Grits Recipe

This easy cheesy, creamy grits recipe is sure to become a family favorite! This version is made with stone ground grits and cheddar cheese. It’s perfect for breakfast or in the southern dish shrimp and grits.

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I have to admit that I didn't grow up eating grits, but that sure hasn't stopped me from growing to love them! The more time I spend in the South, the more I come to love this creamy and versatile accompaniment.

We love it with slow cooked meats such as Instant Pot Brisket, or pot roast.

What's good with grits?

Many folks eat grits with breakfast in place of hash browns. I certainly love them this way, especially with bacon and a poached egg on top. One of my favorite ways to serve them is with seafood, like shrimp or scallops. It's also delicious with pot roast and other slow cooked meats like brisket and pork tenderloin.

What can you mix with grits?

Grits can be eaten with just some butter, salt and pepper. This Grits recipe calls for adding butter as well as sharp cheddar and heavy cream. If you love creamy, then you will love this recipe! Since I love Tex-Mex recipes, I think the spice from jalepeños would make a great addition. I'll work on that recipe next!

What is chaff?

Chaff is made up of hard bits of corn hulls. When using heirloom grits, you'll want to skim these hard pieces off because they will never soften up when cooking. To remove the chaff, pour your grits in the cooking water. Let the grits settle a bit, then skim off the pieces that float to the top. I use a small mesh strainer to do this, but a spoon could work as well.

Do I have to soak grits?

You don't have to soak grits before cooking them, but if you happen to have some extra time or can think to do it several hours or the night before, you will have some pretty tender, amazing grits! Soak them for 2 hours on the counter top, or longer in the refrigerator. Use the soaking liquid to cook the grits.

Instructions

Grits aren't hard to make, but they do require some stirring and checking on. After removing the chaff and soaking (if doing these steps):

• Bring water, salt, and grits to a gentle boil over med-high heat. Stir constantly for the first 2 or 3 minutes. You want to be sure to keep the grits form clumping together.
• Turn the heat down to low and cover the pot. Let the grits simmer for at least 30 minutes (preferably 45-60 minutes) stirring every 5-10 minutes to prevent the grits from sticking to the bottom of the pan. Try not to stir in any hardened grits that may have accumulated on the side of the pan.
• After 30 minutes of cooking and stirring, taste the grits. Be sure they are creamy and tender. Cooking times for stone ground grits will vary, so it's important to taste, taste, taste! If the texture hasn't turned creamy, continue to cook until they are!
• If grits are drying out-add a little warm water. If grits are too watery, let them cook uncovered until desired consistency.
• When grits are done, remove from heat.
• Stir in cream, then add butter and cheeses.
• Season with salt and pepper to taste.

More southernside dishes

• Cheesy Crockpot Hashbrown Casserole
• Copycat Ruby Tuesday Ham and Pea Pasta Salad
• Popeyes Mashed Potatoes Recipe
• Vegetarian Dirty Rice

📖 Recipe

Grits Recipe

Recipe by Nikole Berg

This easy cheesy, creamy  grits recipe is sure to become a family favorite! This version is made with stone ground grits and cheddar cheese. It’s perfect for breakfast or in the southern dish like  shrimp and grits. It’s also great served along slow cooked meats such as Instant Pot Brisket, or pot roast.

4.73 from 18 votes

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Prep Time 5 minutes mins

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Total Time 35 minutes mins

Course Side Dish

Cuisine American

Servings 4 Servings

Calories 370 kcal

Ingredients

 

US CustomaryMetric

 

1x2x3x

• ▢ 3-4 cups water 3 cups will produce stiffer grits, 4 cups be looser in consistency
• ▢ 1-2 teaspoons kosher salt ½ - 1 teaspoon if using table salt; adjust based on your taste preference.
• ▢ 1 cup stone ground grits
• ▢ ¼ cup heavy cream
• ▢ 1 cup sharp cheddar experiment with white cheddar or pepper jack!
• ▢ 2 tablespoons parmesan cheese optional
• ▢ 2 tablespoon butter
• ▢ Salt and pepper to taste

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

 

• Bring 3 cups water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Dissolve 3 teaspoons kosher salt in the water and turn the heat to medium-high.
• Add grits, stirring constantly for the first 2-3 minutes to be sure it doesn’t clump.
• Turn heat to low and cover the pot. Cook grits for 30 minutes (preferably 45-60 minutes) stirring occasionally to keep the grits from sticking to the bottom of the pan.
• If grits start to dry out---add a little warm water (about an ⅛ of a cup at a time) to the pan and stir to incorporate.
• After grits reach a creamy texture (30-60 minutes) remove from heat. Stir in ¼ cup heavy cream.
• Add butter, cheddar and parmesan cheese, stirring to combine.
• Add salt and pepper to taste.
• Refrigerate any leftovers.

Notes

If soaking grits before cooking: add 3 or 4 cups water to a bowl then pour in grits. As grits settle, remove chaff (hard bits that rise to the surface) with a spoon or a small, fine strainer. Leave on counter for up to two hours; to soak for longer, place in refrigerator. When ready to cook grits, add salt to cooking water then bring the water and grits mixture to a boil, stirring constantly for 2-3 minutes to prevent grits from clumping. When grits start to thicken, you are ready to move to step 4.

About grits to water ratio: most stone ground grits recipes will follow the standard 4:1 ratio. That means 4 cups water to 1 cup grits. This recipe works well with 3 or 4 cups water. However, since I can always add water to the grits as they cook, but can't take any water away, I usually start with 3 cups, then add warm water as the grits start taking shape. The consistency of grits is also a personal preference and I prefer grits that are a bit thicker rather than runny. 

Nutritional information is an estimate.

Refrigerate leftovers. Reheat, covered in the microwave. Stir to creamy consistency. 

Here's the link to the grits I used in this recipe: Stone Ground Grits

Nutrition

Calories: 370kcalCarbohydrates: 32gProtein: 12gFat: 22gSaturated Fat: 13gCholesterol: 67mgSodium: 2025mgPotassium: 92mgFiber: 1gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 780IUCalcium: 249mgIron: 1mg

Keyword homemade grits, side dishes, southern grits

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May 23, 2019

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