Shrimp and grits are a cozy meal that can feed a crowd, but it can take a while to cook each element, especially if you’re not accustomed to cooking (and stirring) grits on a stove.

Melissa Clark, the New York Times columnist and author of several best-selling cookbooks, knows that a multicooker will make quick work of just about any comfort food, which was the focus of her 2018 book, “Comfort in an Instant: 75 Comfort Food Recipes for Your Pressure Cooker, Multicooker and Instant Pot” (Clarkson Potter, $22).

This recipe is a good example of how you can cook multiple elements of a dish in an Instant Pot at the same time by taking advantage of the wire racks that come with them.

By sauteing aromatics and tomatoes in the bottom of the pot and placing a bowl of grits on top, you can keep the grits and the tomato bacon mixture separate until serving. The shrimp cook so quickly that you won’t cook them under pressure, but instead, you’ll cook them in the tomato mixture after the sauce and grits have cooked under pressure.

Unless you have a really small multicooker, you should be able to double this recipe without trouble, as long as you can find a bowl that fits inside the pot to hold the grits.

MULTICOOKER SHRIMP AND GRITS

• 1-1/2 pounds large shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 1-1/2 tablespoons Old Bay seasoning
• 2 slices smoked bacon, diced
• 1 small onion, diced
• 1 small red bell pepper, diced
• 1 jalapeno, diced (seeded if desired)
• 2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes
• 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
• 1/2 cup old-fashioned or stone-ground grits
• 1 cup whole milk
• 1 cup water
• 3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1/2 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• Sliced scallions, for serving
• Hot sauce and/or lemon wedges, for serving

In a large bowl, combine shrimp and Old Bay. Cover and let marinate at room temperature while you prepare the remaining ingredients.

Using the saute function, scatter bacon in pressure cooker pot and cook, stirring frequently, until browned and fat has rendered, 10 to 12 minutes. Leaving the fat in pan, transfer bacon to a plate lined with paper towels.

Stir onion, bell pepper, jalapeno and garlic into pot. Cook until softened and translucent, about 5 minutes.

Stir in tomatoes and 1/2 teaspoon salt, scraping up any browned bits on bottom, and turn off saute function.

In a medium metal (not glass) bowl that fits in the pressure cooker, stir together grits, milk, water and remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt. If your steamer rack has handles, place bowl on rack and lower into pressure cooker pot, over the tomato mixture. If your rack does not have handles, place rack in the pot, then lower in the bowl using a foil sling.

Lock lid; cook on high pressure 10 minutes. Release pressure naturally.

Carefully remove bowl from pressure cooker. Stir in cheddar and butter, adding more milk or water to reach desired consistency. Taste and add salt if needed.

Using saute function, stir marinated shrimp and lemon juice into tomato mixture in pressure cooker pot and cook, stirring frequently, until shrimp are cooked through, 3 to 5 minutes.

Serve grits topped with shrimp and tomatoes, reserved bacon and scallions, with hot sauce and/or lemon wedges on the side. Serves 4.

Nutritional information unavailable.