“Make It Snappy” is presented by Goldfish Swim School of Chapel Hill. With recipes that only take 45 minutes or less to prepare, Christy helps you stay afloat at dinner time!
One of my favorite challenges in the kitchen is to put a creative twist on a traditional recipe – a new approach to an old favorite. This time I’ve taken a beloved classic, shrimp and grits, and brought in a few new flavors that I know my children love. My hope is that in mentioning two of their familiar favorites, BBQ sauce and pimento cheese, my kiddos will be ready and willing to try this dish.
We are currently enjoying as many evenings outdoors as we can before the cold weather settles in, so we chose to grill the shrimp for this meal, though you may certainly sauté them on the stovetop or oven roast if you prefer. We grill shrimp using wooden skewers soaked in water, but you can also use a grilling basket or fashion a DIY grill pan out of tin foil.
We love shortcuts around here, but this month, I’m asking you to avoid a grocery store classic: pre-shredded cheese. Bagged shredded cheeses are coated in an anti-caking agent to prevent the cheese from sticking to itself. This works well in some cases, but when it comes to pimento cheese or incorporating cheese into a larger dish, that powdery substance can interfere with smooth melting and alter the final flavor and texture of the grits. So, in this case, I invite you to take just a few extra minutes and grate a fresh block of your favorite sharp cheddar cheese.
The grocery store shortcut I AM relying on this month is bottled, sweet BBQ sauce. You can certainly make your own, but with so many wonderful options on the grocery store shelves, not to mention so many great locally-made NC sauces, there’s no reason not to lean on this pantry staple. Note: while I’m a born and bred vinegar sauce girl, this is NOT the time to break out the Eastern NC BBQ sauce. Marinating shrimp in vinegar for too long will break down the shrimp, so in this case, I’m using a thicker, sweeter sauce (think Memphis style). The sweet shrimp are the perfect complement to the savory, cheesy grits!
BBQ SHRIMP AND PIMENTO CHEESE GRITS
By: Christy Bray Graves
SERVES: 6
INGREDIENTS
For the Grilled Shrimp
- 6-8 wooden skewers
- 2 lbs. fresh shrimp, peeled and deveined
- ½ cup sweet BBQ sauce of your choice*
- Salt and pepper (optional, to taste)
For the Pimento Cheese Grits
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 2 cups water
- 1 ½ cups old fashioned grits
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp onion powder
- ¼ tsp ground mustard
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- 3 TBSP butter
- 8 oz. block of sharp cheddar cheese**
- 4 oz. jar diced pimentos, drained
To Garnish
- Cooked bacon, crumbled
- Green onions
- Grated cheddar cheese
- Reserved pimentos
- Freshly cracked black pepper
- Hot sauce
- Drizzled BBQ sauce
INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat the grill over medium-low heat.
- Soak the wooden skewers for 10 minutes by placing them in a shallow, rimmed serving platter filled with water.
- In a large plastic zip-top bag, marinate the shrimp in the ½ cup of BBQ sauce, adding more to coat the shrimp if needed.
- In a large pot, bring the chicken broth and the water to a boil. If you don’t quite have 4 full cups of broth, add enough water to reach 6 cups of liquid total. Bring the liquid up to a boil over high heat.
- Once the broth and water have reached a rolling boil, slowly stir in the grits, salt, onion powder, ground mustard and black pepper. Cover the pot with a lid and reduce the heat to low.
- Allow the grits to cook for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally until the grits have thickened and most of the liquid is incorporated.
- In the last minute of cooking, stir in the butter and grated cheddar cheese, adding the cheese ½ cup at a time until you reach your desired level of cheesy consistency. (I use 1½ cups of cheese)
- Stir in ¼ cup of the drained pimentos, reserving a few for garnish.
- Taste the grits and adjust the seasoning as you see fit. Add additional butter or cheese if you’d like a richer flavor.***
- While the grits cook, skewer the marinated shrimp and sprinkle with a bit of salt and pepper.
- Grill the shrimp skewers over medium-low or indirect heat for 4-6 minutes per side, brushing the shrimp with additional BBQ sauce if you like.
- Serve grits topped with BBQ shrimp and garnish with additional grated cheese, reserved pimentos, green onions or even chopped bacon!
NOTES
*While I love Eastern NC BBQ sauce on my chopped pork, this is not the time for a vinegar-based sauce! Marinating shrimp in vinegar for too long will break down the shrimp, so in this case, I’m using a thicker, sweeter sauce (think Memphis style).
**I highly recommend skipping bagged, shredded cheese for this recipe as it contains an anti-caking agent that can change the texture and the flavor of the grits. Selecting a high quality cheddar cheese and grating it by hand will result in a creamier texture.
***Do not add additional salt until you’ve tasted the grits after cooking! The broth, the cheese and the butter you’re using may contain salt, so be sure you check the flavor before adding additional salt. If you’re planning to garnish with bacon, keep its high sodium level in mind as well.
As a wife and mom of three young boys, I often consider myself a master “chaos coordinator.” Between running our family business, Chapel Hill Toffee, managing our household and balancing busy schedules, I love to create quick and simple recipes that I know my family will enjoy – and my kids will actually eat!
My recipes are more of a guide than a perfect plan. I will always encourage you to use what you have on hand and make substitutions to suit your tastes. I invite you to share your own ideas, questions and final products with us on Facebook and on Instagram by tagging @christybgraves and @wchlchapelboro.
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