Chipotle Shrimp & Cheesy Grits

Do you ever go to restaurant, read something that sounds amazing on the menu but when it comes out it’s just sort of meh? This recently happened to me and I just thought I can do better than what I was served. So I gave it a go with these Chipotle Shrimp & Cheesy Grits and I was, in fact, correct! The bold flavor of the chipotle in the tomato gravy with shrimp and andouille was on point. And you really can’t go wrong adding some cheese to your grits!

Getting the tomato gravy just right is what really hits the home run on this dish. You want it to be thick enough to call it gravy but not so thick that you can eat it with a fork. By using the same butter that you cook the shrimp in, you get that extra shrimp flavor in the gravy too, which really brings it together in the end. I added in the red bell peppers for a bit of texture as well as the bit of brightness.

If you can’t find andouille style sausage, you can use a kielbasa or smoked sausage in it’s place. When I cut the sausage, I like to cut it in half lengthwise and then chop it into half inch pieces. Since you are just heating it up in the sauce, it doesn’t matter how big or small you make them, just make them all roughly the same size. For the bacon, I usually go with a center cut, thick bacon. You get more meat with it and it crisps up really nicely.

If you are worried about the spiciness of this there are a few things you can do. Use smoked sausage instead of andouille. Omit the red pepper flakes. Or you could use half as much chipotle peppers. But I would not recommend doing all three. This is supposed to be a spicy dish, think Cajun food here.

Now Let’s Get Cookin’!

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Chipotle Shrimp & Cheesy Grits

Shrimp & Grits with a little extra kick, some cheese and some bacon!

Course Main Course

Cuisine American, Cajun

Keyword andouille, bacon, cheese, grits, shrimp, shrimp recipes

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Servings 6

Ingredients

• 1½ lb Large Shrimp peeled, deveined, tails-off
• 1/2 cup Butter
• 4 Garlic Cloves minced
• 1 tsp Minced Dried Onion
• 1 tsp Red Pepper Flakes
• 1 tsp Cumin
• 4 tbsp Flour
• 1 15oz can Crushed Tomatoes
• 1 4oz can Chipotle Peppers in Adobo chopped,
• 1 lb Andouille Sausage cut into ½ inch pieces
• 1 Red Bell Pepper diced
• ½ lb Bacon cut into ½ inch pieces
• 1½ cup Quick Grits
• 2 qt Chicken or Vegetable Broth divided
• 1 cup Cheddar Cheese shredded
• 4 Scallions chopped

Instructions

• Prepare all of the ingredients.
• In a large saute pan over medium-high heat, add butter, and garlic. Once melted add shrimp, cumin, red pepper flakes, and onion. Cover with lid and cook for 7 minutes (until shrimp is just cooked.) Remove shrimp from pan and keep warm. Reserve juices.
• In the same saute pan, reduce heat to medium and whisk in flour and cook for 3 minutes then whisk in 2 cups broth. Let cook 3 minutes then add chopped chipotle, and crushed tomato. Cook for 3 minutes then add red bell peppers and andouille. Reduce heat to medium low and let simmer until ready to serve.
• In a frying pan over medium-high heat, add bacon. Cook until crispy and remove to paper towel covered plate.
• In a saucepan over medium-high heat, add remaining broth. Bring to a boil then add grits. Once boiling again, reduce heat to medium-low and cook for 5 minutes. Stir in cheese. Cook for 3 minutes more.
• Return shrimp to large saute pan with sauce and sausage. Stir to coat.
• In a shallow bowl, start with a portion of grits. Ladle shrimp and sausage sauce. Sprinkle with bacon and scallions.