The Best Southern Cheese Grits Recipe In Georgia - The Domestic Diva (2024)

FAQs

What is the secret to good grits? ›

Follow these tips for creamy, flavorful grits. Grits are a Southern soul food staple and the ultimate creamy comfort food. The key to cooking old-fashioned grits is going low and slow—use a low heat so the grits simmer and slowly release their starches, which creates a decadent, silky texture.

Serving Southern Grits

We always add cheese to our grits — either Parmesan or sharp cheddar. But you can certainly skip the cheese altogether; some people prefer theirs without. We often eat these grits as-is for breakfast (or topped with a fried egg or crumbled sausage).

"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. "Cooking grits in all milk or chicken stock imparts too much of those flavors into the grits."

Add Cheese to Your Grits

One of our test kitchen professionals says she makes sure her grits have cheese in them every time. But look beyond the classic sharp cheddar. Parmesan and smoked gouda make for tasty alternatives.

Before turning on the stove, artisan grain producer Anson Mills recommends soaking the grits overnight for a “superior” texture. This step also reduces the cooking time by about 50 percent, which can take from about 20 minutes to 1 hour or more, depending on the type of grits and desired consistency.

It doesn't taste like egg, not really, but it makes the grits taste richer, with a more cohesive, rib-sticking texture. It's also an easy way to sneak a little more protein in there—six grams per egg—and I've found it amplifies the cheesiness of cheese grits, without adding any extra dairy.

Whole milk: You can do all water with just a splash of milk if you like, as long as there is some. It provides a creaminess that you can't get with just water. You can also use anything from whole to skim milk, but for quick grits I don't recommend using anything heavier than half-and-half because it's too thick.

For 1 serving: Combine 1-1/3 cups water and 1/8 tsp. salt with 1/3 cup Dixie Lily Grits in a 1-quart bowl. Microwave at HIGH 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Let stand until desired consistency.

The state of Georgia declared grits to be its official prepared food in 2002. A similar bill was introduced in South Carolina to name it the official state food, but it did not advance.

Their Antebellum grits are made from heirloom white or yellow corn varieties — and stone-ground.

Can you crack an egg in grits? ›

Cooking Instructions

Press grits into bottom and up sides of 2 cup capacity ovenproof ramekins or baking dishes sprayed with nonstick spray. Make indentation in center of grits. Break egg into indentation. Bake 15 minutes or until egg is desired doneness.

Conclusion. Adding grits to your dietary plans is a great move. They are a versatile food option that's packed with iron, B vitamins, antioxidants, and several other nutrients. As with all other foods though, be mindful of the possible downsides like nutrient loss during production and a high carb count.

If they turn out kind of runny, we put them in a bowl and eat with a spoon. If they're nice and fluffy, we put them on a plate and eat with a fork. That's how. Is it common for Southerners to eat grits and eggs for breakfast?

Even if you buy 5-minute grits, don't cook your grits for only five minutes. Part of what makes the grits all creamy is the time they get to soak in the water. Making them softer and allowing them to merge together to form all the creamy goodness. I repeat creamy grits are not made in five minutes.

Soaking grits in water overnight and cooking them in their soaking liquid reduces their cooking time by about 50 percent. In real terms, this means 1 cup of grits, unsoaked, cooks in about 90 minutes; soaked overnight, they cook in about 50 minutes. Either way, don't rush these grits.

Baking soda breaks through the structure of the grains of corn, encouraging gelatinization of the grits' starches so that they absorb liquid, thicken up, and get creamy in no time.