Shrimp and Grits Casserole

June 26, 2019
A creamy and comforting Southern staple in casserole form ~ delicious Shrimp and Grits Casserole.  Easy to make and sure to be a family dinner favorite.
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Shrimp and Grits Casserole Image

Shrimp and grits.  It's totally a southern-tradition dish with which I was absolutely unfamiliar until I moved to North Carolina.  Grits just aren't a Vermont thing.  

I'll admit, I was afraid to try it at first.  But every good Southerner has had shrimp and grits, so as someone who chose for the South to be my home, I had to give it a try.  And I am so glad I finally did. 

 Because now?  It's one of my favorites!  I'm a shrimp and grits convert, for sure.

A lot of shrimp and grits dishes are spicy - This shrimp and grits dish certainly is not. It's a very mild-flavored, cheesy, shrimpy grits casserole-style dish, without the typical spice.

To be honest though, I'm still not a fan of just plain grits.  Mixed in with stuff? - sure, love them.  But in my 25 years of a now-Southerner, plain grits is just something I've never been able to develop a taste for.  Oh well, I'll just stick to putting shrimp and lots of cheesy goodness in my grits!

Now, a lot of shrimp and grits dishes are spicy - including lots of bold spices and often even Andouille sausage to bring the heat.

This shrimp and grits dish certainly is not. It's a very mild-flavored, cheesy, shrimpy grits casserole-style dish, without the typical spice.

And while I love the classic spicy shrimp and grits, I love this mild-flavored casserole just as much.

Serving Spoon with Shrimp and Grits Casserole Image

To whip up this Southern favorite, start by cooking up your grits.

I've learned from my Southern-born friends who've grown up cooking grits, the secret to good grits is to add the grits to the liquid mixture very slowly. And to be sure to whisk them constantly while you're adding the grits, and then cook them until they're very thick.

When you're just starting to add the grits to the cooking liquid, they'll look like this:

Cooking Grits with a Whisk Image

And once they're done, they'll look nice and thick like this:

Thickened Cooked Grits in a Pot Image

Once the grits are cooked, stir in some Parmesan, cream cheese, chives, parsley, shrimp, and a little squeeze of lemon juice.

The Parmesan, chives, parsley, and lemon bring fabulous flavor to the gits.  And the touch of cream cheese brings wonderful creaminess.

I've learned from my Southern-born friends who've grown up cooking grits, the secret to good grits is to add the grits to the liquid mixture very slowly. 

I like to leave the shrimp in pretty big pieces - for 2 reasons:

  1. I like to get nice big bites of shrimp when eating the finished casserole.
  2. Leaving the shrimp in a bit bigger pieces helps ensure they won't overcook when the casserole is baking.

If your shrimp are on the small size, leave them whole.  I they're large shrimp, coarsely chop them.

Stirring Together Ingredients to Make Shrimp and Grits Casserole Image

Spoon the shrimp and grits mixture into a baking dish.  Then, bake it all up until the grits are set and the shrimp are pink.

I like to bake mine until little spots of light brown are just starting to appear on the high-spots around the edges of the grits.

Baked Shrimp and Grits Casserole in Baking Dish Image
  
Then dig in and serve up a big old plate full.  It's just perfect with a side of lima beans or sauteed cabbage, in true Southern form.

Yuuuuuuuum - It's total Southern comfort on a plate.  Easy to make, and sure to be a family dinner favorite.

Baked Shrimp and Grits Casserole Image
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casserole, shrimp casserole, shrimp and grits, dinner recipe, recipe
Main Dishes
Yield: 6-8 Servings

Shrimp and Grits Casserole

A creamy and comforting Southern staple in casserole form. Easy to make and sure to be a family dinner favorite.
prep time: 15 Mcook time: 30 Mtotal time: 45 M

ingredients:

  • 2 c. milk {I use whole milk, but any "slimmer" variety is fine too}
  • 3/4 c. chicken broth
  • 1 c. quick-cooking grits
  • 1/4 tsp. salt
  • 1/2 c. shredded Parmesan cheese
  • 2 T. butter
  • 4 oz. cream cheese {less fat Neufchatel-type is fine}
  • 2 T. chopped fresh chives {or you can use dried}
  • 3 T. chopped fresh parsley {or 1 T. dried parsley}
  • 1 T. lemon juice
  • 1 egg, lightly beaten
  • 1 lb. peeled raw shrimp, roughly chopped

instructions:

How to cook Shrimp and Grits Casserole

  1. Bring milk and chicken broth to a boil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Gradually add grits and salt to pan, stirring constantly with a whisk. Cook 5 minutes or until thick, stirring constantly.
  2. Remove grits from heat. Stir in Parmesan, butter, and cream cheese until melted; then stir in remaining ingredients.
  3. Spoon grits mixture into a 11x7" baking dish generously coated with cooking spray. Bake at 375℉ for 25 minutes, or until set and the top is just starting to get some golden brown areas.
Created using The Recipes Generator


You might also like these other creamy & comforting casseroles:



21 comments

  1. I'm from Utah, grits have not yet arrived. But I do love shrimp and this dish looks delicious.I will try it.

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  2. Southern food is something I've always wished I knew more about. I just KNOW there are dishes out there that I'd love that I haven't heard about. Case in point: this casserole. It looks yummy!

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  3. I've lived in Alabama and Mississippi my entire life, so southern cooking is definitely my thing. This looks like a very good shrimp and grits recipe. I'll be trying it very soon. Visiting from Serenity Now.

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  4. This looks good! Though I'm pretty sure I've never had grits before...maybe when I visited the South several years ago. Thanks so much for sharing at Scrumptious Sunday at Addicted to Recipes! Hope to see you at the next link party, starting Sunday!

    http://iamaddictedtorecipes.blogspot.com

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  5. I am a northerner...never had grits...was looking for something different and easy to put on my Christmas buffet table...this has become a staple...I don't know what shrimp and grits is supposed to taste like , but this stuff is good

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  6. Oh yes....this does look good. Thanks for sharing and my husband is going to love this.

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  7. You know I love my grits, I am a Southerner, but I have never tried them with Shrimp. This is now on my to-do list. Thanks for sharing!

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  8. I love Shrimp & Grits, this is a keeper! thanks for joining us at Saturday Dishes http://www.callmepmc.com/2013/02/saturday-dishes-fish-shrimp-call-me-pmc.html
    Hope you come to the partys SAturday the theme is Casseroles this week.
    Paula pmctunejones@gmail.com

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  9. Thanks for linking at HammockTracks last week. I have featured you and I hope that you'll add any other casseroles you'd like to share to this week's link up.

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  10. Thanks for joining us at Saturday Dishes, Pinned to Saturday Dishes board ~ Paula

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  11. This looks so great! I'm going to try this for sure! Thanks for sharing it at Saturday Dishes :)

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  12. Made this tonight for dinner and all I have to say is, "Dear Mother of God this was incredible!!!"

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  13. I have not had much experience with grits either, but have always wanted to try shrimp and grits. This looks wonderful!

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  14. I love grits...garlic cheese grits are one of my favorites...this looks delish! Thanks for sharing with the Thursday Blog HOp!

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  15. Two of my favorites...Shrimp and grits. This looks delicious. Thanks so much for the recipe.

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  16. I've been making grits for years. But we always have them for breakfast. This looks wonderful! Thank you for sharing at the Thursday Favorite things blog hop. Watch for your feature on Monday xo

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  17. Congratulations!
    Your recipe had the most views at our party last week! Hope you enjoyed your feature at Full Plate Thursday this week and your new Red Plate. Have a great day and come back soon!
    Miz Helen

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  18. Maybe I'm being blind, but where do you add the shrimp and rest of ingredientsz?

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  19. Add some minced garlic to this and you will think you are in Charleston enjoying a great meal. Med. or lg shrimp work well with casseroles. You don't need the expense of jumbo, prawns or colossal shrimp to make this work for you. Save those sizes for the grill.

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  20. This looks so creamy delicious! Thanks for sharing at the What's for Dinner Party. Have a great week.

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