Grits are a versatile food-their mild taste and soft texture deftly serve as a vehicle for proteins and mix-ins, which elevate grits from ordinary to divine.

Shrimp and grits is a traditional Southern dish in which the garlicky shrimp are broiled with green onions and olive oil, then served on top of creamy cheddar grits.

According to cookcfb.org, grits are popular in the South, but have a Native American origin. Traditionally, corn was ground by using a stone mill and filtered through a screen. The fine grinds were made into cornmeal and the coarser grinds were made into grits.

Typically a breakfast food, grits have a smooth and bland flavor, so it is easy to give this dish a savory zing with just a few ingredients.

Meats and vegetables, such as sausage, bacon, corn, bell peppers, mushrooms or corn, can be mixed into the grits to add a flavorful twist. Light and crisp vegetables also make an excellent side dish, balancing the cheesy, porridge-like meal.

According to livestrong.com, grits are a good source of iron, fiber and thiamine. A serving of grits has 10 percent of the daily amount of thiamine and 8 percent of the recommended amount of iron.

I recommend using regular grits rather than instant grits for this recipe because you can adjust the amount of grits you would like to cook, depending on the size of your crowd. It is also easier to melt in the cheese while stirring additional ingredients in a pot and, so the grits will stay warm longer.

This recipe is quick, simple and takes less than 20 minutes to prepare and cook.

This recipe was adapted from www.huffingtonpost.com

Shrimp and Grits

1 14-ounce can reduced sodium chicken broth

1 ½ cups water

¾ cup quick grits

½ teaspoon pepper

¾ cup extra-sharp cheddar cheese

1 pound raw shrimp, peeled and deveined

1 bunch scallions, trimmed into 1-inch pieces

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

¼ teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon salt

Fill a medium-sized saucepan with water, broth and a dash of salt and boil at high. Preheat broiler to medium-high.

While the water and oven are heating, mix shrimp, scallions, oil, garlic powder and ¼ teaspoon of pepper in a medium bowl. Transfer to a rimmed baking sheet and broil for five to six minutes, stirring once, until shrimp are pink and tender.

You can sauté the shrimp, but I prefer to broil them and set my timer because I can clean the kitchen while they are cooking.

When the water begins to boil, slowly stir in the grits and a ¼ teaspoon of pepper. Reduce heat to low and cover, stirring every couple minutes until the grits have thickened, about five to seven minutes.

Remove grits from heat and stir in the cheese and any additional ingredients. I stirred in ¼ cup of butter to give the grits a rich flavor.

Put a scoop of the garlic shrimp on top of the grits and serve this Southern classic immediately with a tall glass of sweet iced tea.

Anna Puccinelli can be reached at [email protected]