From the Kitchens of Bunny and Brandy: Shrimp and Grits with Finlandia

If there's one category of food Brandy will never turn her nose up at, it's dairy.  Butter, cheese, milk, and and all dairy products are Brandy's ultimate form of indulgence.  "If it were't for dairy, I would have no issue living a vegan lifestyle," says Brandy, "I know for a fact that I could give up everything, meat included, all of it except for that delicious creamy, cheesy goodness one can only get from real dairy products."

That being said, when Brandy found out that June was National Dairy Month, she was immediately on the lookout for a way to celebrate.  In her search, she recently discovered Finlandia, a brand that has been crafting some of the highest quality cheese and butter for over a century. While some butters and cheeses contain additives (such as growth hormones, preservatives, and dyes) that can be harmful, Finlandia products are all-natural and hormone-free. Imported from Finland, Finlandia products are made from pure, hormone-free milk, which comes from happy cows that live on family owned farms. No hidden chemicals, no factory farms—just pure, creamy goodness.

The rich yellow color of Finlandia butter reminded Brandy of one of her favorite Southern American brunch dishes; Shrimp and Grits.  This, she realized, was the perfect canvas to feature such high quality ingredients, by incorporating a nice nutty Swiss cheese into the grits and butter poaching the shrimp for maximum tenderness, then topping the dish with fresh ingredients like sweet corn and heirloom tomatoes to add a bit of texture and brightness that really made everything shine.

To find Finlandia products near you, use this handy Location Checker and make sure to share your National Dairy Month dishes with us by using the hashtag #BunnyAndBrandy on social media!

The writers of this blog were sent products by the company in order to facilitate the writing of this post.

Butter Poached Shrimp and Grits

1 cup yellow corn grits
1/3 cup heavy cream
1 cup shredded or sliced Swiss cheese
7 oz salted butter
about 20 uncooked shrimp, cleaned and shelled
Salt to taste

For Garnish:
Fresh corn
Diced tomato
Fresh chives

Cook the grits on a stove top according to package instructions.  Once the grits have fully absorbed the water, turn the heat to low and add the cream, then stir until the grits loosen.  Add the cheese and keep stirring until fully melted, then add salt and stir to distribute evenly.  Set the grits aside, but keep warm.

Melt the butter in a frying pan over medium low heat, stirring to make sure the butter doesn't turn brown.  Add the shrimp and cook on each side for about 2-3 minutes, then remove from the pan.

Plate a scoop of the grits (about a cup) and top with 5 or six shrimp, then garnish with fresh sweet corn, diced tomato, and fresh cut chives.  Makes 4 servings.