This cajun shrimp and grits recipe needs to go to the top of the pile of recipes to make. So delicious!
Two of my Instagram friends, Carla and Shawna put together a mini cooking club. They picked out this Weight Watcher recipe to be the recipe that everyone makes. It is so amazing to me how everyone has the same ingredients and instructions and each dish turned out completely different.
The recipe has been modified to serve one. I also added a tablespoon of shredded cheddar to the grits and I cooked the shrimp separately to get a nice sear on the shrimp.
How to get a good sear on shrimp
After I posted this recipe on Instagram last night, I had at least a dozen questions asking how to sear shrimp because their shrimp always comes out rubbery tasting. There are two factors: making sure the shrimp are completely dry before cooking and second, cook the shrimp to 120 degrees. Having a meat thermometer is your friend both for indoor cooking and grilling. My favorite meat thermometer is a Thermapen One. The instant read thermometer will take your food to the next level by cooking it to the right temperature and not over cooking your proteins. Full disclosure: This is an affiliate link, I may get $1 if you buy it, but I was using this long before I started working with them. 😁
Ingredients you need for cajun shrimp and grits
- chicken broth (or vegetable broth) for the grits
- quick cooking grits – I love using quick cooking grits because you can microwave them in 4 minutes
- cheddar cheese – adds a bit of flavor to the grits
- milk – I used unsweetened almond milk to stir in at the very end to make the grits extra creamy
- bacon – while it was called for in the recipe, I am not sure it was necessary – next time I will leave that out and save myself 2 points
- shrimp – buy frozen shrimp unless you live near a body of water where you can get it fresh
- vegetables – you can use any combination of vegetables – I chose red pepper and zucchini
- garlic – I made garlic chips to add a crunchy element to the dish, but you can chop the shrimp and add it to the veggie mix while you saute
Cajun Shrimp and Grits
This cajun shrimp and grits was adapted from a WW recipe online. I added cheese to the grits, and I cooked the shrimp separately to get a nice char on the shrimp. So delicious!
Ingredients
- For the grits:
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1/4 cup quick-cooking grits
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 tablespoons unsweetened almond milk
- 1 tablespoon cheddar cheese
- For the shrimp dish:
- 1 slice cooked bacon, chopped
- 1/2 cup diced red pepper
- 1/2 cup diced zucchini
- 5 ounces shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning
- 2 garlic cloves, sliced
- chopped parsley
Instructions
- Put the broth, grits, salt and pepper in a 4-cup measuring cup. Mix and microwave. Remove and add milk and cheddar cheese and
stir until combined. Cover with a cloth to keep warm. - In a skillet, heat over medium heat with avocado oil spray. Cook peppers and zucchini for 5 minutes. Remove from the
skillet. Add sliced garlic and cook over medium heat for 2-3 minutes until browned on both sides. It will crisp as it cools. In the same
skillet, cook shrimp 2-3 minutes a side, until opaque and cooked through. - Plate! Put the grits on the bottom, top with the veggies, shrimp and crumbled bacon and chopped parsley. This was delicious! The shrimp was just spicy enough, and the grits were so creamy with the added milk and cheese.
Notes
On my WW plan, this plate is 9 points. Click this link to see what the points would be on your plan.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 1 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 366Total Fat: 11gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 333mgSodium: 4178mgCarbohydrates: 23gFiber: 3gSugar: 6gProtein: 44g
I made your Nashville Hot Shrimp & Grits from your cookbook. Delicious. This looks wonderful, too.
Thank you Kathleen!