Shrimp and Sausage Grits

This Shrimp and Sausage Grits recipe is a very diverse dish that could be eaten for any meal any time of day.

I did not grow up eating grits. It was just not something our family ate. We did eat lots of seafood though, and shrimp was always my favorite. I loved shrimp cooked lots of different ways… fried shrimp, grilled shrimp, buffalo shrimp, boiled shrimp… well you get the idea!

When my wife and I moved to South Carolina, we asked around for a restaurant recommendation we ended up finding our favorite spot to go out to eat for the next 3 years! It was a great locally owned restaurant, and my favorite meal at the restaurant was shrimp and grits.

Shrimp and Sausage Boil Foil Packets

Creamy Shrimp Pasta

Pineapple Shrimp Skewers

Shrimp and Sausage Gumbo

Shrimp, Turkey, and Sausage Etouffee

I tried the dish on a whim, and it did not disappoint. The grits were so creamy and cheesy. The shrimp was fresh grilled and the meal was also served with delicious andouille sausage.

After many years away from South Carolina shrimp and grits, I decided that I could make my very own shrimp and grits. I got a recipe from my mother, and I added a few other twists to the recipe to make it my own.

The other thing about this dish is that while I love shrimp, no one else in my family does. I wasn’t going to let that fact stop me from making something that I enjoyed, and I wanted the rest of my family to be able to enjoy the creamy grits. So I substituted the shrimp with chicken for my wife and kids.

The other thing about this dish is that it can be deconstructed so that you too could add an additional protein like bacon, ham, or fish. Bottom line, this is a very diverse dish that could be eaten for any meal any time of day.

Shrimp and Sausage Grits

Ingredients:

¾ cup old fashioned grits
2 cups chicken broth
2 cups milk
1/3 cup butter (cubed)
½ tsp. ground black pepper
½ tsp. salt
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 horseshoe link of Andouille sausage
24 small shrimp

Substitutions/Additions:

6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
4 stalks of green onion

Directions:

In a large pot bring the broth, milk, butter, salt and pepper to a boil. Once boiling, add the grits, then turn the heat to low and cover for 14 minutes stirring occasionally.

Once the grits are thick, turn the heat off, then add the cheddar cheese and mix into the grits well.

As I mentioned earlier, you can pick any protein you like to go with this dish or with grits in general. Grits are normally served at breakfast, so these grits could even go with bacon, sausage, or eggs.

I fired up my grill for the shrimp and andouille sausage. I couldn’t find any skewers, so I used marshmallow roasting sticks! I sprinkled the shrimp with creole seasoning before putting on the grill and then grilled them on both sides for 3-4 minutes each side.

For the sausage, I just placed the sausage link on the grill for 10 minutes until it was warmed through and then I sliced it up.

Finally, I chopped up a few stalks of green onion for garnish and for some bite.

I mentioned that I added chicken for my wife, and all I did for that was sprinkle some creole seasoning on the chicken and let the chicken marinate for an hour before cooking.

I smoked the chicken thighs at 250 degrees for 45 minutes and made sure the internal temperature of the chicken was 165 degrees.

Shrimp and Sausage Grits

Ingredients

¾ cup old fashioned grits
2 cups chicken broth
2 cups milk
1/3 cup butter (cubed)
½ tsp pepper
½ tsp salt
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 horseshoe link of andouille sausage
24 small shrimp

Instructions

In a large pot bring the broth, milk, butter, salt and pepper to a boil. Once boiling, add the grits, then turn the heat to low and cover for 14 minutes stirring occasionally. Once the grits are thick, turn the heat off, then add the cheddar cheese and mix into the grits well.

Note: You can pick any protein you like to go with this dish or with grits in general. Grits are normally served at breakfast, so these grits could even go with bacon, sausage, or eggs.

Fire up the grill for the shrimp and andouille sausage. Use skewers or marshmallow tongs for the shrimp. Sprinkle the shrimp with creole seasoning before putting on the grill and then grill shrimp on both sides for 3-4 minutes each side.

For the sausage, place the sausage link on the grill for 10 minutes until it is warmed through and then slice up.

Chop up a few stalks of green onion for garnish and for some bite.

You may substitute the shrimp for chicken. Sprinkle some creole seasoning on the chicken and let the chicken marinate for an hour before cooking. Smoke the chicken thighs at 250 degrees for 45 minutes and make sure the internal temperature of the chicken is 165 degrees.

September 16, 2021

Chicken and Sausage Gumbo

Chicken and Sausage Gumbo is a family favorite! I serve this recipe for our family on a weekly basis.

Some of my best family memories involve good home-cooking!

I remember not only eating great food, but I also have fond memories of my mother, father, aunts, uncles, and grandmothers teaching me how to cook food that brought our family together.

We had a large extended family, but we lived relatively close to each other so every holiday was booked at a specific family members.

My mother always hosted Easter, my Aunt Lisa had a gathering for Mother’s Day, the entire family would go to the Family Lake House for Memorial Day and Labor Day, Fourth of July was usually hosted by Aunt Susan, Thanksgiving would rotate between different families, and Christmas Eve was always at Aunt Karen’s.

Crockpot Gumbo

Slow Cooker Chicken Chorizo Gumbo

Shrimp and Sausage Gumbo

Although we celebrated holidays at different houses, the one thing that remained constant and kept us coming together again and again was the delicious food!

If there was one dish that I enjoyed the most, it was Gumbo! While my family and I are all die-hard Texans, our patriarch hailed from Louisiana. After joining the Army, he settled in Houston where he served as a Police Officer. His family taught my grandmother, who was from Mississippi, how to cook Gumbo and other Cajun favorites.

The great thing about Gumbo is that it can be enjoyed in cold weather, but it is also great in the warmer weather months too.

Another great thing about Gumbo, is that it feeds a lot of people for not a lot of money. It is usually served with rice, potato salad, and sweet tea. The recipe has been passed down to me, and I’ve made it my own!

While Gumbo makes me feel closer to home, I recently had the fortune to move to Louisiana, and I’m excited to use authentic Cajun ingredients in my recipe. No matter where you live, I’m excited to share my take on an old family recipe with you.

The great news is that no matter where you live, the ingredients can be found in any grocery store in America. Additionally, the great thing about Gumbo most Cajun families have differing recipes, so feel free to take poetic license with your Gumbo recipe.

For example, if you can’t find smoked Andouille sausage in the grocery store, you can use other smoked sausage, ham, or even SPAM. In my recipe, I just use boneless chicken thighs and breasts, but I grew up watching my mother use a whole chicken. Some folks say adding tomatoes to Gumbo is sacreligous, while others insist that okra is a Gumbo staple.

The bottom line is that you can add whatever you like to Gumbo… so with that said let my recipe be a place for you to start, and then add or subtract whatever you like.

Chicken and Sausage Gumbo

Ingredients:

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1 large onion
1 four-bottom green bell pepper
3-4 stalks of celery hearts
1 bunch of green onions
1 can of Rotel tomatoes
2-3 links of andouille sausage
vegetable oil
all purpose flour
2-3 Bay Leaves
Salt, Pepper, Cayenne Pepper, Onion Powder, Garlic Powder for Chicken marinade and for vegetable seasoning
32-64 ounces of chicken broth
a large cooking pot
grill (optional)

Directions:

First, I cook the chicken on the grill. However, if you don’t have a grill that’s fine. You could pan fry or even bake the chicken in the oven. I prefer to grill the chicken over charcoal because I like a little bit of smokey flavor in my Gumbo.

No matter how you cook your chicken, make sure that it is at least 165 degrees Fahrenheit internal temperature.

Before grilling, I dust the chicken with salt and pepper. Once the chicken is cooked, let the chicken rest for 5-10 minutes before dicing up.

Next, I finely dice the onion, bell pepper, and celery.

The three of these vegetables together are known as the “Cajun Trinity!”

The trio is found in most all Cajun cooking. When combined they have a sweet, earthy, and savory smell.

Once finely diced, I add the Trinity to the pot with a few tablespoons of cooking oil, and a few dashes (dash = about a half a teaspoon) of salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and cayenne pepper.

Stir the diced vegetables with the oil and spices over medium heat until the vegetables are soft (about 10-15 minutes).

Once the Trinity veggies are soft, I’ll add the can of Rotel Tomatoes and give them a stir.

Once the veggies are looking good, I will add the chicken broth.

Now, in the list of ingredients I listed between 32-64 ounces of chicken broth.

Sometimes I like thick Gumbo so I’ll use less broth, and other times I’ll use more broth to make it more soupy.

It will depend on your preference, and I’ll admit there have been sometimes when I’ve added 48-54 ounces of chicken broth.

After the broth is added, I will add the diced chicken. Then I will add the smoked Andouille sausage.

You do not have to cook the sausage, but if you’d like to cut it up and fry it in a pan or warm it up on the grill whole before cutting up then that’s fine.

Once the chicken and sausage are added, cover the Gumbo and let it simmer on low.

Finally, the most important ingredient is the Roux.

How to Make Roux for Gumbo

Now, I will mention that you can buy Roux online or at a grocery store. If you would prefer to make it homemade, keep reading!

This is the most difficult part of making the Gumbo, but the Roux is what will give the Gumbo it’s rich color and flavor.

In a separate frying pan, add 1/2 cup of either vegetable or corn oil. DO NOT USE olive oil!

Then, add 1 cup of all purpose flour, mix the flour and oil until they are the consistency of peanut butter. Much like peanut butter, if there is a little excess or seeping oil, then that’s ok.

Now, turn up the heat to medium-hi and stir, stir, stir! Don’t stop stirring until the Roux is a rich dark chocolate color.

This process of stirring can take anywhere from 15-30+ minutes depending on how high your heat is.

Don’t give up!

This homemade roux is totally worth it in the end.

Tip: I do use my microwave exhaust fan towards the end of this process as it can get a little smoky at the end once it’s coming together the way it should!

Once the Roux is complete, add a spoonful at a time to the Gumbo and stir each spoonful in well.

Cover the Gumbo again and let it simmer on low for an hour or so. Serve with rice or potato salad. Add fresh chopped green onion if you’d like!

Print this recipe:

Chicken and Sausage Gumbo

Ingredients

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1 large onion
1 four-bottom green bell pepper
3-4 stalks of celery hearts
1 bunch of green onions
1 can of Rotel tomatoes
2-3 links of andouille sausage
vegetable oil
all purpose flour
2-3 Bay Leaves
Salt, Pepper, Cayenne Pepper, Onion Powder, Garlic Powder for Chicken marinade and for vegetable seasoning
32-64 ounces of chicken broth

Instructions

Dust the chicken with salt and pepper.

Cook the chicken on the grill (or pan fry/bake).

Once the chicken is cooked, let the chicken rest for 5-10 minutes before dicing up.

Finely dice the onion, bell pepper, and celery.

Add the diced vegetables to the pot with a few tablespoons of cooking oil, and a few dashes (dash = about a half a teaspoon) of salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and cayenne pepper.

Stir the diced vegetables with the oil and spices over medium heat until the vegetables are soft (about 10-15 minutes).

Add the can of Rotel Tomatoes and give them a stir.

Add the chicken broth.

Add the diced chicken and sausage.

Cover and let it simmer on low.

To create the Roux:

In a separate frying pan, add 1/2 cup of either vegetable or corn oil.

Add 1 cup of all purpose flour. Mix the flour and oil until they are the consistency of peanut butter. Turn up the heat to medium-hi and stir, stir, stir! Don’t stop stirring until the Roux is a rich dark chocolate color.

Once the Roux is complete, add a spoonful at a time to the gumbo and stir each spoonful in well.

Cover the gumbo and simmer on low for an hour or so.

Serve with rice, potato salad, and fresh chopped green onion.

Pin to Pinterest:

September 16, 2021

Loaded Baked Potato Salad

This Loaded Baked Potato Salad is a tasty side that will have the whole crowd talking! The bacon and green onions is what gives this recipe it’s amazing flavor.

A loaded baked potato is so good that it can be it’s own meal. Loaded baked potatoes are also great sides for steak, barbecue, and seafood.

They’re delicious, and a potato salad version of a loaded baked potato is more convenient, and it’s a great for sharing at parties.

Instant Pot Cheesy Ranch and Bacon Potatoes

Oven Baked Scalloped Potatoes

I have several recipes for many different varieties of potato salad including traditional and mustard potato salads.

The great thing about this recipe is that it can easily be doubled to serve more people at bigger parties and gatherings.

Loaded Baked Potato Salad

Ingredients:

12-15 small potatoes or about ½ pound of potatoes
2 tbsp of mayonnaise
2 tbsp of sour cream
1 tbsp of olive oil
½ tsp of vinegar
4 oz shredded cheddar cheese
3-4 stalks of green onions
5 pieces of cooked bacon
½ tsp of salt
½ tsp of pepper

Directions:

Cut the potatoes into bite size pieces.

Place them in boiling water for 18 minutes.

Once the potatoes are cooked, drain the water, and place the potatoes into a mixing bowl.

In a separate mixing bowl, combine the sour cream, mayonnaise, olive oil, vinegar, salt and pepper and whisk until well combined.

Fry the five slices of bacon, and once crisp set aside to cool.

Once the bacon is cool, finely diced the bacon. Shred the cheddar cheese, and dice the green onions.

Combine bacon, cheese, green onion, and sour cream sauce with the potatoes.

Mix until well combined.

Refrigerate after preparing.

Print this recipe:

Loaded Baked Potato Salad

Ingredients

12-15 small potatoes or about ½ pound of potatoes
2 tbsp of mayonnaise
2 tbsp of sour cream
1 tbsp of olive oil
½ tsp of vinegar
4 oz shredded cheddar cheese
3-4 stalks of green onions
5 pieces of cooked bacon
½ tsp of salt
½ tsp of pepper

Instructions

Cut the potatoes into bite size pieces.

Place them in boiling water for 18 minutes.

Once the potatoes are cooked, drain the water, and place the potatoes into a mixing bowl.

In a separate mixing bowl, combine the sour cream, mayonnaise, olive oil, vinegar, salt and pepper and whisk until well combined.

Fry the five slices of bacon, and once crisp set aside to cool.

Once the bacon is cool, finely diced the bacon. Shred the cheddar cheese, and dice the green onions.

Combine bacon, cheese, green onion, and sour cream sauce with the potatoes.

Mix until well combined.

Refrigerate after preparing.

Enjoy!

September 16, 2021

Baked Mac and Cheese with Ritz Crackers and Bacon Topping

Dress up your mac and cheese with lots of flavor! Try this Baked Mac and Cheese with Ritz Crackers and Bacon topping!

If you are a fan of baked mac and cheese, I have a recipe that you MUST try.

I love trying new spins on traditional recipes. I enjoy making a variety of flavor combinations and mixing it up for my family!

We love our traditional Creamy Mac and Cheese recipe, but often times, I want to add more flavor and crisp to recipes. That’s where the Ritz Crackers and bacon comes in for this recipe!

If you love bacon and you love mac and cheese, this cheesy recipe is for you.

Southern Baked Mac and Cheese

Instant Pot Mac and Cheese

Baked Mac and Cheese with Ritz Crackers and Bacon Topping

Ingredients:

1/2 Pound Elbow Macaroni Noodles
12 oz. Velveeta
1/2 Stick Butter
1/2 Cup Half & Half
Shredded Cheese
Ritz Crackers
Cooked Bacon (cut in small pieces)
Salt & Pepper

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Cook the noodles according to the directions on the box.

While the noodles are still hot, add the half & half, butter, and Velveeta.

Add the prepared mix to a baking dish.

Crumble the Ritz crackers and sprinkle on top in a layer.

Add desired amount of shredded cheese on top of the Ritz crackers.

Bake for 10-12 minutes. Top with the cooked bacon.

Serve & enjoy!

September 16, 2021

Country Fried Chicken

Serve this delicious Country Fried Chicken with your favorite sides for dinner this week or this weekend. This is a family favorite!

My kids love chicken tenders. Of course they like to eat them at restaurants, and while it’s nice for someone else to cook, it is often expensive to feed three kids chicken tender baskets when going out to eat.

I decided to try the next best thing and make them at home.

I used chicken thighs because I prefer the taste and moisture of dark meat chicken. For this recipe, I did not cut the thighs to resemble chicken tenders or nuggets, but if you’d like you can also cut the chicken into smaller pieces.

You can also use boneless skinless breasts, or even use this recipe for bone in chicken to make the classic fried chicken.

Chicken Fried Steak and Gravy

Oven Baked Chicken Wings

Chicken Wings 3 Ways: Dry Rub, Buffalo, and Caribbean Jerk

For the adults, you can serve the country fried chicken with vegetables for a great Sunday meal, or you can place the fried chicken on a bun with lettuce and tomato for an easy chicken sandwich.

As you can see, this is a very versatile recipe. Moreover, it is a pleaser for the entire family, and it is a huge money saver.

The very best part of this dish though was that after I fed the first few pieces to my wife and kids they wanted more! I was able to make a delicious restaurant quality dish for my entire family for a fraction of the cost.

This is also a great dish for parties. I love to watch any sporting event, and with the big game on the horizon, this is a great way to make crowd pleasing food for lots of people for not a lot of money.

Finally, even if you make too much, the leftovers are just as good the next day, and this dish makes a great food that you can toss into your kiddos lunchbox on Monday morning.