Old Charleston-Style Shrimp and Grits

Recipe View In a heavy saucepan, bring water and 2 teaspoons of salt to a boil over medium-high heat. (2 minutes)

Recipe View Whisk grits into the boiling water, followed by half-and-half. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until grits are thickened and tender. Set aside and keep warm. (15-20 minutes)

Recipe View Season shrimp with salt and cayenne pepper. Add lemon juice, toss to combine, and set aside to marinate. (5 minutes)

Recipe View Place sausage slices in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until browned. Remove sausage from the skillet. (5-8 minutes)

Recipe View Add bacon to the same skillet. Cook over medium-high heat until evenly browned. Transfer bacon to paper towels to drain, then chop or crumble when cool enough to handle. Leave bacon drippings in the skillet. (10 minutes)

Recipe View Add bell peppers, onion, and garlic to the bacon drippings; cook and stir until onion is translucent. (8 minutes)

Recipe View Stir cooked sausage and marinated shrimp into the skillet with the cooked vegetables. Turn off the heat and set aside. (2 minutes)

Recipe View Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in flour, stirring to create a smooth roux. Turn heat to low and cook, stirring constantly, until mixture is golden brown in color. Watch carefully, mixture burns easily. (8-10 minutes)

Recipe View Pour the roux over the sausage, shrimp, and vegetables. (1 minute)

Recipe View Place the skillet over medium heat, add chicken broth, bacon, and Worcestershire sauce, and stir to combine. Cook until sauce thickens up and shrimp turn opaque and bright pink. (8 minutes)

Recipe View Just before serving, mix Cheddar cheese into grits; stir until cheese is melted and grits are creamy and light yellow. (2 minutes)

Recipe View Spoon grits onto plates and serve shrimp mixture over top. (2 minutes)