_{Photo: Becky Luigart-Stayner; Styling: Leigh Ann Ross}

Ingredients

3 cups 1% low-fat milk

1 cup water

1 tablespoon butter

1/2 teaspoon salt, divided

1/4 teaspoon black pepper, divided

1 cup uncooked quick-cooking grits

1/2 cup (2 ounces) grated fresh Parmesan cheese

4 slices applewood-smoked bacon

1 pound peeled, deveined large shrimp

1 cup thinly vertically sliced white onion

2 cups grape tomatoes, halved

1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce or chopped chipotle chile, canned in adobo sauce

1/8 teaspoon ground or crushed red pepper

1/4 cup green onion strips

Preparation

1. Combine milk, water, butter, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon black pepper in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a simmer; gradually add grits, stirring constantly with a whisk. Reduce heat to medium; cook 4 minutes or until thick, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat; stir in cheese.

2. While grits cook, cook bacon in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat until crisp. Remove bacon from pan, reserving 2 teaspoons drippings; crumble bacon. Add shrimp to drippings in pan; cook 2 minutes on each side or until done. Remove shrimp from pan. Add white onion to pan; sauté 1 minute. Stir in bacon, tomatoes, remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, and remaining 1/8 teaspoon black pepper; sauté 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add shrimp, pepper sauce, and red pepper; cook 1 minute or until shrimp are heated. Serve over grits; sprinkle with green onions.

Borrowed from Cooking Light, March 2010