Blackened Honey Shrimp with Bacon White Cheddar Grits

Mardi Gras is tomorrow so tonight for dinner, I put together an impromptu shrimp and grits recipe, and it turned out delicious! All of these ingredients were things that I already had in my house! It has a nice kick but not overly spicy to the point of setting your mouth on fire. A great twist on a classic New Orleans dish!

Ingredients:

1 lb. shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 Tbs. fresh lemon juice
1/4 c. extra virgin olive oil
1 Tbs. soy sauce
1 Tbs. honey
1 Tbs. blackened seasoning

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. In a large bowl, whisk the lemon juice, olive oil, soy sauce, honey and blackened seasoning. Mix the shrimp in with the liquid and let marinate for about 20 minutes. Place in a single layer in a baking dish and pour the extra liquid on top. Bake in the oven for 8-10 minutes.

 

Grits Ingredients:

3 c. water

1/4 tsp. salt

1 c. grits

2 Tbs. butter

3 tsp. blackened seasoning

1/4 c. bacon bits

1 1/2 c. sharp white cheddar cheese, grated

1 tsp. freeze dried chives

Pour the water and salt into a small saucepan and set on high heat. When the water is boiling, add the grits and stir. Turn the heat down to a simmer and continue stirring occasionally for five minutes. Cover the saucepan and let sit for a few more minutes. Stir in the butter, seasoning, bacon bits and sharp cheddar and continue to stir until the butter is melted. Pour the grits into four serving dishes and top with shrimp. Spoon the sauce from the shrimp on top of each serving. Sprinkle each dish with chives before serving.