Smokey shrimp and grits casserole

Casseroles American cuisine

So I'm specifically uploading this to submit for the "Recipes I Want to be Remembered For" contest, because since I've moved from my hometown of Atlanta, GA to Los Angeles, CA this has been the recipe I've cooked the most. Its impressive, tastes refined but also homey at the same time, showcases the best of Southern Cuisine, but is still accessible to my West Coast family. To me it tastes like home, to the folks here in sunny LA it tastes foreign - like a cuisine they've never been exposed to. When you say the word "grits" in polite company in Los Angeles, people give you strange looks, like you just suggested they eat an insect of sorts. But once they taste how creamy, smooth, and delicious grits can be, my friends have all been instant converts. When I'm missing the humid, thunderstorms of the deep south, I cook this for my family, and enjoy the cool ocean breezes, thinking of past celebrations and present joys.