@sabaray so do just top the grits with your onion-pepper-sausage mix - not actually mix it in the grits, right? (which of course would be what “topping” means but just clarifiying)
Sounds like amount of salt is key - not too little, not too much.
For those who don’t like them it seems you REALLY don’t like them - what don’t you like - the taste? texture? consistency?
One of my major jobs today is defrosting the extra freezer in the basement - I have a half bag of shrimp - I think I’ll go for shrimp and grits tonight! H is a little picky…THIS should be interesting!
I love polenta. When I make it, I just use stone-ground corn meal. I’ve always wondered exactly what the difference was between polenta and grits. This explains it:
I would eat grits with just about anything in them, and a lot of the recipes above sound awesome :x but I normally have them with breakfast and fairly simple with butter, hot sauce, and black pepper. Just had some yesterday morning at the hotel in New Orleans. Great way to jump start the day!! <:-P
Mix the cheese with the grits but the rest is exactly that - topping. I render the andouille to get some fat, remove the meat, then sauté the veggies, add to shrimp to cook, return the meat to the pan, serve over the grits. I’ve done more complicated recipes but this is quick, easy and tasty. You can also use bacon instead of andouille.
Prepared grits don’t sit very well so if you’ve only had them in hotel buffets etc you have not given them a fair trial. Follow the directions and eat them immediately. I second the suggestion on cutting the amount of water.
I have single serving packaged instant grits for breakfast most weekdays.
Sabaray–pimento cheese grits sound really great. My D and son-in-law live in Chapel Hill and I had never had pimento cheese until I went to visit them in Chapel Hill!! I bet it’s good on grits.
I have never loved grits, except in shrimp and grits and when they are prepared like this: Cook in salted water, stir in cheese and beaten eggs, then bake in a buttered dish until puffy. It’s like a grits souffle, and it tastes like popcorn. You can also cook some minced garlic in the water with the grits for garlic cheese grits.
I always viewed grits as being made from hominy while polenta is made from untreated yellow corn. Hominy is more nutritionally complete so it was a better choice as a staple for poor people. You lose that fresh corn flavor but gain riboflavin (or something like that).
Simple grits with butter and salt topped with a perfectly cooked over easy egg and a couple of sausage patties is my go-to comfort dish.
Shrimp and grits is my next favorite way to eat grits. I like them with a creole sauce (made with dark roux, cream and a shrimp shell stock) and andouille…no cheese. Fine dining that.
However, hominy and corn alone or as the bulk of the diet for the poor in the Southern US diet turned out to not be nutritious enough as they found in a pellegra study carried out in the early 20th century during a period when pellegra reached epidemic proportions in southern states.
We use to drive south to myrtle beach for vacation with grandparents every summer. My mom would be happy to start ordering grits when offered. Why my mom didn’t make grits for us, I don’t know. Now I feel deprived.
The grits are cooking! I took a little bacon and pan fried for a bit of grease (1 strip) - reserved the crumbled bacon to top dish. Sauteed shrimp, snap peas, onion, red pepper and some mushrooms in the bacon fat. Added some garlic and lemon juice and a dash of Franks and a sprinkle of red pepper flakes - will serve over the grits which I made with water/salt/butter/whole milk and will add in sharp white cheddar and a little parm. I’m hungry!!!
The grits take a while! 15-20 minutes it says with the water, then add the milk and 10 more. Does that seem right?
Waffle house grits aren’t usually sweet. I have never had grits with sugar on them.(Lived in the South my whole life) I think @Sherpa had a rogue Waffle house cook.
When I make cheese grits I just follow the directions on the box and then add butter, cheese (any kind that I have around-sometimes I try to use up what is on hand) and salt and pepper. Sometimes crumbled bacon on top. I use quick grits -but not usually instant.
Thanks for participating.