I’m a Southern girl at heart, and I have a soft spot for old-school Southern comfort food.  This take on Shrimp and Grits has a Pennsylvania twist: the creamy grits are loaded with buttery, gooey Conebella Farms Old Bay Cheddar.  Yum!

-Courtesy of Kate Stroh, Cheese Monger at Talula’s Table

3 slices thick-cut bacon 1.5 lb. medium shrimp (preferably wild), peeled and deveined    1 medium sweet onion, diced 2 cloves garlic, minced 2 cups diced bell pepper (orange, green, red) 14.5 ounce can diced, Organic, fire-roasted tomatoes 2 cups corn grits (I love Bob’s Red Mill Yellow Grits) 3 cups water 3 cups whole milk 1 T salt 2 ½ cups shredded Conebella Cheddar (Old Bay or Plain) Tabasco sauce (optional) ¼ cup scallions, sliced thin ½ cup parsley, chopped

Cook bacon until crisp in a large, heavy-bottom frying pan. Drain bacon on paper towels, crumble, and set aside. 

Pour off mostly all of the bacon grease, reserving a little at the bottom of the pan for flavor.  Add 2 tablespoons olive oil and reheat pan over medium heat.  Sauté onion until translucent, about 3 minutes. Add garlic and peppers and sauté for another 2 minutes.  Add can of tomatoes and cook until reduced by half, about 7-8 minutes.  Add shrimp and cook until firm, another 5 minutes. Add Tabasco, salt, and pepper to taste. Cover and keep warm until grits are ready.

 Meanwhile, to make the grits, bring water, milk, and salt to a boil in a large, heavy pot.  Add grits in a steady stream, whisking constantly.  Reduce heat to low, cover, and cook for approximately 10 minutes, whisking frequently to prevent clumping. Stir in shredded cheese and more salt and pepper, to taste. 

To serve, stir in chopped scallions and parsley to shrimp mixture.  Serve grits first, top with generous serving of shrimp, and finish with crumbled bacon.