Caribbean Shrimp and Grits

Ingredients  

Grits:

• 1 Tablespoon Butter
• 1-1/2 Red Pepper, chopped
• 1/3 cup Onion, chopped 
• 1 clove Garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup Corn
• 1/2 cup Peas
• 20 ounce Pineapple Tidbits
• 2 teaspoon Chili Powder
• 2 teaspoon Salt
• 1/2 teaspoon White Pepper 
• 3 cup Chicken Stock
• 2 Cup Water
• 1 Bay Leaf
• 1-1/2 cup Yellow Corn Grits
• 5 ounce Pepper jack Cheese, shredded 

Shrimp:

• 1 pound Bacon
• 1 pound Shrimp (26-30 count)
• 1/3 cup Barbecue Sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon Salt
• 1/2 teaspoon Pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon Chili Powder
• 1/3 cup Onion, chopped
• 1/2 Red Bell Pepper, chopped
• 1 Tablespoon Chimichuri Sauce
• 1 Tablespoon Brown Sugar
• 3 Tomatoes, chopped
• 1 cup Pineapple Juice

Directions 

Grits:

1. In a large sauce pot, melt butter over medium heat. Add red pepper, onion, and garlic, sauteing until the onion is cooked through and translucent.
2. Mix in corn, peas, pineapple, chili powder, salt, and white pepper. Saute 2 minutes. Add chicken stock, water, and bay leaf: bring to a boil. 
3. Whisk in grits and cheese. Continue whisking constantly as the mixture thickens. Eventually you will have to swap the whisk out for a spoon as the grits absorb the moisture (this should only take 2-3 minutes). Reduce heat to low, and cover to keep warm while you prepare the shrimp. (Stir occasionally to make sure that the grits don’t stick to the bottom of the pan.)

Shrimp:

1. Cook bacon slices only slightly. They just need to be cooked just to the point where they begin to render the fat. If you do not precook them like this before you wrap the shrimp, you will either over cook the shrimp or under cook the bacon in later steps. 
2. In a medium bowl, toss shrimp with barbecue sauce, salt, pepper, and chili powder. Wrap each shrimp with half of a bacon strip. Any barbecue sauce that may be left in the bowl from the shrimp should not be discarded, reserve to add to sauce later. 
3. Use a large skillet over medium heat to sear each side of the bacon wrapped shrimp, working in batches and setting aside. 
4. Add onion and bell pepper to the pan and saute 2 minutes (there should be enough fat rendered from the bacon for sauteing). Add chimichuri sauce, brown sugar, tomatoes, pineapple juice, and any leftover barbecue sauce. Cover and let simmer 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes start to break down.
5. Return the bacon wrapped shrimp to the pan, mixing them into the tomatoes. Cook an additional 2 minutes to warm through. 
6. Serve shrimp and sauce over grits and enjoy! 

Nutrition

Servings: 6

Calories: 819

Fat: 45.5

Carbs: 45.9

Fiber: 4.7

Protein: 53.7