the review: shrimp & grits and butter beans

“I hate this dinner!” And so it begins. Never mind that he didn’t even taste it before yelling this repeatedly at me. Never mind that he likes shrimp and he likes grits. No. Utterly unconvinced, he refused even the no-thank-you bite.

I am not ashamed to say that I bribed him with Scooby-Doo. And he ate it. All of it. And little miss “This is yucky!” had seconds.

So maybe you aren’t serving this to your kids. I don’t know. Maybe your kids don’t think they are food critics and will eat whatever you serve them. Either way, I thought it was delicious. Shrimp and grits? Butter beans? Especially the beans. I could eat these all the time. I think it might be the bacon.

I started the beans in the morning, early. I let them cook for an hour (after soaking overnight) while I got the kids ready for school and cool while I ran errands, then stuck them in the fridge. At about 5, I started the bacon, scallions, garlic, etc., and let the whole mess cook while I made the grits and shrimp. All you Southerners need to cover your eyes right now because I have a confession to make. I did not have real grits. Only instant. I know. Travesty. You try getting real grits in the middle of Idaho. But it all worked out.

The shrimp and grits were good, but I hate to say it, I’ve made better. And it wasn't the fault of the instant grits despite what you are thinking. If you don’t already have a tried and true recipe for shrimp and grits, you should try this one. It is very simple, takes almost no time to make, and despite possible objections, your kids will very likely eat it. More than that, it is tasty. So it is worth the effort. This recipe can definitely be made on weeknight. Serve it with a nice salad and you have a great meal.

Now, the beans? You need to make those. I did not make the dressing referred to in the recipe because the first time I made these beans, I didn’t even see it. And they were good. If it’s not broke, don’t fix it. I made these the same way this time and they were still good. One pound of beans makes a big batch, so be prepared to freeze some for later (I had two containers). Or you could just eat them with rice every day for lunch. I may just do that tomorrow.