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Southern Style Shrimp and Grits Recipe - An Ideal Lenten Meal ~if You Leave Out the Bacon

Southern Style Shrimp and Grits Recipe - An Ideal Lenten Meal ~if You Leave Out the Bacon

We’re nearly a week into the Lenten calendar, and by now you might be searching for a few new meatless meal ideas beyond the usual pancakes, macaroni and cheese, plain pizza, and fish sticks. That’s pretty much what Fridays during Lent looked like when I was growing up.

My best friend’s family was strictly Greek Orthodox, and they didn’t eat meat for all 40 days of their Lenten season. I spent so much time at her house—sometimes once a week—because we were inseparable. After school (we went to different schools but lived just a few houses apart), one of us would run to the other’s door, knock, and we’d figure out our plan for the day. Back then, before FaceTime, texting, or anything like that, this is how friendships worked.

If the weather was nice, being outside was always the first choice—riding bikes, roller skating, sled riding in winter, or gathering the neighborhood kids for a game. On rainy or snowy days, we leaned on our imaginations. We’d play school, or sit, surrounded by our dolls and toys, lost in little worlds we created together. 

When dinner time rolled around, and I happened to be at her house, her mom had a rule: my friend wasn’t allowed to ask if I could stay for dinner in front of me. She’d quietly run into the kitchen to ask, and her mom usually said yes—because when you’re already feeding eight kids, what’s one more at the table?!

During Lent, their dinners were simple and comforting. Most nights it was pancakes or a childhood favorite: pasta tossed with butter and garlic, a sprinkle of parsley flakes to feel fancy, and maybe a dusting of parmesan on top.

Never—on either of our kitchen tables—was there anything like shrimp and grits… Lent or not.

At Harvest Array, we carry food products that are all-natural, wholesome for your family, and designed to help you put quick, easy meals on the table—so you can spend less time cooking and more time together.

A dish like shrimp and grits makes a simple, satisfying lunch or dinner during the Lenten season, especially when your pantry is stocked with Old School Brands Non-GMO, gluten-free, stone-ground unbleached white grits.

The recipe below does include bacon. If you avoid meat on Fridays or throughout Lent, simply leave it out and enjoy a delicious meatless version.

Ingredients

  • 4 cups water

  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt

  • 1 cup Old School Brands Non-GMO, Gluten Free Stone Ground Unbleached White Grits

  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter

  • 2 ounces white cheddar cheese, shredded

  • 4 thick slices of bacon (*optional-especially during Lent!)

  • 1 cup chopped white or yellow onion

  • 1 cup chopped green pepper

  • 2 cloves garlic, minced

  • 1 to 1 1/2 pounds shrimp, peeled and deveined

  • 1 cup chicken stock (*substitute vegetable stock during Lent.)

  • 3 green onions, chopped (white and light green parts only)

  • 2 tablespoons chopped parsley

  • Juice of 1 lemon, which is about 1 to 2 tablespoons

Instructions

  1. *Cook the bacon: (if using)

    Fry the bacon in a large sauté pan on medium heat until crispy. Remove the bacon and chop. Pour off all but about 3 tablespoons of the fat. Turn off the heat.

  2. Cook the grits:

    Bring the water to a boil in a medium pot. Add the salt. Slowly pour the grits into the boiling water while you stir with a wooden spoon. Stir and pour gradually so you don't get any lumps. When all the grits are incorporated, reduce the heat and simmer for 20-25 minutes, stirring occasionally.

    making the grits in pot
    Credit: Elise Bauer
    stirring grits in pot
    Credit:Elise Bauer

  3. Chop the shrimp:

    Reserve about 1/3 of the shrimp whole and cut the rest into 3 to 4 pieces each. Set aside.

  4. Sauté the vegetables, *bacon, and shrimp:

    When the grits have cooked for 30 minutes, heat the sauté pan on medium-high. When using the bacon fat, make sure it is hot, sauté the onion and green pepper over medium-high heat until soft, about 4 minutes. (*Use butter or margarine instead of the bacon fat.)

    sauteed vegetables for shrimp and grits
    Credit:Elise Bauer
    adding shrimp to sauteed vegetables
    Credit:Elise Bauer

    Add the garlic cloves, shrimp, and *bacon, toss to combine. Let this cook another minute.

  5. Add the stock, then reduce:

    Add the chicken or *vegetable stock, and let this boil down for 5 minutes.

    adding stock to shrimp in pan
    Elise Bauer

  6. Add the cheese and butter to the grits:

    Meanwhile, stir the cheddar cheese and butter into the grits. The dish might not need any more salt, but add some if you'd like.

    adding cheese to shrimp and grits recipe
    Credit:Elise Bauer

  7. Serve:

    To serve, spoon out some grits in individual bowls. Add the shrimp, the green onions, parsley, and lemon juice to taste. Spoon some shrimp over the grits and make sure at least one whole shrimp is on everyone's plate. Serve at once.

Looking for unique side dishes to accompany those shrimp and grits or any other meatless Lenten meals? Don't worry, we have plenty of ideas for you in our Food and Market Catagory. If you want to stick with traditional Southern-style sides, look no further than

Thanks to H. Shaw at Simplyrecipes.com for this comforting meal of Southern Style Shrimp and Grits Recipe. Just omit the bacon and substitute vegetable stock for chicken stock, and you have a great meal for Lent.

Feb 23rd 2026 Dodie Schaub

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