This week my husband and I had the honor of attending the 60th wedding anniversary of some very dear servants of the Lord. We had become acquainted with Gayle and Ada years ago when my husband traveled to Japan on a short term trip to minister to some pastors and leaders and Gayle had also been invited. The two of them have been close ever since so naturally Ada and I have had the pleasure of getting to know one another.
The anniversary party lasted hours and folks dropped in and out during the day. We couldn’t get there soon enough and we chatted and played catchup over conversations that included an interview Gayle had done in his younger days with Johnny Cash who had confessed boldly Jesus Christ. Gayle is a wonderful storyteller and the time flew by.
During the evening the hostess had served up some of the most amazing Shrimp and Grits I’d ever tasted and I pleaded with her for the recipe. She wrote it out and shared it with everyone who had responded to a Facebook invitation for the event.
Now, I was hoping it would have been simple like, “just go to Pinterest and pin this recipe” but that was not the case so saving the recipe with all my others on Pinterest wasn’t going to happen unless it’s posted somewhere on the inherent. Hence, this post and the recipe below. If you ever get a chance to try shrimp and grits don’t hesitate … it is truly a culinary delight!
Thank you Gloria for the recipe. I’m going to reduce to 1/2 and put it on my christmas menu this year. God bless you for sharing it with me and God bless Gayle and Ada! Happy Anniversary!
“A few requested the recipe for the shrimp and grits served at the gathering. Here it is!”
Anniversary Shrimp and Slow Cooker Grits – adapted from addapinch.com serves 8-12
- 1 1/2 cups Quick Grits (not instant)
- 3 cups chicken stock
- 3 1/2 cups water
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 cup half and half
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 2 cups Trader Joe’s cheddar-gruyere cheese, shredded
- 1 cup Mexican blend shredded cheese
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme
Spray slow cooker insert with nonstick cooking spray. Combine grits, chicken stock, water and salt in slow cooker. Cook on low setting for a minimum of 5 hours, stirring once half way through cooking time. Stir in cheeses followed by butter, cream, half and half and thyme. Replace lid and change setting to warm. Grits will maintain a loose texture for up to 3 hours on this setting.
Shrimp – based loosely on Bobby Flay’s recipe
- 6-8 slices sweet and spicy, thick-sliced bacon (Stater Bros butcher case)
- 36-40 shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 4-6 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1-2 cups chicken stock Creole seasoning (I used Tony Cacheres)
- Parsley, chopped
Place bacon slices on foil covered baking sheet. Bake at 400 degrees for 11-12 minutes or until crispy but not charred. Move bacon to paper towel and reserve all drippings. Chop bacon in bite-sized pieces and set aside. Combine bacon drippings and an equivalent amount of butter in a medium saucepan. Add 1 1/2 cups chicken stock, bacon and 3/4 teaspoon creole seasoning or according to taste, being careful not to over-salt. Stir over medium heat till warmed. Add all shrimp and stir just until shrimp is opaque – 2 to 3 minutes, adding additional chicken stock if sauce level is inadequate. Do not overcook shrimp. Scoop a serving of grits into a bowl. Ladle 4 to 5 shrimp with bacon and sauce over the grits. Garnish with chopped parsley.