To marinade the shrimp

To create the shrimp marinade, blend smashed garlic, BBQ Shrimp Seasoning, oyster sauce, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice, and honey in a blender or food processor. Blend the mixture on high speed until smooth. With the blender on, slowly drizzle in 1/4 cup melted, cooled butter. Once the marinade has emulsified, add the marinade and shrimp to a mixing bowl. Toss to coat the shrimp in marinade. Cover the bowl in plastic wrap and place in the fridge for at least 2 hours or up to 8 hours.

To make grits

Bring chicken stock to a boil in a large saucepan. Once the stock is rapidly boiling, add dry grits and stir to make sure the stock and grits are well combined. Reduce the heat to low and continue to cook for about 10-12 minutes, stirring occasionally. Once the grits have thickened to about the consistency of pudding and the mix starts to pull away from the sides, add the heavy cream and buttermilk and continue to stir to combine. Cook for about 15 minutes until the consistency is thickened but isn't stiff. Add the cheese, green portion of the scallions, salt, pepper, and Cajun seasoning and stir to combine. Continue to cook until the cheese is totally melted or about 2 minutes. If the grits get too thick, add a touch of chicken stock to loosen the mix.

To make shrimp and grits

Cook bacon and reserve bacon fat. Pour the remaining bacon fat into a small, heat-proof dish being sure to scrape all the dark bits out of the pan. Allow those bits to settle at the bottom of the container, leaving the cleaner fat on top. Add 2 Tbsp bacon drippings back to the same large nonstick pan used to crisp the bacon. Turn the heat onto medium-high. Add the mushrooms and sauté for about 3 minutes or until starting to form a nice golden-brown color. Once the mushrooms start to brown, add the peppers, celery, and reserved white and light green portions of the green onions. Sauté for another 5 minutes or until the vegetables start to soften. Once cooked, pour the mushrooms and vegetables into a bowl and set aside. Turn the heat down to medium heat and add a drizzle of olive oil along with the shrimp and marinade to the pan. Cook for about 2-3 minutes until the shrimp becomes firm and the marinade starts to boil. Stir the shrimp to turn them over and add the can of diced tomatoes and mushroom-vegetable mix to the pan. Cook for another 5 minutes or until the vegetables and tomatoes are warm. Chop the cooked bacon into small pieces. Serve with about 1 cup of grits topped with shrimp and sauce, green onions and crumbled bacon. Finish with finely grated lemon zest.

Find more recipe by Hailey McKenna at cookingandcussing.com.