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This easy cheese grits recipe is a breakfast staple in the south. A Georgia recipe for southern style cheese grits is quick to make in less than 15 minutes. American cheese grits an be served with your favorite seafood like shrimp or fried catfish for dinner. This southern cheese grits recipe uses cheddar cheese and quick cooking grits.
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Cheese Grits are a staple at any southern table. Cheese grits can be served alongside crispy bacon for breakfast or fried catfish for dinner. This southern cheese grits recipe is quick, simple, and delicious.
What are southern grits made of?
Believe it or not, corn! Grits are made from either white or yellow corn. The best grits are stone ground but they take a bit longer to cook than quick grits.
What do grits taste like?
Grits may be made from corn but they do not taste like corn at all. They have a creamy, smooth yet slightly gritty texture. Grits take on the flavor of whatever you cook them with.
So if you add cheese to your grits then the grits will taste like whatever cheese you flavored them with.
If you are like my husband, and would rather have sweet instead of savory grits then add some sugar and butter to plain southern grits.
What is the best cheese for cheese grits?
True southern cheese grits are made with sharp cheddar cheese.
I was born and raised in Georgia. Just like our macaroni and cheese, around these parts we prefer our cheese on the sharper side.
When it comes to grits the only way I know how to eat them is with lots of cheese.
But, visit a restaurant here in the south, most of the time they will cut corners to save their budget. Often serving grits with a slice of American Cheese (yes, really) or a few sprinkles of mild cheddar.
Cheese lovers, ya’ll know that neither one of these cheeses will do when it comes to a divine bowl of southern cheese grits.
So I’m sharing with you my secret to making the best southern cheese grits right in your own kitchen. Not only is this recipe easy and delicious but it also takes 15 minutes to make from start to finish.
What do you eat with cheese grits?
Cheese grits can be eaten a variety of ways. Some like to eat cheese grits for breakfast alongside a traditional country breakfast of eggs, biscuits, and your choice of meat like ham, bacon, or sausage.
Others might prefer to eat cheese grits for dinner serving them alongside seafood dishes like fried catfish or topping them with sautéed shrimp.
There is just something about a big bowl of warm, ooey-gooey cheese grits. It definitely will warm your soul. Perfect for cold mornings or just for a little bit of southern comfort food when you need it most.
This recipe is a huge hit with my family. So much so that we always have grits stocked in the cupboard. You never know when that cheesy craving will strike.
How do you like to eat your grits? Sweet or Savory?
I would love for you to give this recipe a try. Let me know what you think of this recipe in the comment section below.
You can serve alongside your favorite breakfast dishes, compliment a seafood feast, or indulge in a bowl all on its own.
Southern Cheese Grits Recipe
The Domestic Diva
This easy cheese grits recipe is a breakfast staple in the south. A Georgia recipe for southern style cheese grits is quick to make in less than 15 minutes. American cheese grits an be served with your favorite seafood like shrimp or fried catfish for dinner. This southern cheese grits recipe uses cheddar cheese and quick cooking grits.
Stir occasionally as grits cook for approximately 5 minutes.
Once grits have thickened, reduce heat to low then add cheese and pepper.
Continue stirring until cheese is completely melted.
Divide into 4 servings. Top with extra cheese if desired. Serve warm.
Notes
Can’t find grits in your grocery store?
These quick cooking grits are our family favorite because they come in a big 5 lb bag and only take 5 minutes to cook.
However, if you have the time thesestone ground white gritswould be wonderful to use in this recipe they would just take a little bit longer to cook. Once thickened you can then add the cheese of your choice.
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Southern Living Test Kitchen Director Robby Melvin prefers to cook grits in a mixture of water and heavy cream. "I use mostly water with 1/4 to 1/2 cup of cream. The water does the trick to tenderize the grits, and the cream adds an obvious richness and creaminess to the finished product," he says.
Since grits typically lack flavor, they are often cooked with butter, cheese, cream, or gravy, and topped with shrimp, mushrooms, ham, or bacon. Shrimp and grits, a traditional Southern preparation, serves as many peoples' introduction to rich, creamy grits.
Creamy, cheesy piping-hot grits topped with spicy sausage – I don't think it gets much better than that on a cold day. Breakfast, lunch or dinner – this dish is perfect anytime! Aside from lots of delicious cheese, these grits get their extra creaminess by cooking them in milk.
Cover and let the grits soak overnight at room temperature. If you are not soaking the grits, proceed directly to the next step. Set the saucepan over medium heat and bring the mixture to a simmer, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until the first starch takes hold, 5 to 8 minutes.
Grits are often cooked in either milk or water; we prefer a combination of the two for silky grits that aren't too heavy. For additional flavor, substitute water with chicken or vegetable stock. Grits require a 1:4 cup ratio of grain to liquid.
It`s a tradition. ”Northerners don`t like grits because they expect them to have a lot of taste,” says Carl Allen, owner of Allen`s Historical Cafe in Auburndale, Fla. ”And as anyone who has eaten them knows, grits don`t have much taste. They`re just kind of blah, very bland tasting.”
"Grits are inherently Southern, so they identify as a taste of the South across cultures," she says. Murray theorizes that grits can be traced back much further than to the kitchens run by African American and white women in the antebellum South.
“Without sugar … the way my grandparents (from Alabama and Louisiana) served them to me. Probing through several decades of Black cookbooks for grits recipes weighs in heavily with the no-sugar camp with a large selection of savory recommendations,” Draper explains.
A cracked egg is the simplest way to instill rich texture and flavor into grits without having to swap a portion of the cooking liquid for heavy cream. You could even forgo the standard addition of butter by adding an extra egg yolk to the pot.
Grits alone are not high in fat, but they often have butter, oil, or cheese added, adding a significant amount of saturated fat and calories. Be mindful of the preparation method and choose a variety of lower-calorie items like vegetables and fruit to serve with them.
Grits are a healthy and versatile food that can be enjoyed in a balanced diet. They provide carbohydrates, fiber, and several important vitamins and minerals. Grits are also naturally gluten-free and low in fat and sodium.
Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer until cooked through, 6 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally. If you want the grits to cook longer and be more creamy, add a little more water, and return to the heat and simmer, stirring, uncovered, until done.
Directions. Combine 4 cups water and 1 teaspoon salt in a medium saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Gradually add the grits, whisking constantly. Reduce the heat to medium low and cook, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon, until tender, about 20 minutes.
The proportions for quick-cooking grits are 4:1 (4 cups H2O to 1 cup grits) for 6 servings. This may be the source of some of the problems listed in the comments regarding having to add more liquid for longer cooking times. BTW, one NEVER adds sugar to grits. Sugar is for oatmeal and/or cream of wheat, NOT grits.
Easily achieve the perfect creamy texture and save yourself some serious time in the kitchen by utilizing the little-known tip of adding baking soda to the pot. Just a pinch added early in the cooking process helps the grits to thicken up and can cut the needed cooking time in half.
A higher 5:1 ratio by volume of water to grits ensures they cook through fully with no stubborn, hard bits. The recommended stone-ground grits offer the best flavor and texture, particularly when compared to grits made with commercial varieties with a more consistent grind.
Quick and regular grits: The only difference between these types is in granulation. Quick grits are ground fine and cook in 5 minutes; regular grits are medium grind and cook in 10 minutes. Instant grits: These fine-textured grits have been precooked and dehydrated. To prepare them, simply add boiling water.
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