It's Stuffed Peppers with Grits and Italian Sausage!

You ask, “What could possibly make a cheesy grits and Italian pork sausage combo taste better?”  

Southern Living magazine has the answer:
It’s seasoned cheesy grits and Italian pork sausage, stuffing a tender bell pepper with mozzarella cheese sprinkled over all and baked!  

Deliciousness comes together in this flavorful and easy meal for your family and friends too, it's that good! 

Surprisingly, all bell peppers contain more Vitamin C than an orange, ranging from 95 mg in a green to a whopping 341 mg in a yellow.  They're also super low-cal, containing just 45 calories per cup, making them the the perfect snack.  Maybe we should be eating bell peppers instead of of reaching for a glass of sugary orange juice to ward off a cold!

And who doesn't like grits?

Here's the Ten Commandments of Grits:

1. Thou shalt not put syrup on thy Grits.
2. Thou shalt not eat Cream of Wheat and call it Grits; for this is blasphemy.
3. Thou shalt not covet thy neighbors Grits.
4. Thou shalt only use Salt, Butter and Cheese as toppings for thy Grits.
5. Thou shalt not eat Instant Grits.
6. Thou shalt not put syrup on thy Grits.
7. Thou shalt not put syrup on thy Grits.
8. Thou shalt not put syrup on thy Grits.
9. Thou shalt not put sugar on thy Grits either.
10. Thou shalt not put sugar or syrup on thy Grits.

Amen, right on!

There are 8 colors in the bell pepper family.  Besides the usual green, red and yellow, the family includes orange, black, brown, ivory and purple.

Any color bell pepper could be used in this slightly adapted Southern Living recipe, I opted for red peppers simply because red is my favorite color.  The important thing is to make sure the peppers are large enough to be stuffed with the cheese and grits filling, 3 of them should total about 20 ounces.

After stuffing the peppers with the savory filling, and baking them, whisk a simple vinaigrette, then toss in a few grape tomatoes to drizzle over the peppers before serving.

We all really liked this savory and satisfying version of stuffed peppers, so the recipe is a keeper!

Yield: 6 servings    Author: Pam

Stuffed Peppers with Grits and Sausage

Cheesy grits and Italian sausage provide a savory and satisfying filling for bell peppers!

prep time: 15 MINScook time: 1 hourtotal time: 1 hours and 15 mins

INGREDIENTS:

• 3 large red bell peppers (about 20 oz.)
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 3 hot Italian pork sausage links, casings removed
• 1 cup chopped sweet onion
• 1/2 cup stoneground grits (or regualr)
• 11/2 cups chicken broth
• 1 cup whole milk
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
• 3 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded (about 1 cup), divided
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 cups grape tomatoes, halved

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Microwave bell peppers on HIGH 2 minutes to soften slightly. Cut bell peppers in half through the stem. Remove seeds and white membranes using a serrated tomato corer or melon baller. Discard seeds and membranes.
2. Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Add sausage to skillet; cook 4 minutes, stirring to break into small pieces. Add onion to skillet; cook, stirring occasionally, until sausage is cooked and onion is tender, about 3 minutes. Remove sausage mixture from pan.
3. Add grits to skillet; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add broth, milk, and 3/4 teaspoon of the salt to skillet; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to medium, and cook, stirring occasionally, until liquid is absorbed, about 20 minutes. Stir in sausage mixture, and half of the cheese.
4. Divide mixture evenly among bell pepper halves. Place side by side on a baking sheet. Sprinkle with remaining mozzarella cheese.
5. Bake in preheated oven until cheese is browned and peppers are tender, about 30 minutes.
6. Whisk together olive oil, vinegar, black pepper, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt in a medium bowl. 
7. Add tomatoes; toss to coat. Serve over peppers.

Enjoy!



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And let's remember, honor and pay tribute to all those affected by the events of 9/11...

New Orleans Barbecued Shrimp

There is a huge 

Wow!

  

factor with this shrimp dish!

This recipe, the source is a mystery to me; for shrimp on the grill is super simple and comes together easily. 

Shrimp marinates in a zesty sauce of garlic, lemon juice, oregano and parsley, plus a little sweet chili sauce, with a sprinkling of crushed peppers and hot sauce for heat.  Then its all quickly grilled to perfection.

I will be making this again soon for Bill to grill ~ we thought it was simply delicious!

With a side of stone-ground garlic grits ~ it doesn't get much better than this!


New Orleans Barbecued Shrimp
Printable recipe

Ingredients:

1 pound raw large shrimp (21-25 per pound)
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons chili sauce
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons lemon juice
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon minced fresh parsley
½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
½ teaspoon dried oregano
¼ teaspoon hot pepper sauce

Method:

Wash shrimp well, using a pair of kitchen shears or knife, cut through the shell along the back of each shrimp, peel and devein.
Pat dry and place in a resealable bag.
Combine remaining ingredients in a small pan, simmer for 10 minutes; cool.
Pour marinade over shrimp, seal bag and shake to coat shrimp.
Refrigerate 1 hour, turning bag once.
Heat grill on high heat.
Remove shrimp from marinade, wiping off excess.
Grill until opaque throughout, 2-3 minutes per side.
Serves 4
  

Enjoy!


And a shout out to Kris Bryant!!!   He made MLB history last night with a 3 Home Run and 2-double performance!  

Stone-Ground Garlic Grits with Cheddar and Mozzarella

“What’s with that white stuff on my plate? I didn’t order that with my eggs and sausage!” That’s what Bill used to say when he ordered breakfast down South. No more! He now loves grits as much as I do and even asked me to cook up some grits last night for dinner.

Most people around here are not familiar with grits or else shudder at the thought of it.  There’s baked grits, grits with a glob of butter, shrimp and grits, bacon and grits and then there’s stone-ground grits.  That’s the way to go but if you’ve followed my blog, you may recall it is not available here so I order the stone-ground grits from Nora Mill. 

Stone-ground grits are crunchy delicious with a little garlic and cheddar cheese.  This time; however, I added mozzarella cheese.  Don’t water it down and make it like cream of wheat and no sugar, please!  Think of grits as a side dish and dress it like a baked potato: cheese, onions, bacon, chives, green onions, sautéed mushrooms, jalapeño peppers or hot sauce.    

Here’s what Nora Mill advises for leftover grits:  Pour into a glass and chill.  The next day, slide them out, slice and fry them like mush for breakfast.  It’s great!

Stone-Ground Garlic Grits with Cheddar and Mozzarella

Ingredients:

1 cup stone ground grits

1 teaspoons salt

3 cups water

1 tablespoon garlic powder (I use more)

1 cup cheddar cheese, grated

½ cup mozzarella cheese, grated

Method:

In a medium saucepan, bring water to a boil.

Stir in grits and garlic powder and return to boil.

Reduce to low heat.

Cover and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add more water as needed, being sure not to make it soupy.

Add cheeses.

Continue cooking on low heat for 5-10 minutes, stirring frequently until cheese is melted and grits are creamy.

Serve

Start cooking and dress up your grits!

Sautéed Shrimp over Creamy Grits

I first had this dish in Savannah, Georgia and this is as close to it as I can get. 

Even though it is a traditional Southern dish, it is extraordinary to this Midwestern girl.  How wonderful it would be to live along the Southern coastline ~ do some fishing, go home and cook up a little shrimp fresh from the water and serve it over creamy grits!

Shrimp and grits is an easy recipe.  Just have all the prep work done before you begin.  Then it will be a snap to cook up the dish.  And, you can even make the grits a little bit ahead of time as they will stay hot for a while.

This is one of the most satisfying grits dishes!  I could eat grits with just about anything ~ especially shrimp. 

Sautéed Shrimp over Creamy Grits

For the grits: 

Ingredients:

1 cup heavy cream

2 cups water

1 ½ cups hot chicken or vegetable stock

¼ cup butter

Salt and pepper, to taste

1 cup stone-ground grits

Method:

In large saucepan over medium-high heat, combine cream, water and hot stock, bring to a boil.

Add butter, salt and pepper.

Add grits slowly, stirring constantly, scrapping the bottom of the pan.

Reduce heat to medium-low.

Cook for about 25 minutes, stirring occasionally so that they do not scorch.

The grits should have absorbed all the liquid and be soft.

If they are too thick, add a little water or warm stock. 

For the shrimp:

Ingredients:

1 pound raw shrimp
6-8 bacon slices

3 tablespoons lemon juice

3 tablespoons onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 green bell pepper, chopped

1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning

1 teaspoon paprika

Hot sauce, optional

4 ounces amber beer

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

Method:

Place shrimp on a plate and season with salt, pepper and Cajun seasoning and paprika.

In a large frying pan over medium-high heat, fry bacon until nearly crisp.

When cooled, crumble into pieces.  Set aside.

Reserve 2-3 tablespoons bacon grease in the skillet.

Add onion, garlic and bell pepper, sautéing about 3-4 minutes.

Slowly add beer and Worcestershire sauce; cook down until onion is transparent and peppers are cooked about 10-12 minutes.

Add shrimp mixture and crumbled bacon.

Sauté 5-7 minutes until shrimp are opaque in center (cut to test).

Remove from heat.

Spoon hot grits onto serving plate; top with shrimp mixture.

Enjoy!

Mom’s Scrambled Grits

You know how to tell a Yankee down South? 

He’s the one at breakfast staring at the grits on his plate along side the bacon and eggs and trying not to gag. 

Mom's recipe card

Grits is considered standard fare down South and you get it whether you order it or not. Northerners just don’t “get” grits. It goes together with breakfast like peanut butter goes with jelly or cookies go with milk.

I can eat them plain, with just a little butter and salt and pepper; however, there is a little more with this recipe.  This is Mom’s recipe for Scrambled Grits.  It’s very plain and simple, just another good “comfort food” dish! 

Mom’s Scrambled Grits

Ingredients:

2½ cups cold, cooked stone-ground grits*

2 eggs, beaten

Bacon drippings

Method:

Place grits in medium bowl, break into pieces with fork.

Gently stir in eggs.

Melt enough bacon drippings to cover bottom of skillet.

Spread grits mixture evenly in skillet.
Cook until brown on bottom and is consistency of scrambled eggs.

Place in a bowl and serve.

Yum! 

Garlic Cheese Grits Casserole

I love grits however prepared and it is probably an acquired taste but, I loved grits dishes when I first had them living in Louisville and it even made a Southerner out of Bill when grits won him over.

 

It’s kind of funny also that after we were married and had lived in Louisville a while, he was the one with the strong southern accent, and I was the one who grew up there!  I always knew he was a gentleman, and then realized he was a southerner too at heart, truly a southern gentleman!  

The Grit Poem

 

   Here's an ode to the lowly grit.
   The more you eat the better they git.
   Ye can get 'em yellow, ye can get 'em white,
   makes no difference if you cook 'em right!

   Eat 'em at breakfast, lunch or dinner.
   Anytime ye eat 'em, they're a winner.
   Eat 'em with eggs and a little meat,
   Without grits no meals complete!

   Some folks like 'em kinda bland.
   Others say butter makes 'em grand.
   As for me, just bring 'em on.
   ain't no way to fix 'em wrong!

   There's a special place in my heart
   for the farmers who do their part.
   To them I owe many thank  ye's.
   'cause without grits, we'd all be Yankees!

   Now don't ya'll Yankees start a fuss.
   We're glad ya'll moved here with us.
   Pick up a spoon and put 'em in your mouth,
   you'll thank God you moved down South!

   The best advice I've ever given,
   if you ain't eatin' grits, then you ain't livin!
   then you'll  enter  at Heaven's gate,
   and you'll  find grits are on your plate!

   Let me make just one more rhyme.
   It'll soon be breakfast time.
   No matter where you go to eat,
   be sure you get that Heavenly treat.    GRITS !!!!!

 William D. Faulkner

 

There really is a huge difference between commercial milled grits and stone ground grits.  I had never eaten stone ground grits until we took a trip to Savannah, Georgia and there was no turning back.  It is remarkable that being stone ground can make such a big difference.   

Since I haven't found stone ground grits around here, I order mine from Nora Mill Granary just as I do my stone ground corn meal.  Here is what the folks at Nora Mill say about grits:  “Mass-produced grits are steamed to loosen the tough outer shell before the grains are dried, and the hull, bran and germ are removed, leaving a product somewhat lacking in nutritive content – not to mention taste.  Nora Mill Stone Ground Grits are stone ground from dried, hulled, locally grown corn kernels and always include the nutritious and flavorful germ of the corn.  The germ is rich in niacin, iron and riboflavin.”  They made a believer of me as their grits are not only tasty; they have a great crunchy, gritty texture also!

If you have never eaten grits, you are in for a surprise and now is a great time to try the versatile dish.  Grits can be made spicy by adding jalapeno peppers or shrimp, bacon, scallops, crab, mushrooms, andouille or any other kind of sausage, whatever you like!  Here is a great delicious grits casserole recipe loaded with cheese and garlic, having a great creamy yet crunchy texture:

Garlic Cheese Grits Casserole

Ingredients:

4 ½ cups water

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup stone ground grits

1 stick butter

1 tube Kraft Garlic cheese*

2 eggs, beaten

½ teaspoon baking powder

Milk

½ cup shredded cheddar cheese, optional

Method:

Bring water and salt to a boil. 

Slowly stir in grits and return to low boil.

Cook for 5-10 minutes until thickened.

Add garlic cheese and butter to hot grits and stir until melted and incorporated.

Pour 2 beaten eggs into measuring cup and add enough milk to make 1 cup liquid.

Slowly stir the egg mixture into the grits.

Cook 2-3 minutes.

Pour the mixture into a greased casserole dish.

If desired, sprinkle top with ½ cup shredded cheddar cheese after 30 minutes of baking.

Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour.

*If you can not find a roll of Kraft Garlic Cheese, substitute 1 ½ cups grated cheddar cheese and 1-2 teaspoons garlic powder, depending on how much of a garlic taste you want.  Or, try 10 ounces herb and garlic cheese, such as Boursin.

Yummers!!!  Love those grits, y’all!