1. Prepare Shrimp: Season the shrimp with lemon pepper, red chili flakes, garlic pepper, onion powder, smoked paprika, and a pinch of cayenne pepper and Creole seasoning. Set aside.
2. Cook Bacon: In a large pan, cook the 8 strips of cut bacon on low heat until crispy. Remove the bacon from the pan, drain excess grease, but leave about 2-3 tablespoons of bacon grease in the pan. Crumble the bacon and set aside for topping.
3. Cook Shrimp: Add the seasoned shrimp to the bacon grease in the pan and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, or until pink and cooked through. Remove shrimp from the pan and set aside.
4. Prepare Sauce: To the same pan with bacon grease, add 2-3 tablespoons of heavy cream. Stir and mix until combined. This is your creamy bacon sauce.
5. Prepare Grits: In a medium saucepan, bring 2.5 cups of chicken broth to a boil. Whisk in 1 cup of grits, 1.5 teaspoons of black pepper & salt, and 1 teaspoon of Creole seasoning. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the grits are thick and creamy.
6. Finish Grits: Remove from heat and stir in 0.5 cup heavy cream, 1.5 cups of cheddar cheese (if using, as it's subjective and optional), and 2 tablespoons of butter until melted and smooth.
7. Assemble: Ladle the creamy grits into bowls. Top with the cooked shrimp, a drizzle of the bacon-cream sauce, crumbled crispy bacon, sliced scallions, and chopped parsley. Serve immediately.
