Cajun Shrimp & Kale Cheesy Polenta

Transform some basic polenta with a touch of good old southern cooking!

If you are like me, then whenever you go to the coast you usually crave and indulge in seafood. We recently went to visit family by the ocean and realized we somehow went the whole time without eating it. I just had to cook up something with seafood once we got back! This deliciously cheesy cajun polenta with shrimp was the perfect recipe to satisfy that need.

I couldn’t get shrimp and grits out of my mind for some reason, but that just didn’t seem right for dinner. I made a few adjustments and quickly came up with this recipe for cajun polenta instead. The outcome was a low calorie, fulfilling meal that I was able to cook up in about 10 minutes.

Polenta is one of those completely customizable foods that you can take from ordinary to extraordinary with little effort!

Start by cooking the shrimp. I sautéed them in a pan with onion, garlic, a little lemon and some cajun seasoning.

While the shrimp cook you can prepare the polenta in another pot. I melted some butter and put the polenta on low heat until it warmed up enough to stir in some milk. Once it was a creamy consistency I added a little cheese and seasonings. Chopped kale paired perfectly with this to get some greens in to the dish!

To make things quick and easy I chose to use some canned pre-seasoned kale and pre-cooked polenta for mine. Of course, fresh greens are always better! Kale is one of those powerhouse vegetables that is extremely good for your body. If you want more information on its benefits check out this article from Well-Being Secrets. My preferred brand for polenta is below, which I try to always keep in stock.

Both of us agreed this cajun polenta was delicious so I will definitely be making it again!

Cajun Style Cheesy Polenta

Cheesy Polenta with Cajun Shrimp and Kale.

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Prep Time 5 minutes mins

Cook Time 10 minutes mins

Total Time 15 minutes mins

Course Main Dish

Cuisine Seafood

Servings 2 people

Ingredients

  

• 1/2 lb shrimp
• 18 oz polenta pre-cooked
• 1/4 cup cheddar cheese shredded
• 12 oz kale
• 1/4 onion
• 1 clove garlic
• 2 tbsp milk
• 2 tbsp butter
• 1/4 lemon
• 1 tsp parsley
• 1/2 tbsp olive oil extra virgin
• 2 tsp cajun seasoning
• 1/4 tsp pepper

Instructions

 

• Sauté the shrimp in a pan with onion, garlic, a little lemon and some cajun seasoning.
• Prepare the polenta separately while the shrimp cook. Heat on low with some butter, then stir in a little milk, cheese and seasonings until it has a creamy consistency.

Notes

I used organic fat-free pre-cooked polenta and half a can of seasoned southern style kale greens for mine. Of course cooking both of these from scratch would be the preferred method!

The best part about this recipe is that I didn’t need to use anything fattening like heavy cream or cream cheese to get the polenta to taste so yummy. All you need is a very small amount of milk, butter and shredded cheese and it ends up sinfully good. Eating healthier doesn’t mean you have to feel restricted from lots of flavor or rich food!