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.  

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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.