or 5 if you are J) of hot sauce.
3. Once the butter and seasoning mix starts to sizzle a bit, toss in your shrimp! Cook until those puppies are pink! Stir occasionally.
4. While the shrimp are cooking (and sizzling - I love that sound!), start cooking your grits. We just follow the stove-top directions on the Instant Grits box (do not get the individual packets, get the huge box that'll last you a while). This is a bit more time consuming, and requires just a *bit* of babysitting, but I can attest that it is worth it.
5. Once the grits have reached the desired consistency, get a bag of shredded Monterrey Jack cheese. Add by the handful, stirring as you add cheese. Add as little or as much as you would like.

To Serve:
Once everything has finished cooking, I recommend you serve this in a bowl! Get your bowls out and plate as such:
1. Spoon (with a ladle - don't skimp!) the desired amount of grits into each bowl. We generally do 1.5-2 ladle-fulls per person.
2. Spoon 5-6 shrimp per person on top of the grits, making sure to get some of the spicy goodness still left in the pan drizzled on top of the shrimp.
3. Enjoy - carefully! This dish will be piping hot, so go slow (and don't burn yourself!).

Make a few extra, and you have a topper for your salad for lunch tomorrow! Yum! :)