Cheesy Cauliflower Grits and Shrimp

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Cheesy Cauliflower Grits and Spicy Shrimp is a low-carb, keto-friendly makeover of this Southern comfort dish that's ready in 30 minutes. You won't "miss" a thing in this healthy recipe that's easy enough for a weeknight dinner and tasty enough for company!

Amazing cauliflower does it again! We've used it to make dirty cauliflower rice and curried cauliflower rice. This time it's transformed into creamy cauliflower "grits" using frozen or fresh cauli-rice and cheese. And, it pairs perfectly with blackened shrimp to make a complete meal.

Best of all, the entire dish cooks on the stovetop in one pan in under half an hour. That's why you'll find it in our Quick and Easy Dinners collection.

Jump to:

• Ingredients and Variations
• Cauli-rice Options
• Directions with Pictures
• Storage and Reheating
• More Low-Carb Cajun Recipes
• 📋 Recipe

Ingredients and Variations

This is really a combination of two spectacular recipes: Cauliflower Grits and Blackened Shrimp. Prepare them separately or combine them into an amazing meal. Here's what you'll need:

For Cheesy Cauliflower Grits

• Cauliflower rice or crumbles - see options below to make it yourself or buy it.
• Onion - diced
• Garlic - minced or pressed
• Sharp Cheddar Cheese - we used Vermont sharp white cheddar cheese. Look closely. I promise...it's there! Extra sharp or mild cheddar cheeses are other options.
• Olive oil - or any mild cooking oil. Butter can be used in place of olive oil or in any combination with it.

For Blackened Shrimp:

• Shrimp - Peeled, deveined, with tail on or off according to your preference. You can buy it that way (I stock up when it goes on sale) or follow this tutorial to peel and devein shrimp by The Kitchn.
• Blackened Spice - use your favorite blend. You'll find Cajun, creole and blackened spices in the grocery store. We've included the recipe for our diy blackened spice blend with the recipe.
  • Alternative: For a milder version, leave off the blackened spice and add a squeeze or lemon or lemon pepper seasoning instead to make lemony shrimp.
• Olive oil - or butter.

Cauli-rice Options

Instead of hominy or polenta, this recipe uses riced cauliflower which cooks significantly faster than traditional rice. It also makes this recipe very low-carb and packed with a healthy veggie.

You can make it yourself or buy a pre-made package in the grocery store.

Note: Traditional "grits" are finer than cauliflower "rice." Feel free to make the rice close to mashed potato consistency if you prefer.

Make it: Cut a head of cauliflower into florets and small pieces of stalk. Place all of the pieces into a food processor and pulse several times or until the cauliflower resembles crumbles or rice. Don't process it too much or it will turn into mushy, puree! A medium head of cauliflower yields about 4 cups of cauli-rice.

Buy it: You'll find bags of fresh cauliflower rice in the produce aisle and frozen crumbles in the freezer section. Look for products that are not salted or seasoned.

Directions with Pictures

You can prepare either portion of this dish first. We cooked the rice before the shrimp so the spices didn't change the color of the grits.

To make the cheesy cauliflower grits:

1. Saute onions and garlic in a large skillet over medium high heat to soften, about 3 minutes.
2. Stir in cauliflower rice, cover and allow it to cook, untouched, for about 5 minutes. If you cook it any longer, give it a quick stir so that the garlic does not burn.
3. Remove the lid, stir, and sprinkle shredded cheese over the cooked cauliflower rice. Stir to blend in the cheese.
4. Remove the cheesy cauliflower grits to a serving dish. Salt and pepper to taste.

To make blackened shrimp:

1. Toss shrimp with olive oil and blackened seasoning. This can be done directly in the skillet or in a separate bowl.
2. Arrange shrimp in a single layer and cook for about 3 minutes on each side, depending upon the size of the shrimp. The shrimp is done when it turns pink and is cooked through.
3. Garnish with parsley if desired.

Note: If you're doubling the recipe, you may need to cook the shrimp in batches. It's important not to crowd the shrimp so it cooks evenly. Also, do not overcook or the shrimp will become rubbery!

Spoon shrimp over cauliflower grits and enjoy! Optional garnishes include:

• parsley
• green onion
• bacon

Storage and Reheating

Cauliflower rice is always best served hot and right away. But, if you happen to have leftovers you have options.

• Store - Place leftover cheesy cauliflower grits, and/or shrimp, in an airtight storage container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
• Reheat - Warm leftovers in a skillet over medium-high heat until hot. You can also reheat this dish in the microwave until warmed through, which will only take a few minutes.
• Freeze - Leftovers may be frozen in an airtight storage container. However, the re-heated dish won't be quite as good as it was fresh. Store up to 3 months. May be microwaved from frozen or defrosted overnight in the refrigerator and then warmed.

More Low-Carb Cajun Recipes

Looking for more easy recipes using cauliflower rice?
Check out all the things you can make with Frozen Cauliflower Rice

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📋 Recipe

This recipe was originally published 8/22/2015. It was updated to improve the reader experience.