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    Cheesy Polenta and Shrimp

    November 11, 2019 by Jana 6 Comments

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    This website contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate and participant in other programs, I may earn a small commission from qualifying purchases.

    Cheesy polenta and Mexican shrimp recipe

    This cheesy polenta and shrimp will take your holiday entertaining up a notch! It’s an easy recipe made with Cache Valley® Four Cheese Mexican. It will make any dinner guest ask for more.

    Spicy Mexican Shrimp on top of Creamy  Cheesy Polenta

    This post has been sponsored by Dairy Farmers of America. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

    We are entering holiday season and if you are like me, you will either be hosting or attending several dinners and lunches for each holiday.

    And although I absolutely love traditional fare at holiday dinners, I am also a fan of having a variety of dishes so that we are not eating turkey or ham for a month.

    That is why I love to include easy recipes on my end-of-the-year menu that are full of wholesome goodness and creaminess – exactly like holiday comfort food should be.

    This cheesy polenta and shrimp recipe is the type of dish that you feel good serving to your guests and to your family during the holidays. And I caution you to make extra, because your guests will be asking for seconds!

    Not only is it wholesome and velvety – it’s cheesy. It’s made with Cache Valley® Four Cheese Mexican and paired with a Mexican-inspired spicy shrimp with tomatoes.

    Cache Valley Four Mexican Cheese

    Cache Valley Four Cheese Mexican just elevates this dish up to a new level. It provides so much creaminess! 

    The perfect blend of cheddar, Monterey jack, asadero and quesadilla cheese just melt so easily into the polenta, balancing out the acidity of the tomato sauce in the shrimp with just the right amount of creaminess and saltiness. 

    I chose to use Cache Valley Four Cheese Mexican in this recipe, because just tasting it you can tell it’s really high quality. It’s rich, melts in your mouth, and tastes so good! When cooked, it melts easily, because it is made with real, wholesome milk, and it’s gooey, just like melted cheese should be!

    If you can’t tell it already, let me make it clear that I think cheese makes any dish better! Specially, premium quality cheese like Cache Valley!

    And if you love cheese as much as I do, check out my Instant Pot Cheesy Potatoes recipe. It is super fast and the also uses Cache Valley Cheeses.

    By the way, Cache Valley® Four Cheese Mexican is available at your local Safeway (at the dairy aisle).

    Cache valley Four mexican cheesy at Safeway

    Besides the Four Cheese Mexican, Cache Valley® offers several other cheeses and butter. Their products are made right next to Colorado in Northern Utah!

    Cache Valley Four Mexican Cheese and Creamy Polenta with Shrimp dinner

    I love supporting farmers because my in-laws raise cattle and we love spending time on the farm.

    When I first got married, I spent a lot of time out in the pasture. I learned so much about how our food is grown and raised. It had a huge impact on how I approach cooking and eating.

    That is also why I love shopping at Safeway. I always find fresh, high quality products in their stores. Additionally, as a business, Safeway is heavily involved in the local community. A big plus in my book!

    How to Cook Cheesy Polenta and Shrimp

    Creamy cheesy polenta and shrimp with spicy tomato sauce

    This cheesy polenta and shrimp is very simple to make. I used high quality products, that are nutritious and made with real ingredients. It only takes 55 mins to cook and your family will love it!

    What is Polenta?

    Polenta is a traditional Italian dish made of ground cornmeal. It’s coarse, yellow and can be cooked as a porridge, baked or fried.

    There are so many names for it- cornmeal, corn grits, polenta, grits- which confuses a lot of people.

    The main thing you need to know is that it’s not the fine cornmeal that we use to make cornbread.

    How to cook polenta?

    I used three cups of liquid to one cup of polenta for this recipe. However, for the best results, always look at the manufacturer instructions.

    You can cook polenta with water but if you want creamier polenta, then use whole milk dairy products. (see instructions below)

    There are two things you should definitely do while cooking polenta.

    1. Whisk it while it cooks to avoid lumps and,
    2. Cook it in a deep pan to avoid splashes. The polenta bubbles and pops and can burn your skin if you cook it in a shallow pan.

    How to make creamy polenta ?

    Butter, whole milk, or cream and Cache Valley Cheese Shreds are your best friends when making creamy and cheesy polenta.

    Adding the right amount of liquid and whisking it throughout the cooking process, will make the polenta smooth and soft, not lumpy and grainy.

    Can I reheat polenta?

    YES! It is super easy – just mix in a little bit of milk and reheat it.

    Polenta vs. Grits

    There is a lot of confusion on the difference between polenta and grits. Some people believe they are the same thing but if you have ever eaten both, you know there are some major differences in texture and taste.

    Both polenta and grits are stone ground cornmeal. However, they are made from different types of corn. Polenta is more coarse and yellow, and grits are more fine and white.

    I like polenta better because of the more wholesome texture and taste. However, I like to stick to regional ingredients, so if I was eating or pairing it with a Southern dish like this Cajun Shrimp and Sausage, I would choose grits.

    Cooked or Raw Shrimp?

    For most cooking recipes, I prefer to use raw shrimp because shrimp can have a tough and unpleasant texture when it is overcooked.

    Fresh or Frozen Shrimp?

    If I was still living by the sea, my answer would obviously be fresh. However, I live in landlocked Colorado, so finding fresh seafood is a struggle.

    Additionally, frozen shrimp is really convenient as you can cook whenever you need it.

    How to cook frozen shrimp?

    There are several ways to cook frozen shrimp.

    1. Cook frozen shrimp straight from the bag.
    2. Quick defrost it in cold water before cooking. Simply place the frozen shrimp in a large bowl and add cold water to it. Let it sit for 15-20 mins and rinse (my preferred method).
    3. Thaw shrimp overnight in the fridge.

    The quick defrost is my preferred method to cook with frozen shrimp.

    This method allows me to remove little pieces of shell that sometimes are frozen with the shrimp, clean any that have not been deveined and also season it better.

    If you buy frozen shrimp that still has shell and tail attached, you will need to defrost before cooking it for this recipe.

    If you haven’t cooked with shrimp before, it will be soft and grey when raw and defrosted. It will also look somewhat straight. You want to make sure that shells, tails, and feet are removed before you cook this recipe.

    When the shrimp is cooked, it will curl up and become firm and pink. It’s important that you do not overcook the shrimp as it can become tough.

    Cheesy Polenta with spicy Mexican Shrimp
    Print Recipe
    4.50 from 2 votes

    Cheesy Polenta and Shrimp Recipe

    This cheesy polenta and shrimp will take your holiday entertaining up another notch! It’s an easy recipe that will make any dinner guest ask for more.
    Prep Time10 mins
    Cook Time45 mins
    Total Time55 mins
    Course: Main Course
    Cuisine: Tex-Mex
    Keyword: best, cheesy, creamy, mexican, polenta, shrimp, spicy, with tomatoes
    Servings: 8 people
    Calories: 531kcal

    Ingredients

    Shrimp

    • 1 tbsp olive oil
    • 1/2 medium yellow onion diced small
    • 2 large cloves of garlic minced
    • 1 tsp cumin
    • 1 tsp paprika
    • 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper or 1/4 jalapeno pepper minced and seeded (optional)
    • 1 tsp salt
    • 1 1/2 tbsps tomato paste
    • 3 roma tomatoes diced
    • 1 cup vegetable or seafood broth
    • 2 lb small raw frozen or fresh shrimp cleaned, shelled, deveined and thawed
    • 1/2 cup cilantro chopped

    Cheesy Polenta

    • 5 cups water
    • 1 1/2 tsp salt
    • 2 cup polenta/ corn grits/ coarse cornmeal
    • 1/4 tsp black pepper
    • 1 cup heavy cream
    • 2 cup Cache Valley® Four Cheese Mexican (8oz)
    • 3 tbsps salted butter

    Instructions

    Shrimp

    • In a deep cooking pan, over medium heat, warm up the olive oil. Add onions and garlic and saute until it is translucent (about 5 mins).
    • Add cumin, paprika, salt, cayenne pepper and tomato paste and stir. Add chopped tomatoes and jalapenos and cover skillet with lid and cook for 5 minutes to let the flavors mix.
    • Add broth, stir it and cover with lid. Cook for 5 minutes.
    • Add shrimp and stir. Cover with lid and cook for 10-15 minutes or until shrimp is no longer grey – it should look a light pink/salmon color.
    • Add cilantro and mix. Remove from heat.

    Cheesy Polenta

    • Boil the water and salt.
    • Reduce the heat. Pour the polenta in gradually while whisking. Continue whisking until polenta is a thick paste and water is absorbed by the corn grits.
    • Add heavy cream, butter, black pepper and Cache Valley® Four Cheese Mexican and continue to whisk until smooth and the cream is absorbed.
    • Add salt and pepper to taste and serve.

    Notes

     

    To serve this recipe, plate the polenta and form a little mound in the middle. Place shrimp on top and sprinkle with cilantro or extra cheese. Enjoy it!

    Nutrition

    Calories: 531kcal | Carbohydrates: 36g | Protein: 34g | Fat: 27g | Saturated Fat: 15g | Cholesterol: 364mg | Sodium: 2003mg | Potassium: 303mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 1375IU | Vitamin C: 10mg | Calcium: 382mg | Iron: 3mg

    If you liked this recipe, you might also like Beef Gyudon!

    What recipe should I make next?


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    Creamy and Cheesy Polenta and Shrimp

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    This website contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate and participant in other programs, I may earn a small commission from qualifying purchases.

    Sharing is caring!

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    • Share9
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    Filed Under: Dinner, Recipes

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Kim

      June 15, 2020 at 11:37 am

      So I’m assuming you just plop the polenta on a plate and spoon shrimp on top? You don’t mention anything about serving

      Reply
      • Jana

        June 17, 2020 at 6:55 pm

        Yes, pretty much. I will fix that. Thanks for the comment.

        Reply
    2. Michelle

      May 12, 2021 at 5:22 pm

      4 stars
      I didn’t have enough cheese but the polenta was still good. Nobody likes cilantro so I subbed parsley, also added some fresh spinach. I’m not a huge fan of shrimp so I ate polenta and saucy tomato mixture mostly. Very good dish, everyone liked. Will make again.

      Reply
      • Jana

        June 3, 2021 at 2:03 pm

        Thank you for trying it. Cooking is all about making a recipe your own.

        Reply
    3. Joann Hagadorn

      July 12, 2022 at 9:41 pm

      5 stars
      This dish was SUPER delicious 😋. Will certainly make it again and again and again….
      My guests, who are from out state, and not very familiar with southern recipes ie: polenta was bowled with this dish.

      Reply
      • Jana

        July 16, 2022 at 10:39 pm

        I am so glad you and your guests enjoyed it! Thank you for trying this recipe and leaving a review!

        Reply

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