Street Corn Shrimp and Grits

Street corn aka elote has become super trendy the past couple of years. It’s basically grilled corn slathered with a layer of mayo/crema then topped with chili powder, lime, cilantro, and a salty/crumbly cheese like cotija or feta. Well, we’re going to take the idea of those basic flavors and transform them into the most delicious bowl of smoked gouda grits, grilled shrimp and corn, and street corn sauce. 

Let’s build this bowl from the bottom up, shall we?

We’ll start with the grits. You’ve seen so many different variations of grits here on The Yummy Muffin, but two things are consistent: I only use quick cooking grits, and there MUST be cheese. Those non-negotiables are pretty easy to deal with though, right?? Well, the grits for today’s recipe are no different. We’re going to start with some milk, water, and garlic powder. We’ll let those come to a boil, whisk in our grits, then let them cook for 5 minutes. That’s it! Once they come off the heat, we’ll whisk in some butter, a big ol’ heap of smoked gouda, and some salt and pepper. And, that’s all there is to it. Bottom layer, complete!

Now while the milk and water are coming to temperature, we’re going to practice our multitasking skills. We can have our grill going for our corn and shrimp. The corn takes about 10-12 mins, so that can go on the grill first. Brush it with a light layer of oil, pop in right on the grill, and turn it every couple of minutes once you start to see char marks. Easy breezy.

For our shrimp, we’re going to season them in a super simple spice mix of chili lime seasoning, garlic powder, and cumin. Toss them with some oil, thread them on some skewers (optional, but makes life a little easier), and pop them on the grill for 6-8 minutes. They can be grilling right next to the corn, because we’re going to cook them over the same heat level. And hot tip, this works on an outdoor or indoor grill. (I actually used my indoor electric grill, because someone hasn’t refilled her propane tank since the beginning of the pandemic.) ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

For our final layer, we going to make a super simple street corn sauce. It’s as simple as mixing some sour cream, some mayonnaise, a little more chile lime seasoining, and a splash of water together until it’s a drizzling consistency. We’re basically mimicking all the flavors you’d find schmeared all over that corn just without the corn! You can actually make this sauce before you start anything else and let it hang in the fridge while you finish the rest of the components. That way, the flavors can start to marry together so the sauce is at its finest once you’re ready for it.

When it’s time to assemble, we’ll fill our bowl with those creamy, smoky grits. Then, we’ll sprinkle over our grilled corn kernels that we’ve taken off the cob. We’ll top that with our succulent grilled shrimp. We’ll give the whole thing a drizzle of that tangy street corn sauce. Finish with some chopped cilantro for extra pizazz. And, it’s time to eat!

I feel like we need to create a new category called summer comfort food. And, this recipe would be right at the top of that list. It’s rich, creamy, and a little bit stick to your ribs from those cheesy grits. But, it’s light and fresh thanks to the pops of corn kernels and zip of lime that’s in the chile lime seasoning. Then, you have the charred bits from the grill on the shrimp and corn adding a fresh kind of smoke that compliments the hickory smoked flavor of the cheese. And, that creamy drizzle on sauce gives you that summer street fair vibe without out all the mess of actual elote.

This bowl of food is SUCH A WINNER!

What else would you put on your “summer comfort food” list? I really think we need to make this a thing!

In the meantime, please enjoy. And, let’s eat!