I was excited when I found out about this contest featuring fall beer. I hate to admit it but I am not a fan of beer (even though my hubby is!) and I have never even cooked with it. So I wanted to try something out of the box for this recipe contest. While browsing the beer aisle at the store, it came to me: Shrimp & Grits…fall version!
So I set out to make a creamy loaded pumpkin grits and poached shrimp in beer! I serve it with a side of sauteed spinach or kale and you have a delectable fall inspired Southern meal!
I searched high and low in our local grocery stores for unique fall beer but I could only find a few kinds so I decided to use Blue Moon Harvest Pumpkin Ale. Boy, I am glad I did! This beer was seasoned with nutmeg and has a light citrus flavor. Perfect for my Poached Shrimp and Pumpkin Grits!
My Fall Beer Poached Shrimp and Pumpkin Grits recipe was featured on ourstate.com
and won the Lowes Foods’ Local Flavor Recipe Contest: Craft Beer edition. The recipe photo was published in a Lowes ad in the November 2015 issue of Our State magazine.
Fall Beer Poached Shrimp and Loaded Pumpkin Grits
Makes 2 servings
Ingredients
- 1 lb shrimp peeled and deveined (I use large size, about 20 shrimp)
- 20 oz Fall Beer I use Blue Moon Harvest Pumpkin Ale, a little more than 1 1/2 bottles
- 3/4 cup quick grits
- 2 1/4 cups water
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 cup canned pumpkin
- 4 slices cooked bacon about 1/2 cup drained and chopped (reserve bacon grease)
- 1/2 Vidalia onion sliced
- 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
- 1/4 cup diced green onions
- salt/cracked black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Bring water to a boil in a large saucepan over medium heat.
- Whisk in pumpkin, heavy cream, grits, and a 1/2 tsp or so of salt.
- Turn down heat to med low, cover, and simmer for 5 minutes.
- Meanwhile, in a skillet add reserved bacon grease, about 1 tbsp, or you can use olive oil, and heat over medium.
- Add sliced onions and cook until softened.
- Add 2 oz of beer and steam onions until beer is absorbed. Then remove from heat.
- In a small saucepan, add 18 oz of beer (1 1/2 bottles) and bring to a slow simmer over medium.
- Add shrimp, stirring occasionally, and poach in the beer until pink about 3-4 minutes. Remove immediately to a bowl.
- Add grits to a large bowl, top with bacon, onions, Parmesan cheese, and salt/pepper. Stir.
- Add grits to plate then top with half the shrimp and garnish with green onions and additional Parmesan cheese if desired.
- Serve with a side of sautéed spinach or kale.
Did you make this Recipe?Tag @flchefnicole or hashtag #fortheloveoffoodblog
For The Love of Food Blog
Bring water to a boil then mix in pumpkin, grits, salt, and heavy cream.
Cover and simmer for five minutes.
Peel, rinse, and devein shrimp (or buy them already done and save a lot of time!).
Add 18 ounces ( about 1 1/2 bottles) of beer to a small saucepan and bring to a
slow simmer over medium.
Add shrimp to simmering beer and poach for a couple minutes on medium.
Add onions and reserved bacon grease to skillet and cook until softened.
Add a couple ounces of beer to steam and cook until beer is absorbed.
Mix in bacon, onions, and Parmesan cheese to grits.
Season with salt and pepper.
Mix in bacon, onions, and Parmesan cheese to grits.
Season with salt and pepper.
Quickly sauté spinach or kale (pictured) tossed with a little olive oil and salt and
pepper to serve on the side.
Creamy loaded pumpkin grits are my new favorite! Absolutely delicious!
Pumpkin, grits, shrimp, and beer…who knew they would go together so well!
The perfect bite! What a fun fall twist on a classic Southern dish!
Be sure to leave me a comment below. I’d love to hear how you liked this recipe!
Be sure to leave me a comment below. I’d love to hear how you liked this recipe!
Looks like a great recipe and one I will probably try this fall … EXCEPT …there is no way to add salt to grits after they are cooked and have them come out tasting right. Even with cream and pumpkin in them the salt needs to be cooked IN to the grits. I've been cooking grits for nearly 50 years and know this to be true from hard lessons when I forgot to add the salt. 🙂
Thanks Charlene! Whoops thanks for catching that. I always salt the water for the grits but I forgot to add that. I updated the directions 🙂
Hi Nicole!
I'm hopping around checking out all the competition and I'm loving your recipe. This looks incredible, and I never would have thought to add maple syrup to the cram cheese glaze! I pinned it for later.
Good luck!
ang
Oh wow! I love this- especially those pumpkin grits! What a tasty fall twist on a southern classic. 😉
Thank you so much for entering the Spiked! Fall Beers Recipe Challenge this month and good luck!
I love shrimp! This sounds so yummy!! Thank you for linking up to Party Time and we hope to see you again next week!