SIZZLE & SCORE
WHEN THE GAME IS ON THE LINE
S&S GAME PLAN

Southern Shrimp
& Grits

with Homemade Drop Biscuits & Cold Green Bean Salad

Creamy cheddar grits topped with Cajun shrimp, smoky bacon and a buttery lemon pan sauce, with warm homemade biscuits and a crisp green bean salad on the side. Southern comfort food that looks like you worked a whole lot harder than you did.

Southern Shrimp and Grits date-night dinner with homemade drop biscuits, cold green bean salad and Bourbon Peach Tea
♨
SERVES
2
◷
PREP
20 MIN
♨
COOK
35 MIN
★
DIFFICULTY
★★☆☆☆

WHAT YOU’RE MAKING

Southern Shrimp
& Grits
Homemade
Drop Biscuits
Cold Green
Bean Salad

THE DRINKS

Bourbon Peach Tea

PER PERSON
2 oz bourbon
2 oz peach nectar
4 oz iced tea
½ oz fresh lemon juice
Ice
Peach slice
Fill a tall glass with ice. Add the bourbon, peach nectar, iced tea and fresh lemon juice. Give it a good stir and finish with a peach slice.
Learning Point — Why This Drink Works Shrimp and grits are rich, smoky and buttery. Iced tea and fresh lemon keep the drink refreshing while peach plays perfectly with the bourbon.

S&S Move: A good dinner drink should work with the food, not wrestle it for control of the table.

WHAT YOU NEED

Southern Shrimp & Grits

  • ½ cup stone-ground or old-fashioned grits
  • 1⅓ cups chicken broth, divided
  • 1 cup whole milk
  • ½ tsp kosher salt
  • 2 Tbsp butter, divided
  • ½ cup shredded sharp cheddar
  • Black pepper, to taste
  • ¾ lb large shrimp, peeled and deveined
  • 3 slices bacon, chopped
  • 1 tsp Cajun seasoning
  • ¼ tsp smoked paprika
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
  • 2 scallions, thinly sliced
Secret Weapon — Bacon Fat
Cook the shrimp in a little of the rendered bacon fat. That's free flavor sitting in the skillet. Use it.

Homemade Drop Biscuits

  • 1½ cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • ½ tsp kosher salt
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • 6 Tbsp cold unsalted butter
  • ¾ cup cold buttermilk
  • 1 Tbsp melted butter, for finishing

Cold Green Bean Salad

  • 8 oz fresh green beans
  • ½ cup cherry tomatoes, halved
  • ¼ small red onion, thinly sliced
  • 2 Tbsp Italian dressing

Gear

  • Medium saucepan for the grits
  • Large skillet
  • Medium pot for blanching green beans
  • Large bowl with ice water
  • Baking sheet
  • Parchment paper
  • Mixing bowl
  • Whisk
  • Wooden spoon or spatula
  • Tongs
  • Chef’s knife
  • Cutting board

BEFORE SHE GETS THERE

  • Get the salad handled. Blanch the green beans, shock them in ice water, drain and dry. Add the tomatoes and onion, then refrigerate. Do not add the dressing yet.
  • Prep the shrimp. Peel and devein if needed, pat them completely dry and keep them refrigerated. Chop the bacon, mince the garlic and slice the scallions.
  • Set up the biscuits. Measure the dry ingredients and cube the butter. Keep the butter and buttermilk cold until you're ready to make the dough.
  • Get the drink station ready. Bourbon, peach nectar, iced tea and lemon ready to go. Fill the ice tray if you've been pretending two cubes are enough.
  • Clear the kitchen. Counters wiped. Sink empty. Dishwasher loaded. You're cooking dinner, not building evidence for a crime scene.
  • Clean yourself up. Shower. Clean shirt. Brush your teeth. Easy on the cologne — you want her leaning in closer, not opening a window.
  • Set the room. Music on. Lights down. Table set. Make the place feel like dinner is happening on purpose.
  • Hit the bathroom. Quick wipe-down, fresh hand towel and make sure there's toilet paper. We are not losing the game on fundamentals.
Prep done.
Place ready.
You're ready. It's game time.

PLAY BY PLAY

  1. BLANCH THE GREEN BEANS
    Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add 8 oz fresh green beans and cook for 3–4 minutes until bright green and crisp-tender. Move them straight into ice water, then drain and dry. Refrigerate with ½ cup halved cherry tomatoes and ¼ small red onion, thinly sliced. Don't add the dressing yet.
  2. MAKE THE BISCUIT DOUGH
    Whisk 1½ cups flour, 2 tsp baking powder, ½ tsp kosher salt and 1 tsp sugar. Cut 6 Tbsp cold butter into small cubes and quickly work it into the flour with your fingers until you still see some pea-sized pieces. Stir in ¾ cup cold buttermilk just until a rough, sticky dough forms. Don't overmix it.
LEARNING MOMENT — ROUGH DOUGH IS GOOD DOUGH Drop biscuit dough isn't supposed to look smooth and polished. Those little pieces of cold butter help make the biscuits tender.

S&S Move: Once the flour disappears, quit messing with it. Overworked biscuit dough fights back.
  1. DROP & BAKE THE BISCUITS
    Scoop the dough into 6 rough mounds on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Don't roll them, shape them or try to make them pretty. Bake at 425°F for 13–16 minutes until golden on top and cooked through. Brush immediately with 1 Tbsp melted butter. Drop biscuits. The name is doing most of the work for you.
LEARNING MOMENT — KNOW YOUR GRITS Stone-ground and old-fashioned grits don't all cook at the same speed. Check the package before you start and use its cooking time as your guide.

S&S Move: Grits should slowly settle into the bowl. If they're standing there like mashed potatoes, loosen them with a splash of milk.
  1. START THE GRITS
    Bring 1 cup chicken broth, 1 cup whole milk and ½ tsp kosher salt to a gentle boil. Slowly whisk in ½ cup stone-ground or old-fashioned grits. Reduce the heat to low and cook according to the package directions, stirring occasionally so nothing sticks.
  2. CRISP THE BACON
    Cook 3 chopped slices bacon in a large skillet over medium heat until crisp. Move the bacon to a paper-towel-lined plate. Leave about 1 Tbsp bacon fat in the skillet. That's flavor. Don't throw it away.
  3. SEAR THE SHRIMP
    Pat ¾ lb large shrimp dry and season with 1 tsp Cajun seasoning and ¼ tsp smoked paprika. Heat the bacon fat over medium-high. Add the shrimp in one layer and cook 1–2 minutes per side until almost done, then move them to a plate.
    YO DUDE!
    Almost done means almost done. The shrimp are going back into the hot pan sauce. Pull them now and let that last minute finish the job.
    S&S SAVE
    Shrimp cooking faster than expected? Get them out of the skillet. You can always give them another 30 seconds in the sauce. You can't uncook rubber.
  4. BUILD THE PAN SAUCE
    Lower the heat to medium. Add 2 minced garlic cloves and cook for 30 seconds. Pour in ⅓ cup chicken broth, scrape up the browned bits and simmer for about 2 minutes. Stir in 1 Tbsp butter and 1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice until the sauce looks glossy.
  5. FINISH THE SHRIMP & GRITS
    Return the shrimp and crispy bacon to the skillet and toss for 30–60 seconds. Stir 1 Tbsp butter and ½ cup shredded sharp cheddar into the grits. Add black pepper to taste. If the grits are too thick, loosen them with a small splash of milk.
  6. TOSS THE SALAD
    Pull the chilled green beans, tomatoes and red onion from the refrigerator. Toss with 2 Tbsp Italian dressing right before serving. Cold. Crisp. Done.
  7. PLATE IT
    Spoon the cheddar grits into shallow bowls. Top with the shrimp, bacon and pan sauce. Finish with 2 thinly sliced scallions and black pepper. Put the cold green bean salad and warm biscuits in separate bowls for the table. Wipe the rim and get it to the table hot.

THE TIMELINE

6:15
Green beans first. Blanch 3–4 minutes, ice bath, drain and dry. Add tomatoes and onion. Refrigerate undressed.
6:25
Prep the shrimp. Pat dry. Chop the bacon. Mince garlic, slice scallions and shred the cheddar.
6:35
Set up the biscuits. Measure the dry ingredients. Cube the butter and put it back in the refrigerator. Keep the buttermilk cold.
6:40
Get yourself ready. Shower. Clean shirt. Kitchen's under control. Now make sure you are too.
6:55
Final reset. Table ready. Bourbon, peach nectar, tea and lemon ready. Music on. Overhead lights off.
7:00
She's here. Door. Smile. Date. Dinner is under control.
7:05
Make the Bourbon Peach Teas. Bourbon, peach nectar, iced tea, lemon and ice. Hand her one and have one with her.
7:15
Oven to 425°F. Start the grits. If your package calls for a longer cook, start them earlier.
7:20
Make the biscuit dough. Keep it rough. Drop six biscuits onto the sheet pan.
7:24
Biscuits in. Bake 13–16 minutes. Keep the grits moving occasionally.
7:30
Bacon on. Cook until crisp. Leave about 1 Tbsp bacon fat in the skillet.
7:35
Sear the shrimp. 1–2 minutes per side. Pull them while they're just shy of done.
7:38
Build the sauce. Garlic, broth, butter and lemon. Shrimp and bacon go back in.
7:40
Finish everything. Cheddar and butter into the grits. Biscuits out and buttered. Toss the green bean salad.
7:42
Dinner. Shrimp over grits. Biscuits warm. Salad cold. Phones away.

★ BONUS POINTS

  • CHILL THE BOURBON PEACH TEA GLASSES.
    Put two tall glasses in the freezer for about 10 minutes. Cold glass. Plenty of ice. Better drink. Easy points.
  • WARM THE SHRIMP & GRITS BOWLS.
    Put them in a low oven for a few minutes before plating. Creamy grits stay creamy longer when the bowl isn't stealing their heat.
  • PUT BUTTER ON THE TABLE.
    You made homemade biscuits. Give them the respect they earned. Doesn't need to be fancy. Soft butter in a little dish says you thought ahead.
  • HAVE THE FIRST DRINK WITH HER.
    Make the Bourbon Peach Teas and get away from the stove for a few minutes. She came over to spend time with you. The grits can survive five minutes without emotional support.

★ THE FINISH

Stop cooking. Start the date.
  1. Clear the dinner plates. Get the food out of the way. The kitchen can wait.
  2. Refresh the drinks. Another Bourbon Peach Tea, something simpler, or whatever you two are feeling.
  3. Change the scenery. Couch. Patio. Fireplace. Somewhere that doesn't feel like you're still at dinner.
  4. Put the phone away. You already got the food picture. The rest of the night doesn't need an audience.
  5. YOU'RE DONE PERFORMING. You made the grits, nailed the shrimp and baked biscuits from scratch. That's enough showing off for one night.

    Good food leads to amazing nights.
THE S&S PHOTO RULE Looks like the picture?
No? Perfect…
Bobby Flay isn’t coming over to challenge you. Relax. She’s not grading the plating—she’s impressed you made the damn thing Honest effort, amazing food, and the night is young.
Southern Shrimp and Grits with Homemade Drop Biscuits and Cold Green Bean Salad