What is the singular of "grits"? Is there a singular? No. The term grits derives from the Old English word for coarse meal: grytt. And that's just what they are. Derived from Native American fare in the southern United States, grits are stone ground or coarsely ground corn. So much of southern cuisine is just accepted and attributed to the south as a monolithic presence, but in reality, just about every bit of cuisine that is categorized as southern is derived from Native American fare and the hybrid foods of enslaved Africans adapting to a strange continent and learning how to cook with what they knew.
In the American south of the 18th and 19th centuries, almost every community had a mill. Families would bring their corn to the mill and it would be ground by stone with the owner of the mill kept a portion as his fee for service. Much of old southern cuisine was built on availability of low cost ingredients, and its ability to fill people up to get through working long early mornings farming. It really is one of the first truly American foods.
In the Carolina low country, grits are as much a part of the daily diet as anything we can imagine. You'll find a million and one recipes for shrimp and grits and for those outside the southern United States, grits are exotic, humorous, and even stereotypical breakfast food. But, it's a remarkable blank canvas for a variety of flavor profiles and it's a part of food culture waiting to be explored. We offer you some modern explorations of an old basic food so you can take the mystery of grits as that bowl of plain white mush out of your mind and start serving delicious meals at breakfast, dinner, and dessert--all using this authentically American southern staple. Diehard foodies will wrinkle their noses for any grits that aren't made the traditional way, but times change. Our recipes here incorporate quick cooking grits, which are not the same as instant grits. We discourage the use of instant grits.
Sauteed Andouille & Greens with Grits
As ever, we suggest the freshest ingredients you can find, especially with the andouille sausage. If you don't have access to andouille, you may substitute another smoked sausage of good quality. This recipe calls for cooking grits---not the instant kind. You'll get a better quality and better flavor grits this way, with a silky smooth consistency---creamy and rich. They're the perfect base for the full-flavored greens which are boiled first and then sautéed in sausage fat. This dish serves four and takes about 45 minutes to prepare. If you're going to get canned collards, try to find the "Glory" brand. Trust us. And go for the hot sauce. Pro tip: If your mouth starts burnin' up with the hot sauce, drink milk, not water.
2 cups milk
Salt and pepper
1 cup regular grits
6 ounces extra-sharp white cheddar, grated
1 bunch collard greens, thick stems removed, leaves chopped into 1-inch pieces
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1/2 pound andouille sausage, sliced
2 shallots, thinly sliced
1 red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and thinly sliced
Louisiana Hot Sauce (optional)s
Fill a large saucepan with water, and bring to a boil over high heat. Add 2 teaspoons of salt and the collard greens. Cook until collards are just tender, six to eight minutes. Drain in a colander, and set aside.
Bring the milk, ¼ teaspoon of salt, and two cups of water to a simmer in a heavy-bottomed saucepan set over medium heat. Reduce heat to medium-low to keep liquid at a bare simmer. Whisk in the grits. Stir often and cook until they are thick and creamy, about 20 minutes. Turn off the heat, and stir in the cheddar and butter.
While grits are cooking, add the sausage to a large skillet set over medium heat. Brown the sausage on both sides, two to three minutes a side. Remove sausage with a slotted spoon, keeping as much of the rendered fat in the pan as possible, and drain on paper towels.
Add the shallots and bell pepper strips to the skillet with the rendered fat. Season with a ¼ teaspoon of salt and ⅛ teaspoon black pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until bell pepper strips are beginning to soften, about three minutes. Add the cooked greens to the skillet, and cook until warmed through. Mix in the sausage, and carefully fold everything together.
Divide the grits between four large bowls, and top each with the sausage and greens mixture. Season with more salt and pepper to taste, and serve with hot sauce, if wanted.
Black Peppercorn Salmon & Chipotle Gouda Grits
Lord have mercy! These grits sure have come a long way. Instead of water, in this recipe, we're going to have you cook the grits in chicken stock. This dish's distinctive flavor profile involves many layers and textures, showcasing just how much of a blank canvas grits can be when planning a meal with them as a primary ingredient.
1 Salmon Fillet, about 2 pounds.. I took the skin off, but if you like that crispy skin on the salmon.. leave it on and tell me how it turned out.
1 1/2 tablespoon of unsalted butter, room temp
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Fresh Black Peppercorn
2 teaspoons ground red pepper
1 1/2 cup quick cook grits (not instant)
3 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup whipping cream
1 tablespoon of butter
1 1/2 - 2 cups shredded chipotle and gouda cheeses
With a sharp knife cutting across the width of the salmon, divide into 4 equal parts
Rub each fillet with butter, then sprinkle each side with ground red pepper.
Now rub each side with the peppercorn.
Coat a large skillet with olive oil (about 2 tablespoons) over medium heat.
When hot, add salmon and cook for about 5 minutes, turn over and cook the other side for another 5 minutes.. Keep warm while cooking the grits.
In a heavy bottom saucepan, bring the chicken stock and whipping cream to a low simmer, then whisk in the grits and return to a low simmer. Cook until thickened, stirring often for about 5 minutes. Stir in butter and the cheeses until well combined and smooth
Assemble dishes, topping the grits with salmon and serve.
Bacon & Cheese Cheddar Grits Quiche
Grits for breakfast is the expected thing, but most people's encounter with the southern breakfast staple is a bowl of grits with cheese. Of course, there are variants and grits with cheddar cheese and ground sausage remains a comfort food favorite. But, grits are such a versatile ingredient that you can do wonderful and delicious things with them, including some unexpected breakfast combinations, like this quiche. Did you ever think you'd hear of a quiche made with grits?
6 thick bacon slices
2 1/4 cups milk
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup uncooked stone-ground grits
2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
1 teaspoon black pepper, divided
2 1/2 cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese, divided
6 large eggs
2 1/2 cups half-and-half
1 cup heavy cream
1/3 cup sliced green onions
1. Preheat oven to 350°. Cook bacon in a skillet over medium heat until crisp. Remove bacon; drain and crumble. Transfer 2 tsp. bacon drippings to a saucepan.
2. Bring drippings, milk, and butter to a boil over medium heat. Gradually whisk in grits, 1 tsp. salt, and 1/2 tsp. pepper; cook, whisking constantly, 15 minutes or until very thick. Remove from heat; let stand 10 minutes. Stir in 1 cup cheese; let stand 10 minutes. Stir in 1 egg; spread in a 9-inch springform pan coated with cooking spray.
3. Bake at 350° for 25 minutes or until set and browned. Sprinkle remaining 1 1/2 cups cheese over warm grits, spreading to edges. Let stand 15 minutes.
4. Reduce oven temperature to 325°. Combine half-and-half, cream, onions, and remaining 5 eggs, 1 tsp. salt, and 1/2 tsp. pepper. Pour over grits; sprinkle with crumbled bacon. Place pan on a foil-lined baking sheet.
5. Bake at 325° for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until lightly browned and just set. Let stand 20 minutes. Run a sharp knife around edges of quiche; remove sides of pan.
Roasted Poblano Grits with Chorizo
I first experienced roasted poblano grits at a restaurant years ago in the south. What made them so amazingly delicious I'm sure is that they made their grits with real cream and an obscene amount of butter. The addition of chorizo sausage gives this main dish status and the flavors go together so very harmoniously. It's a visually beautiful dish and one to draw looks of appreciation and curiosity when you present it at your table. Serves four. About an hour total time to make. If you don't have a tabletop grill, you can sauté the chorizo in a skillet until cooked through.
2 medium poblano peppers
½ Tbsp olive oil
1 cup milk
3 cups water
1 clove garlic
1 tsp salt
1 cup quick cooking grits (not instant)
2 Tbsp butter
2 links Mexican chorizo
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Rub the outside of the poblano peppers with olive oil. Place the peppers on a baking sheet covered with foil or parchment paper and roast in the preheated oven for 30 minutes.
After the peppers come out of the oven, allow them to cool for a few minutes and then peel away as much of the thick skin as possible (steam from roasting will help it separate from the flesh). Pull the stem to remove the seed pod and scrape any remaning seeds from inside the pepper. Roughly chop the remaining peppers into small pieces.
Mince the clove of garlic and add it to a medium sauce pot along with one cup of milk, three cups of water, and one teaspoon of salt. Bring the pot up to a boil over high heat and with a lid on top.
When it reaches a full boil, pour in the grits while stirring. Also stir in the chopped poblano peppers. Allow the pot to return to a boil, then turn the heat down to medium-low and allow it to continue to simmer, with the lid on, for 5-7 minutes, or until thickened. Stir in the butter until melted and adjust the salt to your liking.
While the grits are cooking, heat the George Foreman grill for 7 minutes. Add the chorizo and cook for 5 minutes. Rotate the links and cook for 5 minutes more. Slice the chorizo into medallions.
Scoop about one cup of grits onto each plate or bowl and top with the sliced chorizo medallions.
Maple Grits Pudding with Pecan Streusel
Topped with a brown sugar and pecan streusel, this pudding has a delightfully nubby texture from quick-cooking grits and a deep, dark sweetness from maple syrup. We are suggesting this to you as a dessert, but the flavors are so homey, so comforting, so very breakfast-y that we think guests will be very pleased if this graces your brunch table, too.
FOR STREUSEL TOPPING
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/2 stick unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup pecans, coarsely chopped
FOR PUDDING
3 1/4 cups whole milk
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1/4 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup quick-cooking grits (not instant)
3 large eggs
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
ACCOMPANIMENT: warm heavy cream for drizzling
Preheat oven to 325°F with rack in middle. Butter an 8-inch square or other 2-qt baking dish.
MAKE STREUSEL TOPPING:
Stir together flour, brown sugar, and a pinch of salt in a small bowl. Work in butter with fingertips until it forms clumps. Stir in pecans.
MAKE PUDDING:
Bring milk, butter, and salt to a boil over medium heat in a heavy medium saucepan. Stir in grits and simmer, stirring occasionally, until thickened, about 4 minutes. Remove from heat.
Whisk together eggs and syrup in a bowl. Whisk in one fourth of grits until smooth, then whisk in remaining grits and pour into baking dish. Sprinkle streusel over top and bake until pudding is slightly puffed and no longer wobbly, 35 to 40 minutes. Let stand 15 minutes before serving.
Grits Cheesecake with Granola Crust
Yes, you read that right. A grits cheesecake. This recipe originated the way most great recipes do: by accident or fluke. It was the outgrowth of a recipe content about cereal. A cheesecake incorporating grits? Genius! Makes an 8 x 11 pan.
Granola Crust
1.25 cups granola (I used maple for this), finely ground in food processor
1/4 cup brown sugar
3 tablespoons butter, melted
1 pinch salt
Heat oven to 350 degrees; combine granola crumbs, sugar, salt and butter, and spread into 8x11" baking dish. Bake for about 12 minutes and allow to cool.
Grits Cheesecake
1/2 cup water
3/4 cup milk (I used almond milk)
1/4 cup grits (slow cooking)
1 vanilla bean
3 tablespoons heavy cream
16 ounces cream cheese
1 lemon, juiced
1 cup sugar
4 eggs
1. Add cream cheese, and seeds scraped from vanilla bean in a mixing bowl.
2. Heat the water and the milk with the leftover vanilla bean pod to boiling; add grits and stir until well cooked, about 15 minutes.
3. Finish grits with heavy cream and remove from heat to cool a bit; remove vanilla bean pod and discard.
4. Add grits, sugar and lemon juice to cream cheese and cream together.
5. Add eggs one at a time until combined and pour mixture over granola crust.
6. Bake at 325 degrees for about 45 minutes until set; chill completely before serving.
We Recommend...
If you're serious about grits after trying any of the recipes we presented here, we suggest ordering them from Anson Mills, located in Columbia, South Carolina. Glenn Roberts, the founder of Anson Mills, has been dedicated to preserving heirloom grains and seeds as part of his life's work. He's best known for bringing back the popularity of Carolina Gold rice, an heirloom rice that was the staple rice of the south until the mass production of instant rices. We're proud to support Roberts' work and the quality of ingredients and products sold through Anson Mills.
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