Shrimp ‘n Grits

I married a sixth generation Floridian whose parents are much more Southern than many of today’s Floridians.  One year we all gathered in Atlanta for Christmas at my son’s apartment.   As I was making shrimp and grits for our Christmas Eve dinner, I realized, much to my dismay, that I had purchased instant grits by mistake.  I voiced my dismay only to have Grandmom reach for her bag and respond, “no problem, I have grits in my bag”.  She then produced a container of grits – just what I needed for this recipe.  No one suspected that she was packing grits and we still tease our sweet Southern Matriarch about pulling grits out of her bag on a moment’s notice!

Our household wouldn’t be complete without a good recipe for shrimp and grits.  This recipe comes from my friend Jennifer.  It’s a keeper – casual night or company.  You’ve got a great meal when you add a salad and a green vegetable.  Mini corn muffins would go well with this too.  And don’t forget to add a Key Lime Pie for dessert!

Shrimp:

1/2 cup melted butter

1 cup Heinz Ketchup

1/2 cup Worcestershire sauce

2 Tablespoons Old Bay seasoning

1 teaspoon pepper

3 lb uncooked, peeled, deveined shrimp

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Line a 9 x 12 baking dish with foil. And place shrimp in pan.  Stir together first five ingredients and pour over shrimp.  Bake for 25 minutes or until shrimp turn pink, stirring every ten minutes.

Grits:

1  1/2 cup water

1  1/2 cup milk

1 cup old-fashioned grits

8 ounces cheddar cheese, shredded

4 Tablespoons butter

salt & pepper to season

Bring water and milk to a boil.  Cook according to package direction and add cheese and butter near end of cook time.  Serve shrimp over grits immediately.