Pappadeaux Shrimp and Grits Recipe | The Ultimate Guide - Blend of Bites (2024)

An iconic southern dish, this Pappadeaux shrimp and grits recipe is an all-time classic. With a savory, creamy, and cheesy taste; this will be your new favorite recipe for holidays. Admittedly, it might be a bit hard, especially if you’re a beginner or inexperienced. But you get to start from somewhere, and there is nothing better than shrimp when it comes to classy dishes.

Ingredients

1. Base ingredients

• Shrimp — 1 pound, peeled and deveined.
• Chicken stock — ¼ cup.
• Bacon — 6 slices.
• Garlic — 2 cloves, minced.
• Onion — 2 pieces, sliced.
• Red bell pepper — ⅓ cup.
• Smoked paprika — 1 tbsp.
• Parsley — 2 tbsp., chopped.
• Cajun seasoning — 2 tbsp.
• Salt and pepper — to taste.

2. The grit

• Water — 2 cups.
• Milk — 2 ½ cups.
• Quick grits — 1 cup.
• Butter — 3 ½ tbsp.
• Cheddar — 1 ½ cups.
• Bay leaf — 1 piece.
• Salt — to taste.

Instructions

1. Cook the bacon slices in a skillet on high heat.

2. Remove from the heat, chop the bacon into small pieces and set aside.

3. Remember to keep the bacon grease, for use later.

4. Heat some oil in a saucepan, and sauté the shrimp for a few minutes.

5. Add Cajun seasoning and mix well. Remove from the pan.

6. Add garlic, onion, red bell peppers, smoked paprika, and parsley to the empty pan.

7. Pour chicken broth on top. Cook for a few minutes.

8. Add the browned shrimp back, and cook for another few minutes.

9. Add milk, water, bay leaf, and salt to another pan, mixing well.

10. Whisk together cheese and butter. Stir well.

11. Combine the grit with the cheese mixture.

12. Place the grits in the bottom of a bowl or a serving plate. Follow by placing the Cajun shrimp on top.

13. Drizzle the bacon grease over your dish.

Substitutions

• Chicken stock — Although the original Pappadeaux shrimp and grits recipe uses chicken stock, there are some substitutions available if you don’t have it. If you don’t mind the flavor that comes with stock, you can simply replace it with water. Beef stock might be a better alternative than water, but keep in mind that it has a more dominant taste.

• Cajun seasoning — Cajun seasoning is the not-so-secret ingredient that gives Pappadeaux shrimp and grits its unique taste. Without it, your dish will simply lack some much-needed flair. If you’re short on Cajun seasoning, you can make your own at home. You’ll be needing onion powder (1 tbsp.), garlic powder (1 tbsp.), dried basil and oregano (1 tbsp. each), turmeric (⅓ tbsp.), and black pepper. Simply mix these and place the mixture into a jar. If, however, you’re short on ingredients, you can always replace Cajun seasoning with Old Bay, Creole, or Adobo.

Variations

• Dairy-free — For a dairy-free shrimp and grits recipe, vegan butter and coconut butter will do just fine. You can also use olive oil or coconut oil. When it comes to cheddar cheese, there are dairy-free alternatives like tofu cheese and almond cheese, but they will not taste the same.

Equipment

• Measuring spoons and cups.

• Medium-sized saucepan.

Storage and reheating

• Store any leftover Pappadeaux shrimp and grits in an airtight container in the fridge.

• When reheating, simply cover it with foil and pop it into the oven at 275 degrees.

Tips

• Fresh or frozen? — This Pappadeaux shrimp and grits recipe could be made with either fresh or frozen shrimps, with some differences. Finding fresh shrimp might be hard, especially if you’re not located in a coastal area. It will also be expensive. Frozen shrimp will do the job, just make sure that it’s not precooked and that you unfreeze it completely before cooking.

• Short on time? — If you’re short on time, you can always go with precooked shrimps. But keep in mind that it just won’t be the same with using raw shrimp, especially since the flavor and the texture will differ noticeably.

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