Family Favorite: Bacon-Studded Cheese Grits, Cajun Scallops, and Spicy White Sauce

Last night for dinner I made something epic. I posted it on Facebook and had several recipe requests, so I thought I’d share it with all of you all.

For the grits:

Boil 1 cup milk, 1 cup chicken broth, and 1 cup water. Instead of broth, I used water “Better than Bullion.”

Once it’s boiling, add 1 Tablespoon butter, 1/4 tsp salt, and 1/8 tsp black pepper. Add 1 cup quick grits and reduce heat. Cook for 15-20 minutes. While grits are cooking, cook bacon (as much as you want) in a big cast-iron skillet, or like I used, a Pampered Chef RockCrok. After they are cooked, you can add as much shredded cheddar cheese as your heart desires…

For the white sauce:

While the bacon is cooking,and the grits are cooking, you can start with the white sauce in a small saucepan. This is super easy. Melt 2 Tbsp butter. Once it’s melted, whisk in 2 Tbsp white flour and 1 Tspn Cajun or Old Bay Seasoning. Quickly whisk in 1 cup milk until it’s thick and bubbly and transfer to your serving dish. I love my Garlic & Brie Baker from my Pampered Chef store.

For the scallops:

After your bacon is crispy, remove it from your pan, but leave the grease. Go ahead and melt in a couple more tablespoons of butter. Wash and pat dry your scallops and sprinkle with salt. In a shallow bowl, combine 1 Tbsp flour, 1.5 Tbsp Cajun Seasoning, and 1 tsp paprika. Coat your scallops in seasoning and pan-fry until they are opaque and browned nicely.

To serve:

Crumble the bacon into the grits and then spoon your grits into a shallow dish. Add your scallops and top with the white sauce. To kick it up even more, drizzle on some Sriracha!

Grits should be a food group by themselves (itself?) Either way, it’s one dish that’s so versatile and yummy. Try out my recipe, spice things up, and tell me how you like it!