Breaded Shrimp & Grits
A recipe from Georgia Department of Education School Nutrition
This is a coastal Georgia favorite. Creamy, cheesy grits mixed with crispy bacon and roasted onions and peppers; then, finished with slightly spicy popcorn shrimp.
Ingredients:
- 50 cup Grits, cooked
- 5 cup Frozen bell peppers and onions, chopped, thawed
- 25 slice Bacon, cooked and chopped
- 2 tbsp Granulated garlic
- 2 tbsp Onion powder
- 1 tbsp Salt
- 1/2 tbsp Black pepper
- 1/3 cup Cayenne pepper sauce
- 12 1/2 cup Cheddar cheese, shredded
- 6 lbs + 4 oz Popcorn Shrimp
- 4 tbsp Cajun Seasoning
- 3 1/4 cup Onion, green (scallion), chopped
- Oil spray, butter flavored
Steps:
- Cook grits according to manufacturer’s instructions. Place in hot holding cabinet, covered.
- Arrange the thawed bell peppers and onions in a single layer in a hotel pan lined with parchment paper. Lightly spray with butter flavored oil spray and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
- Bake at 350°F for 20 minutes.
- Sprinkle the chopped bacon on top and return to the oven for an additional 5-7 minutes. Hot hold, uncovered.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the grits, bell pepper-bacon mixture, granulated garlic, onion powder, salt, pepper, cayenne pepper sauce and cheese. Place into hot holding cabinet, covered, until assembly.
- Lay frozen Shrimp, in an even layer, on parchment lined baking sheets. Keep shrimp frozen until baked.
- Cook the shrimp at 350°F for 7-8 minutes.
- Season the shrimp with Cajun seasoning and place in hot holding cabinet, uncovered, until assembly.
- To Serve: Portion 1¼-cup Cheesy Grits top with 1/5 ounces (10) breaded Cajun Shrimp.
- Garnish with sliced scallions.
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Hold at 135°F or above.
Onions and peppers should be thawed in the walk-in overnight.
Hold at 135°F or above.
Grits do not need to be batch cooked. This will hot hold well, covered, throughout service.
If the Shrimp are overlapping on the baking sheets the breading will not crisp well during baking.
Cook to 135°F or higher.
Shrimp should be batch cooked to maintain quality.
Hold at 135°F or above.
Recipe Details
Meal Components:

Grain (G)

Meat/Meat Alternate (M/MA)
Crediting Information
- 2 oz. eq Meat/Meat Alternate (M/MA)
- 2 oz. eq Grain (G)
HACCP Category:
Process #2 (Same Day)
Yield:
50
Portion Size:
1
Nutrition Information:
| Nutrient | Amount | Unit |
|---|---|---|
| Calories: | 472 | cal |
| Saturated Fat: | 9 | g |
| Total Fat: | 18.6 | g |
| Sodium: | 764 | mg |
Tips:
- It is important to batch-cook the shrimp to ensure crispiness and to prevent the breading from falling off.
- Resource to review when preparing raw shrimp: Preventing Cross-Contact When Preparing Raw Shrimp


