Shrimp and Cauliflower Grits with Eggs

Shrimp and Cauliflower Grits with Eggs that’ll bring you back down south.
If you have ever been down south at all, and were lucky, Shrimp and Grits must of crossed your path and your tastebuds, and were never to be forgotten.
At a minimum you have watched My Cousin Vinnie a dozen times and wondered what all the fuss is about.
A few years ago my wife Lisa took me to New Orleans for my birthday and we ate our way through downtown. We visited the usually places and some off-the-beaten-path hot spots for some of the best food on earth. At one spot across from our hotel in the French Quarter we had the most amazing breakfast of Shrimp and Grits that has been indelibly imprinted on my culinary mind.
There is a great regional spice mixture found in many creole dishes that we had to seek out and procure before heading back North. We have used it to make the famous Brennan’s Barbeque Shrimp and wowed our guests with transporting flavors as well as the 4 sticks of butter the recipe calls for. All keto-friendly until you add the loaf of french bread to sop up the life-changing butter sauce. Sorry – I don’t think there is ever gonna be a replacement for the crusty bread in this equation.
The other morning I had some leftover Cauliflower Mash and was inspired by its grit-like potential. This low-carb alternative to grits will become a new staple at our breakfast table and this southern dish, a welcomed guest at our home and soon to be yours.
Y’all come back now, ya hear!


- 2.5 cups raw cauliflower
- 2 tbsp fresh chives - chopped
- 3 large mushrooms - sliced thick
- 4 eggs
- 8 large raw shrimp - peeled
- 1 tbsp extra vigin olive oil
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1 clove a garlic - minced
- 1/2 cup light cream
- Fresh ground salt and pepper to taste
- 4 slices of Prosciutto di Parm - seared and crumbled
- 2 tsp creole seasoning
- In a mini-prep, process the raw cauliflower until riced.
- In a saute pan cook riced cauliflower over low heat for 5 min to evaporate some moisture.
- Add half the chives and the light cream - cook on low for 10 minutes, stir until creamy.
- Add salt and pepper to taste.
- Bring pot of water to a boil covered.
- Spin water.
- Add eggs to center vortex.
- Cover and turn off heat.
- Set timer for 4 minutes.
- In a large saute pan on medium - high heat, add 1/2 tbs olive oil and half the butter.
- Brown the mushrooms - 5 minutes.
- When the eggs are dropped - add raw peeled shrimp to the pan with mushrooms.
- Add chives to shrimp.
- Add creole seasoning to the shrimp.
- Add other half of butter.
- Add 1/2 tbs olive oil.
- Toss shrimp to cook the other side and mushrooms until cooked through - 3-4 minutes.
- In a bowl add cauliflower.
- Top with shrimp and mushroom mixture. Be sure to scrape the buttery goodness onto the grits.
- Crumble Prosciutto on top.
- Top with 2 poached eggs.
- Add ground salt and pepper to taste.
- Dust with some creole seasoning to taste.
- Crisp bacon is another crumble option that will work well. Reserve some of the rendered bacon fat to cook the shrimp in along with the butter. In this case go lighter on the olive oil.
- If you like spicy, you can go a little heavier handed on the creole seasoning.
- There is some timing to pull this recipe off. The Grits can be made and kept warm on very low heat while you start the shrimp. Once the shrimp are in the pan the eggs need to be ready to come out just a few minutes later so they don't over cook.


- 1/2 cup sweet paprika
- 1/4 cup kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon cayenne
- 1 teaspoon thyme
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- Thoroughly combine all ingredients in a small mixing bowl and store the mixture in an airtight container in a cool, dark place for up to three months.