My take on the southern classic, with a focus on the grits being just as flavorful as the shrimp and gravy!

Ingredients

• Grits
  • 6 cups chicken stock
  • 6 cups milk
  • 3 cups grits
  • 1 heaping spoon minced garlic
  • 1 stick butter
  • Shredded cheese (to taste)
  • Salt and Pepper (to taste)
• Shrimp & Gravy
  • 1 lb already cooked shrimp, shelled, deveined, tails removed
  • 1 pack cubed ham
  • 1 pack andoullie sausage (chopped)
  • 2 large white onions, minced
  • 2 cups celery, minced
  • 2 cups bell pepper, minced
  • 1 heaping spoon garlic
  • 1 half stick butter
  • 2 cups chicken stock
  • 2 tsp dried thyme
  • 2 tsp dried sage
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1.5 Tbs Cajun seasoning
  • Tabasco
  • Lemon juice
  • 1.5 cups milk
  • 1/4 cup corn starch

Instructions

1. Grits: Bring all ingredients besides grits and cheese to boil in a large pot. Add grits, lower to medium, whisk occasionally for 15 minutes. Take off heat, stir in cheese, cover and let sit to absorb more moisture while making shrimp and gravy.
2. Shrimp & Gravy: Cook ham and sausage in butter, remove, leaving grease in pan. Add various veggies, saute until reduced to a little less then half, remove from pan. Add chicken stock to pan, heat shrimp in stock until simmering. Remove shrimp, add all seasonings, Tabasco, and lemon juice to broth, let simmer for 5 minutes. While simmering, whisk together milk and cornstarch. Whisk milk mixture with stock, simmer until bubbling and thick. Add back in all veggies and meat, get back to simmering, serve over grits.

Yield: 8 servings