Charleston Style Shrimp and Grits

Ingredients

1 lb large shrimp (peeled and deveined)
4 cups cooked grits
1 tsp salt
1/4 cup sharp cheddar (grated)
2 tbs butter
6 slices bacon (cooked/crumbled, reserve fat)
1 medium onion (chopped)
1/2 medium green pepper (chopped)
1 tbs minced garlic
2 tbs bacon fat
1 tbs minced fresh or pickled jalapeno
2 tbs cocktail sauce
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 28 oz can diced tomatoes

Instructions

The first six ingredients are for the shrimp/grits/topping. The others are for the creole sauce. Sautee onions, peppers, and garlic in bacon fat until softened. Add the rest of the sauce ingredients and simmer 30-45 minutes until thickened.

Cook grits according to package instructions, adding salt, cheese and butter. Sautee shrimp until almost cooked through. Add creole sauce to the shrimp and simmer for a few minutes. Pour on top of the cheese grits and garnish with crumbled bacon.

Notes

We used leftover steamed shrimp, and diced up fresh tomatoes for our version. We also used pepper-jack cheese.