20-Minute Meal: Redneck Edition

I want to start this post by lowering your expectations. There is nothing elegant, interesting, or new here. There will be no special silverware or fancy plating. This is simply where the Southerner deep inside of you will come out to play. Or rodeo. Whichever.

Oddly enough, it was a conversation with a guy from Nevada that inspired this. He kept talking about this meal like it was the Holy Grail of dinners. Like, if he was on death row, shrimp and grits would be on the menu. The love ran that deep.
Anywho, it got me curious. In short, I get it. It was hearty without making you feel stuffed and can definitely be healthy with a few minor detours (which I just couldn’t bring myself to take!).

Shrimp & White Chedder Grits
Here’s what you need:
1 lb raw shrimp, deveined and peeled
1 lemon
2 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
olive oil
2 medium zucchini, chopped roughly
1/2 bag frozen roasted bell peppers (totally optional)
1/4 c chopped chives
2 c grits (you can use quinoa, too! I bet that’d be tasty!)
3 T butter (here’s where you can swap for something lighter)
2 greedy fistfulls dainty cups white cheddar
salt and pepper

For grits: Bring 3 c water to a boil with a pinch of salt. Stir in grits once it’s boiling then reduce heat to simmer for about 10 minutes. Once it’s cooked, stir in cheese until melty and glorious.

In the meantime, sautee shrimp with lemon juice, garlic, chives, salt and pepper with a bit of olive oil. Remove from pan and sautee veggies until tender and cooked through. Put shrimp back in pan to heat. Plate together and dig in.

So give me your best “You might be a redneck if…” joke and saddle up for the best gosh darn dinner of your week. Yee-haw.