Easy Creamy Cajun Shrimp and Grits with Sausage
This could quite possibly be the BEST version of shrimp and grits that I’ve ever had! This Easy Creamy Cajun Shrimp and Grits with Sausage recipe is exactly like it sounds… decadent! Succulent shrimp and spicy sausage are combined with a Southern staple, GRITS. And these aren’t just regular grits. These are creamy grits with lots of Colby Jack cheese and half and half for a richness that just can’t be beat. You are going to be impressed… I just know it!
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If you caught the first sentence of my intro, you would have noticed that I said this was the best version I’d ever had… in other words… this recipe isn’t original to me. I made some slight changes (that didn’t really affect the flavor), but this recipe was shared with me by a very sweet lady in my community. And I want to talk about that very lady just for a moment.
She is actually the mother of one of my former sweet students, Alyssa, and her name is Kristi. And she just so happened to post a question on her Facebook page the other day that caught my attention. “Do I have any lady friends who would like to start a meeting once a month in my home for a Bible study?”
And there were 59 responses to her inquiry! Talk about amazing!
Of course, I was one of the 59 that responded because what’s not to like? Ladies meeting together with someone who so graciously offered her home and time to discuss the Bible. That’s a NO BRAINER!
I must admit that I was a little nervous. There were going to be lots of ladies here and I wasn’t sure if I was going to know any of them besides our host. As I walked into the house I was greeted by several sweet “hello’s” and immediately saw the two large crockpots with shrimp and grits. (HA) I also saw two large containers with what looked to be delicious punch and Southern sweet tea. I knew instantly I was in the right place. (LOL)
After all of the ladies arrived, we seated ourselves comfortably and got ready for the icebreaker. (I was really glad of this because I needed to learn some names and details about the other guests.) Then it came time for the lesson. Mrs. Kristi was going to talk about friendship and the reason that she felt led to start this group in the first place. She gave her beautiful testimony of how the Lord kept dealing with her about friendship and friend’s groups until she eventually relented and decided to step out on a limb and post that question. (And I’m so glad that she did.)
The other amazing thing was how many new people I met but also how many I actually already knew! (or knew me.)
There were former colleagues in the room that I hadn’t seen in a while and we got to reconnect over brunch. One of the ladies came up to me and said that she takes care of my grandmother’s therapy in the nursing home. She just gushed about how much she loved her and she was so kind and fun to talk to.
There were several pastor’s wives from different local churches that were there and were excited to connect with ladies from all over our community regardless of their attending church or religious affiliation. (That was truly refreshing.) I had several mother’s there from former students and we were able to catch up on what their precious children were currently involved in and how they are doing in college. I quickly realized that there was ABSOLUTELY nothing to be nervous about. These were just women like myself looking to connect within the community, study the Bible, and grow together.
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After everything was said and done… it was time to eat! I wandered to the punch bowl first because I LOVE punch and because my throat was dry from nerves. (HA) And it was amazing! I’m going to share that recipe in the future as well. But then I scooped myself some shrimp and grits.
And the world stopped turning. I couldn’t hear anything. I couldn’t see anything.
The only awareness that I had was this deliciously creamy shrimp and grits in my mouth and how I would most certainly have to ask for the recipe. “Will she give it to me?”, I thought to myself. “I totally understand if she doesn’t. It’s probably an old family recipe passed down through generations and the ingredients are kept under lock and key. But, there’s no harm in asking respectfully if I can have her recipe and give her all the credit, of course!”
And that’s exactly what I did. I simply asked. And I want to talk about her response for just one moment. She said, “Sure, give me a bit and I will share with you, just as it was shared with me.” Now, I want you to think about that for a moment. “… I will share with you, just as it was shared with me.” No wonder God had dealt with this lady about opening her home to others in the community.
She is a GIVER. A WILLING GIVER. She is simply passing on information that has previously been passed on to her.
She isn’t hoarding it, keeping it, controlling it, leveraging it, etc… she is being a conduit. A conduit for God, allowing His presence and blessings to PASS through her and onto others. Isn’t that what it’s all about? If we simply hold onto God’s presence and God’s blessings and don’t allow them to flow out of us and into the lives of others, eventually it becomes a stagnant pool that nobody wants to drink from.
God’s spirit and love are described in the Bible as running waters.
Running waters must “RUN”.
They flow without being impeded. And there is no fear of “losing” what we have because there is NO END to the wells of His Spirit. It’s a never ending supply that is more than enough to quench everyone’s thirst who chooses to drink.
She has no clue about how the entire morning affected me. I haven’t spoken with her about the little things I noticed throughout the day. This post about her will be just as much a surprise to her as it is to all of my other readers. And you might be thinking,
“You got all of that out of her being willing to give you a recipe”?
And the simple answer is Yes. Actions speak louder than words ever will. If you want to know the character of a person, look at what they do, not at what they say. You will know it very quickly.
The last thing I want to talk about, and probably what you came here for, is this classic southern dish, shrimp and grits. It is HANDS DOWN the best shrimp and grits I’ve ever had. Restaurants have nothing on this recipe. (But I would say that someone in the kitchen better be making it with love because I know that’s another reason why it was as great as it was!)
I know that it sounds intimidating. It’s a southern comfort food and you are afraid that if you mess it up you will upset someone. (HA) I get it! But you don’t have to worry with this recipe. I’m going to show you the cooking process one step at a time and at the end we are just going to combine all of these great elements together for a finished product that people will praise you for, not criticize you for.
It was not only made in love but it was also shared in love and that is the truly defining characteristic of this dish! Make it with love and for the people you love, everyone.
Tips for Easy Creamy Cajun Shrimp and Grits with Sausage:
- If the sausage isn’t giving off enough oil in the pan, use a little bit of olive oil or even bacon drippings for even more flavor! (Bacon drippings = bacon grease)
- For best results when cooking shrimp… DON’T OVERCOOK. Juicy shrimp are juicy because they haven’t been cooked to death. It only takes 2-3 minutes for shrimp to cook and anything more than that will produce a shrimp that is chewy and tough.
Check out the History of Shrimp and Grits Here!
Make these Easy Creamy Cajun Shrimp and Grits with Sauage with me on YouTube!
Easy Creamy Cajun Shrimp and Grits with Sausage Ingredients:
- 2 cups old fashioned grits
- 2 tablespoons Tony’s Chachere’s Cajun Seasoning
- 1/2 stick of butter
- 2 boxes of vegetable broth (or substitute chicken broth)
- 2 tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce
- 1 lb. Cajun Andouille Sausage
- 1 bag Seasoning Blend (10 oz.)
- 2 lbs. raw shrimp (peeled, deveined, tail off)
- 1 lb. Colby Jack Cheddar Cheese grated
- 1 lemon cut into wedges
- 2 cups half and half
- 1 tablespoon onion powder
- 1 tablespoon crab boil
- Fresh parsley or dried for sprinkling on top
Easy Creamy Cajun Shrimp and Grits with Sausage Instructions:
- First, bring 2 quarts of water to a boil in a large pot over medium-high heat.
- Second, add the crab boil, lemon wedges, Tony’s, and onion powder to the boiling broth.
- Third, add the shrimp to the boiling broth and boil for 1 minute then remove the pot from the heat and put a lid on it. Let the shrimp soak in the broth and seasonings to finish cooking and develop flavor for 5 minutes. This will give you spicy shrimp!
- After the shrimp have soaked for 5 minutes, drain them in the sink, remove the lemon wedges, and set aside.
- Next, slice the sausage and brown in a large skillet over medium heat.
- Once the sausage has developed a golden brown color around the edges, remove it from the skillet and set aside.
- Then, add the seasoning blend and Worcestershire sauce to the skillet and cook until translucent.
- Next, remove skillet from heat and add the shrimp to the sausage and sauteed vegetables and set aside.
- Cook the grits according to package instructions in the 2 boxes of vegetable broth. I make sure that I stir the grits often so that they don’t stick to the bottom of the pan and burn.
- Once the grits have gotten to your desired thickness (I like them to be pretty thick because we are adding half and half to them to thin them out), add the cheese, butter, and half and half.
- Remove the pot of grits from the heat and add the shrimp, sausage, and onion mixture.
- Sprinkle parsley on top, serve immediately, and enjoy!
Variations for Easy Creamy Cajun Shrimp and Grits with Sausage:
- You can use heavy cream instead of half and half for an even RICHER texture and flavor or you can cut some of the richness by swapping out the half and half with whole milk.
- Green onions would be great sprinkled on top instead of or in addition to parsley.
- There are several options for grits. If you are trying to make this dish in a hurry, use quick grits or instant grits. For a coarser texture to your grits, then use stone ground grits. If you prefer yellow corn grits instead of white, by all means, make it your own!
- The size of the shrimp you use it totally up to you. I like to use medium because they are the best of both worlds. Sometimes, in my opinion, small shrimp get lost in recipes. On the other hand, large shrimp or jumbo shrimp, are too big of a bite.
- Crisp bacon would be a great addition to this recipe to kick it up anther notch.
- You can play around with the different types of cheese that you want to use. Cheddar is traditional but feel free to substitute it with gouda cheese, parmesan cheese, or white cheddar. Experiment and see which one you like better.
Storage for Easy Creamy Cajun Shrimp and Grits with Sausage:
- Leftover shrimp and grits will keep in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
What are the Macros for Easy Creamy Cajun Shrimp and Grits with Sausage?
Makes 16 servings (Nutritional information below is for 1 serving = 1 cup)
- Calories – 372.34
- Protein – 21 grams
- Carbs – 20.75 grams (net)
- Fat – 22.75 grams
Check out some of my other Cajun recipes!
Cajun Chicken and Sausage Gumbo
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Easy Creamy Cajun Shrimp and Grits with Sausage
Equipment
- 1 large skillet
- 1 large pot for boiling
- 1 strainer
Ingredients
- 2 cups old fashioned grits
- 2 tablespoons Tony’s Chachere’s Cajun Seasoning
- 1/2 stick of butter
- 2 boxes of vegetable broth or substitute chicken broth
- 2 tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce
- 1 lb. Cajun Andouille Sausage
- 1 bag Seasoning Blend 10 oz.
- 2 lbs. raw shrimp peeled, deveined, tail off
- 1 lb. Colby Jack Cheddar Cheese grated
- 1 lemon cut into wedges
- 2 cups half and half
- 1 tablespoon onion powder
- 1 tablespoon crab boil
- Fresh parsley or dried for sprinkling on top
Instructions
- First, bring 2 quarts of water to a boil in a large pot over medium-high heat.
- Second, add the crab boil, lemon wedges, Tony’s, and onion powder to the boiling broth.
- Third, add the shrimp to the boiling broth and boil for 1 minute then remove the pot from the heat and put a lid on it. Let the shrimp soak in the broth and seasonings to finish cooking and develop flavor for 5 minutes. This will give you spicy shrimp!
- After the shrimp have soaked for 5 minutes, drain them in the sink, remove the lemon wedges, and set aside.
- Next, slice the sausage and brown in a large skillet over medium heat.
- Once the sausage has developed a golden brown color around the edges, remove it from the skillet and set aside.
- Then, add the seasoning blend and Worcestershire sauce to the skillet and cook until translucent.
- Next, remove skillet from heat and add the shrimp to the sausage and sauteed vegetables and set aside.
- Cook the grits according to package instructions in the 2 boxes of vegetable broth. I make sure that I stir the grits often so that they don’t stick to the bottom of the pan and burn.
- Once the grits have gotten to your desired thickness (I like them to be pretty thick because we are adding half and half to them to thin them out), add the cheese, butter, and half and half.
- Remove the pot of grits from the heat and add the shrimp, sausage, and onion mixture.
- Sprinkle parsley on top, serve immediately, and enjoy!
