The Best Thick and Creamy Grits Recipe - caramel and cashews (2024)

FAQs

What is the secret to great grits? ›

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.

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. Whisking constantly during the first couple of minutes, and frequently throughout the rest of the cooking process, will prevent lumps from forming.

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.

More hacks for creamy and flavorful grits

Even if you do use cream and butter, cracking an egg will only make your grits even creamier. You can also use the egg hack for cheese grits, adding shredded cheddar to the grits along with seasoning and the cracked egg before stirring it all together.

The proportions for cooking grits that almost always gives you perfect stone-ground grits is 4 parts liquid to 1 part dry grits. Be sure to put about 1 teaspoon of salt per dry cup of grits in the mixture when you start.

Adding an egg is another option. Foodsguy recommends beating an egg in a medium-sized bowl until it's thoroughly combined, then stirring a small portion of cooked grits into the bowl. Be careful — adding too much will cook your eggs.

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.

A little brown sugar, dried fruit, shredded apple, maple syrup, honey, milk, cinnamon, and/or other sweet breakfast stir-ins work wonderfully. Cheesy grits: Any cheese can dress up grits. Stir in shredded cheddar, Monterey Jack, pepper cheese, provolone, or Swiss, or add feta or goat cheese crumbles.

Are grits healthier than oatmeal? ›

Oatmeal has more fiber and protein, grits have more iron and B vitamins. However, oatmeal has a lower glycemic index. So for blood sugar control, oatmeal could be a better option. But when balanced right, both oatmeal and grits can fit into a healthy diet.

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.

4 cups of liquid for every cup of grits. This can be 4 cups of water (eww) or 3 cups of broth 1 cup of heavy cream. It can even be just 4 cups of broth it really all depends on how you like to make your grits. I substitute the heavy cream for cream cheese but it still does the same thing!

Milk adds creaminess and a touch of sweetness—ideal for cheese grits—while cream adds even more richness to grits in a breakfast casserole. Buttermilk adds a bit of tanginess to recipes like our Buttermilk Stone-Ground Grits.

Serving Southern Grits

We often eat these grits as-is for breakfast (or topped with a fried egg or crumbled sausage). But they also make a delicious bed for stove-cooked beans or sautéed greens, and are a welcome side for weeknight dinners and holidays, too.

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).

Instant grits are precooked and then dehydrated, and unfortunately, they lose out on their flavor and their texture. Real grits require you to slow down and cook at a lower temperature.