Shrimp 'n Grits

I wanted to try Shrimp 'n Grits tonight and really knew what I wanted it to taste like more than I wanted to go try to find a recipe. :) Welcome to "How to create a recipe to your liking - 101."

Ingredients (Feeds 5-6 adults)
apx. 30 uncooked shrimp
1 lb. neese's sausage (breakfast, ground sausage)
1 small onion, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
1/2 tsp fresh minced garlic (i used the kind already prepared in glass jar)
1/2 stick butter
2 cups milk
1 cup water
1/2 cup flour
grits, however you'd typically prepare them for your family (we use quick grits).

Here are some pictures of some of the ingredients that might not be familiar.

ez peel bag of apx. 25-30 worked perfectly

I didn't use hot, but THIS is Neese's Country Sausage

Walmart/ Great Value or Quaker... They taste the same

Found this at Target, in the fridge close to cheeses.

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Started by adding butter to hot pan, and sauteing the onion, celery, sausage & garlic over medium heat for about 5 minutes.

Then I added the flour. Started with a little dusting, and did it a couple more times. Probably equaled about 1/2 cup. Stir it in till all the contents are coated, and there is no sign of "white" to your flour anymore, only about 1 minute.

Next, add liquid. I did 2 cups of milk, and 1 cup water. After it was brought back up to a low simmer, I added the ravioli (about 1/2 of the 20 oz bag). Also at this point, it's a good time to get your grits going. Our quick grits only take about 10 minutes on the stove top.

Since the ravioli need to be in for about 7 minutes to be fully cooked, I waited till the last second to add the peeled shrimp. Shrimp only needs to be pink to be fully cooked. Don't over-cook your shrimp, y'all.

Don't forget to salt & pepper your bowl to taste. I'll rate it a 8.5/10. Next time, these are the adjustments I'll make. #1. I'll use a full pound of sausage. This time I only used about 1/3 pound. And #2. I'll add some sort of cajun seasoning for kick... Maybe about a teaspoon or two of something like this:

Here's the finished product. The kids all enjoyed it (***Pretty much*** Brady was not a huge fan, but he's been grumpy today, so had it been another day, I think he'd have eaten it up!)

This is about the time that Carter told me "There's a party in my tummy!"

Directions with no pics:
Started by adding butter to hot pan, and sauteing the onion, celery, sausage & garlic over medium heat for about 5 minutes. Then I added the flour. Started with a little dusting, and did it a couple more times. Probably equaled about 1/2 cup. Stir it in till all the contents are coated, and there is no sign of "white" to your flour anymore, only about 1 minute. Next, add liquid. I did 2 cups of milk, and 1 cup water. After it was brought back up to a low simmer, I added the ravioli (about 1/2 of the 20 oz bag). Also at this point, it's a good time to get your grits going. Our quick grits only take about 10 minutes on the stove top. Since the ravioli need to be in for about 7 minutes to be fully cooked, I waited till the last second to add the peeled shrimp. Shrimp only needs to be pink to be fully cooked. Don't over-cook your shrimp, y'all. And finally, Don't forget to salt & pepper your bowl to taste. I'll rate it a 8.5/10. Next time, these are the adjustments I'll make. #1. I'll use a full pound of sausage. This time I only used about 1/3 pound. And #2. I'll add some sort of cajun seasoning for kick... Maybe about a teaspoon or two of something like Emeril's "Essence."