I was raised on grits. There was a bowl of grits on Mama Ida’s dining table in Raleigh at every meal. We had hot grits in the morning, leftover cold grits at lunch and then more hot grits at dinner. It was our starch, rather than potatoes, and I loved grits.
I can’t understand why some people don’t like grits. They are rather bland and mild tasting, enhanced greatly with salt and pepper and a slab of country butter.
Originally, they were dubbed “hominy grits’ in the South because the grits were made from a treated corn, hominy.
Grits served like porridge originated with the Native Americans and the American colonists were quick to follow suit and grits became a staple food in early America. The original grits, like I grew up on, were stone ground to include the coarse hull and germ. Today, most grits sold are “Quick Grits” or “Instant Grits” that take less time to prepare.
The upscale “Shrimp and Grits” found in better restaurants comes from the coarse grits, often yellow.
But all this brings me to the point of this cooking article. I wanted a decent recipe for cheese and grits, and I found one, and it’s so easy it’s ridiculous.
I mostly use Quick Grits, not Instant Grits that are made by adding to boiling water, but grits that are cooked in boiling water, a process that really takes longer than the 5 minutes as advertised. I have added cheese to these grits and they’re okay, but I wanted something richer. I saw a recipe that called for chicken broth and that’s the secret. Instead of all water, use half water and half chicken broth for the liquid, then add butter and grits and it’s dynamite. I haven’t tried these with shrimp yet, but I will
The last batch I made went like this.
I used 1 ½ C of water and 1 ½ C of chicken broth. Bring that to a boil and slowly add 1 ¼ C Quick Grits. Reduce the heat, cover for about 10 or 15 minutes, then add a quarter stick of butter and 1 C of sharp cheddar cheese. Mix, serve and enjoy. Try it. It’s a great way to serve and prepare Easy Cheesy Grits.
Easy Cheesy Grits
1 ½ C water
1 ½ C chicken broth
1 ¼ C Quick Grits
¼ stick butter (not margarine)
1 C shredded sharp cheddar cheese