Shrimp and Grits

Anyone else have Mardi Gras vibes going on? While we can't squeeze in a trip to the Big Easy since we will be heading to Albuquerque for the National Fiery Foods & BBQ Show, we pulled together this shrimp and grits dish to get a fix. And this is a two fer ... we used Burns and McCoy Smoked Habanero Bacon Bloody Mary Mix for the marinade and Especia Rojo for the grits. This dish has great favor and is not spicy. Can you dig it?

Servings: 4 servings

Prep Time:  60 minutes

Cook Time:  20 minutes

Ingredients

Shrimp

1 lb shrimp

1 c Burns and McCoy Smoked Habanero Bacon Bloody Mary Mix (divided)

1 tbsp olive oil

1/4 c onion (about 1/4 of a medium onion)

3 cloves garlic

salt and pepper to taste

crumbled cooked bacon for garnish

Grits

6 c milk

1 1/2 c grits (aka polenta)

4 tbsp butter

5 tbsp Burns and McCoy Especia Rojo

2 tsp salt

1/2 c shredded cheese

Directions

1. Marinate the shrimp in 3/4 c bloody mary mix for at least one hour.

2. After 45 minutes start the grits. Bring milk to simmer over medium heat; stir regularly. Once the milk is at a simmer, add the grits. Stir until grits are incorporated. Then add butter, hot sauce, and salt. Stir until thickened. Once the mixture is back up to a simmer, add the cheese. Decrease heat to low and keep warm until shrimp is ready. Stir occasionally to prevent burning.

3. Heat olive oil over medium-high heat until the oil shimmers. Add garlic and onion to pan and cook for 30 seconds. Drain the shrimp, and salt and pepper to taste. Add shrimp to pan. Cook for 3 minutes on one side. Flip the shrimp and cook for 1 1/2 minutes. Add 1/4 c bloody mary mix. Cook the shrimp for two more minutes.

4. Spoon grits into a bowl. Top with shrimp and garlic and onion mixture from the pan. Garnish with crumbled bacon. Drizzle hot sauce over the top.

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