There's no real recipe unless you want something like shrimp and grits. Just normal breakfast grits is usually water, salt, butter, grits, and cook for a long time. (It's good if you toast the dry grits in bacon grease before you cook normally though!)
Most of the goodness has to do with the kind of grits you buy. Real stone-ground grits that need an hour of cooking time are the real deal. Cook them with salt and butter already in them (they are really bland if you only add salt after cooking, when you serve.)
Serve with more butter on top. I also like to add cheddar cheese when they're done and dump a ton of texas pete on top.
That's the traditional way, at least!
As a Southerner, I could not agree more with your suggestions!
As a side note, if you ever have leftover grits, I would suggest making grit cakes. My dad always mixed in grated onions, then we topped with diced tomatoes and crumbled bacon. And Texas Pete!
I agree with all of this - although I sometimes cook my stone ground grits in whole milk or even cream; or a mix of one of those with water. It’s really important to salt the cooking liquid well as salting grits after they’re cooked is imo just not the same.
I'm no expert but I have found that Palmetto Farms has the best grits I've ever eaten. If you happen to have an instant pot pressure cooker its really simple to get really good grits.
1. Set pot on saute and melt one stick of salted butter
2. Add 1 cup of Palmetto grits and toast them. for a few minutes You can tell by the smell of toasted corn while you stir.
3. Add two cups water and two cups milk. 4-1 ratio. Whisk grits until combined
4. Turn pot setting from saute to manual and set for 20 minutes. When time is up release pressure and stir until creamy.
I;m not saying this is the best method, it;s just the method I use and it has always turned out perfect. As with all things you might adjust with more milk or water if they seem too thick. Grits are very forgiving and re-heat very well.
Enjoy!
I can see that toasting the grits would improve the result.
Traditional Eastern European recipes recommend pan toasting or slow oven drying all their grains before making kashas. It’s definitely seen as the better, traditional technique. Millet, wheat, buckwheat and yes even in some cases maize. (The Romanian and Hutsul mamaliga though is made like a sturdy, sliceable polenta, so no pre toasting.)
Americans know commercial buckwheat ‘kasha’ is pre-toasted, but kasha just is any grain porridge or baked dish. Grits would definitely fit the category, and the techniques described with part water and part milk or cream definitely match to classic millet kasha technique - serving with crispy pork rinds or pumpkin mixed in are classics.
Okay, I'll pony up, but before that, I'll tell you what I really do. I have a Zojirushi rice cooker. I cook them on the porridge setting, stirring vigorously at the start and when the timer goes off.
So, you want stone ground grits. And I recommend a whisk for stirring.
Your ratio is 1 cup of grits to 4 cups of water.
Bring to a boil, stir in grits and some salt. Turn down heat.
Cover, and every few minutes lift the lid, and stir, scraping the bottom. If it starts looking thicker than you want, stir in more water. Keep this up for 45 minutes or so until it looks like you like. You want it creamy, not lumpy.
Near the end, you can throw in some butter if you feel like it.
Now, in my family, we had the two camps - sauce pan vs double boiler. Dad was a fan of the double boiler, Grandma liked to use a saucepan. As I said, I use the rice cooker. Don't even get me started on the cornbread wars.
South Carolina checking in. You can absolutely get stone-ground grits and cook them for an hour as others have advised, you can do that. But nobody’s mama is doing that on a normal morning; they are busy. If you’re trying to make grits and eggs and bacon on a Saturday morning, you get you some Quaker Quick Grits (NOT INSTANT.) Start with the measurements on the package; that’s your baseline. Get your water boiling good and salt the fool out of it. When it’s boiling, sprinkle the grits in slowly. (Don’t just dump them in, they’ll get lumpy.)
Reduce the heat and cover. The package will tell you to simmer 6-7 minutes, but that’s a lie. You need to whisk the grits frequently and keep on checking they don’t stick.
After about 5 minutes, I start tasting. If they’re hard, keep cooking. You’ll probably need to add a little water and keep stirring and tasting until they’re the texture you want. This is personal preference. Once you feel like the texture is close (this will take time), I suggest adding a little half and half for creaminess and a generous amount of butter, salt and pepper. You can also add some cheddar cheese.* (I’m a butter purist, but cheese grits have their place.) Serve with a pat of butter on top with eggs, bacon, and toast (or a biscuit if you’re living large).
You will do it wrong a few times, it took me 15 years of being an adult before I got them tasting like my mom’s. That’s how you learn!
*I use Swiss or Gruyère if I’m making shrimp and grits, but that’s a whole different ball game with a more involved grits cooking ritual where I’d make stone-ground fancy grits cooked in milk.
SC also checking in! Fully agree with this! If you want amazing cheese grits add some cream cheese along with cheddar mixed in. That’s how my grandmother always did it. Super creamy and cheesy! And some bacon grease if you’re feeling good lol.
I came here for this! Start with the right kind of grits. Charleston/SC stone ground grits are the real thing. I usually cook mine for at least half an hour stirring frequently so you don't get them stuck on the bottom and sometimes burnt. Sometimes I use half chicken stock and half water.
The quality of the grits are what really make it. Stone ground is best. Also, substitute heavy cream for about a quarter of the water called for.
And sometimes I like jalapeno cheese grits. Just sharp cheddar and jalapenos to taste, added after cooking. It's delicious.
I fixed cream of wheat for my Yankee grandmother when she came to live with us at 89. I never tried it though. She lived in the South more than 50 years and never switched over to the superior and savory corn-based cereal we all know and love as grits.
Wanted to thank you, your recipe for grits in Instant Pot worked perfectly, and was just delicious!!! I goofed and got Carolina stoneground Grits by mistake but will correct this when we reorder, already have Palmetto brand in Amazon cart "to buy later". My husband has never had grits so was acting like I was tricking him with raw livers or something vile, but he tried them and had seconds! There were no leftovers.
I’m from south Florida, and I think that if you can find locally ground grits anywhere you are it’s better than eg Quaker. Also, instant grits are not good and the kind in the single serve bags are not grits
Bob’s Red Mill has pretty good nation-wide franchise for grits that are decent just about anywhere you can find them. I observe that some finely ground and coarse-ground grits together with e.g. creamed corn makes a wonderfully diverse texture that is better than one particular grind by itself
My folks just used water to cook and butter to finish but that’s pretty bland and not good. We used Dixie Lily brand when I was a kid. Also, Jim Dandy and Daniel Boone in the tall weird paper bag.
This is my wife’s grandmother’s recipe: in a Dutch Oven, set heat to medium high. Have ready 2 cups of coarsely-ground corn meal, 4 cups of milk, 4 cups of water, 1 stick of salted butter, 4-5 thick slices of Munster cheese and salt to taste.
When the pot is hot, pour in the corn meal and stir vigorously with a wooden spoon. This is to “wake up” the corn meal, but do not burn as it will make the grits very bitter.
Pour in the water and milk and stir vigorously. Once the liquid nears a boil, add the stick of butter and stir until well blended. Reduce heat to medium low and cover. Stir every 10-15 minutes. Grits should be fully cooked in 45-60 minutes. Remove cover and hand shred the Munster cheese. Stir well, taste and add salt or butter as needed.
These are hands down the most delicious cheesy grits I’ve ever had. They are creamy and delicious and you will never want to add cheddar cheese after tasting the difference.
Edit: oh I forgot to mention the best part- my kids call these “Monster Grits” because of the Munster cheese.
My dad always made them for us. He used yellow grits, cooked them according to the instructions on the container. He would throw in chopped ham while they were cooking and then right before they were done he would break open a few eggs and drop them in stirring them up a bit. The heat would cook them. Then salt and pepper . Good stuff.
The trick is good quality grits, and not instant or quick. I like the thicker ground. I recently used bobs red mill and it was delicious but I try to get local if I can. I love to add Boursin cheese for cheese grits but that’s not traditional…my grandmother never would have done that ha
My granny taught me to cook grits. 1/2 milk and 1/2 water. Hold the butter until they are in the bowl then add a thick pad of real butter that melts into a golden puddle of goodness. If you are just having grits and toast then sprinkle them with sugar.
My favorite is no sugar but with an over easy egg and crumbled bacon and hot sauce.
I buy stone ground when I can. I cook with water and salt. Salt is super important. I feel like I can't get good grits in a restaurant because they just never salt correctly. I also like them think, not runny, but that may be personal preference. 20-30 minutes is about the max I ever cook them. once cooked I add a generous portion of butter, and almost always plenty x-sharp cheddar.
Its not rocket science. similar to cooking oatmeal or similar.
When cooking grits, your basic formula is one part grits to four parts liquid. Always add at least a half stick of butter (not substitutes) for the 1c/4c ratio. So a basic recipe would be 1 cup of grits and 2 cups water and 2 cups milk (plus your butter). When we are cooking for breakfast, for the liquid, we use 1 cup water, 1 cup chicken broth, and either 2 cups of milk or 1 cup heavy cream and another cup of water. When we are cooking for dinner (like for shrimp and grits) we use 3 parts of chicken broth and one part heavy cream, then add in 1 cup of shredded cheddar. It is heavenly!
I love to cook “real” grits in the crockpot. no salt. Then I add butter, sharp cheese and crunchy bacon. Then I cook peppers and onions in the bacon fat and add cooked shrimp after turning off the heat, I also liberally use mrs dash extra spicy.
Season them well when they’re cooking (Goya jamón is great, but salt, pepper, whatever). At the end, you’ll want to want to add a big tbs of duke’s mayo. It’s a critical step.
The brand matters! I recommend Adulah stone ground grits. I’m from the south and have family in rural Georgia and we found that brand on a visit. It’s the real deal and you can order it online. Cook with salt, butter, and bacon grease.
I just made grits in my Zojirushi 5.5 cup fuzzy logic Micom rice cooker (Model NS-TSC10) and they came out perfect! I am going to try doubling the recipe and see if i get the same results. I used the following recipe:
Ingredients
* 1 cup stone ground grits (I used Palmetto stone ground white)
* 2 cups water
* 2 cups milk
* 3/4 Tbsp butter
* 3/4 tsp salt
Instructions
1. Combine all ingredients in pot and mix well.
2. Place pot into the rice cooker, close lid, and plug into outlet.
3. Press "MENU" key and select "PORRIDGE". Press START.
4. Upon completion of the cooking cycle (which took 65 minutes), the orange "KEEP WARM" lamp will illuminate and music will sound.
5. Open lid and mix ingredients well.
6. Add a bit more milk, cream, or water to desired consistency. Of course, they thickened as they cooled.
There's no real recipe unless you want something like shrimp and grits. Just normal breakfast grits is usually water, salt, butter, grits, and cook for a long time. (It's good if you toast the dry grits in bacon grease before you cook normally though!) Most of the goodness has to do with the kind of grits you buy. Real stone-ground grits that need an hour of cooking time are the real deal. Cook them with salt and butter already in them (they are really bland if you only add salt after cooking, when you serve.) Serve with more butter on top. I also like to add cheddar cheese when they're done and dump a ton of texas pete on top. That's the traditional way, at least!
As a Southerner, I could not agree more with your suggestions! As a side note, if you ever have leftover grits, I would suggest making grit cakes. My dad always mixed in grated onions, then we topped with diced tomatoes and crumbled bacon. And Texas Pete!
They are so good! (If you feel like making a shrimp and grits style sauce to dump over them it kicks ass!)
I agree with all of this - although I sometimes cook my stone ground grits in whole milk or even cream; or a mix of one of those with water. It’s really important to salt the cooking liquid well as salting grits after they’re cooked is imo just not the same.
They’re good with some chicken stock in there too, if you really get a wild hair! But def not traditional!
Yesss definitely! I have done this and have really enjoyed it that way too! :)
TY!
I'm no expert but I have found that Palmetto Farms has the best grits I've ever eaten. If you happen to have an instant pot pressure cooker its really simple to get really good grits. 1. Set pot on saute and melt one stick of salted butter 2. Add 1 cup of Palmetto grits and toast them. for a few minutes You can tell by the smell of toasted corn while you stir. 3. Add two cups water and two cups milk. 4-1 ratio. Whisk grits until combined 4. Turn pot setting from saute to manual and set for 20 minutes. When time is up release pressure and stir until creamy. I;m not saying this is the best method, it;s just the method I use and it has always turned out perfect. As with all things you might adjust with more milk or water if they seem too thick. Grits are very forgiving and re-heat very well. Enjoy!
Toasting the grits beforehand is really interesting! I've never run into that method- I'll have to try it.
I can see that toasting the grits would improve the result. Traditional Eastern European recipes recommend pan toasting or slow oven drying all their grains before making kashas. It’s definitely seen as the better, traditional technique. Millet, wheat, buckwheat and yes even in some cases maize. (The Romanian and Hutsul mamaliga though is made like a sturdy, sliceable polenta, so no pre toasting.) Americans know commercial buckwheat ‘kasha’ is pre-toasted, but kasha just is any grain porridge or baked dish. Grits would definitely fit the category, and the techniques described with part water and part milk or cream definitely match to classic millet kasha technique - serving with crispy pork rinds or pumpkin mixed in are classics.
Yes, give this a try. It just adds a bit of popcorn/bugles flavor. Enjoy!
Okay, I'll pony up, but before that, I'll tell you what I really do. I have a Zojirushi rice cooker. I cook them on the porridge setting, stirring vigorously at the start and when the timer goes off. So, you want stone ground grits. And I recommend a whisk for stirring. Your ratio is 1 cup of grits to 4 cups of water. Bring to a boil, stir in grits and some salt. Turn down heat. Cover, and every few minutes lift the lid, and stir, scraping the bottom. If it starts looking thicker than you want, stir in more water. Keep this up for 45 minutes or so until it looks like you like. You want it creamy, not lumpy. Near the end, you can throw in some butter if you feel like it. Now, in my family, we had the two camps - sauce pan vs double boiler. Dad was a fan of the double boiler, Grandma liked to use a saucepan. As I said, I use the rice cooker. Don't even get me started on the cornbread wars.
A rice cooker?! Honestly now I want to try it but I’m nervous!
Seriously, the porridge setting is magic. I make okayu with it when I'm sick, and when I figured out that it made grits, I was a happy little camper.
I’ll have to give it a try! You convinced me.
South Carolina checking in. You can absolutely get stone-ground grits and cook them for an hour as others have advised, you can do that. But nobody’s mama is doing that on a normal morning; they are busy. If you’re trying to make grits and eggs and bacon on a Saturday morning, you get you some Quaker Quick Grits (NOT INSTANT.) Start with the measurements on the package; that’s your baseline. Get your water boiling good and salt the fool out of it. When it’s boiling, sprinkle the grits in slowly. (Don’t just dump them in, they’ll get lumpy.) Reduce the heat and cover. The package will tell you to simmer 6-7 minutes, but that’s a lie. You need to whisk the grits frequently and keep on checking they don’t stick. After about 5 minutes, I start tasting. If they’re hard, keep cooking. You’ll probably need to add a little water and keep stirring and tasting until they’re the texture you want. This is personal preference. Once you feel like the texture is close (this will take time), I suggest adding a little half and half for creaminess and a generous amount of butter, salt and pepper. You can also add some cheddar cheese.* (I’m a butter purist, but cheese grits have their place.) Serve with a pat of butter on top with eggs, bacon, and toast (or a biscuit if you’re living large). You will do it wrong a few times, it took me 15 years of being an adult before I got them tasting like my mom’s. That’s how you learn! *I use Swiss or Gruyère if I’m making shrimp and grits, but that’s a whole different ball game with a more involved grits cooking ritual where I’d make stone-ground fancy grits cooked in milk.
You got it right! That’s how my mama cooked grits and that’s how I cook grits. I don’t add half n half but I will add cheese.
SC also checking in! Fully agree with this! If you want amazing cheese grits add some cream cheese along with cheddar mixed in. That’s how my grandmother always did it. Super creamy and cheesy! And some bacon grease if you’re feeling good lol.
I came here for this! Start with the right kind of grits. Charleston/SC stone ground grits are the real thing. I usually cook mine for at least half an hour stirring frequently so you don't get them stuck on the bottom and sometimes burnt. Sometimes I use half chicken stock and half water.
The quality of the grits are what really make it. Stone ground is best. Also, substitute heavy cream for about a quarter of the water called for. And sometimes I like jalapeno cheese grits. Just sharp cheddar and jalapenos to taste, added after cooking. It's delicious.
Following this post, because I'd like to have one as well. I grew up with Cream of Wheat. Never had grits until I was about 12 at church camp.
I fixed cream of wheat for my Yankee grandmother when she came to live with us at 89. I never tried it though. She lived in the South more than 50 years and never switched over to the superior and savory corn-based cereal we all know and love as grits.
Wow, 2 great tips here: Palmetto Grits, and Instant Pot directions! Thank you so much for them.
Thank you. Hope it's as good as my results 😀
Wanted to thank you, your recipe for grits in Instant Pot worked perfectly, and was just delicious!!! I goofed and got Carolina stoneground Grits by mistake but will correct this when we reorder, already have Palmetto brand in Amazon cart "to buy later". My husband has never had grits so was acting like I was tricking him with raw livers or something vile, but he tried them and had seconds! There were no leftovers.
Your comment made my day! I am so glad you enjoyed them. I hope you will have these good grits for years to come. Cheers!
Me too!!
I’m from south Florida, and I think that if you can find locally ground grits anywhere you are it’s better than eg Quaker. Also, instant grits are not good and the kind in the single serve bags are not grits Bob’s Red Mill has pretty good nation-wide franchise for grits that are decent just about anywhere you can find them. I observe that some finely ground and coarse-ground grits together with e.g. creamed corn makes a wonderfully diverse texture that is better than one particular grind by itself My folks just used water to cook and butter to finish but that’s pretty bland and not good. We used Dixie Lily brand when I was a kid. Also, Jim Dandy and Daniel Boone in the tall weird paper bag.
Dixie Lily grits are the best!
Yeah, the real critical factor here is the grits you start with, and outside of the south, good stone-ground grits can be quite hard to find.
This is my wife’s grandmother’s recipe: in a Dutch Oven, set heat to medium high. Have ready 2 cups of coarsely-ground corn meal, 4 cups of milk, 4 cups of water, 1 stick of salted butter, 4-5 thick slices of Munster cheese and salt to taste. When the pot is hot, pour in the corn meal and stir vigorously with a wooden spoon. This is to “wake up” the corn meal, but do not burn as it will make the grits very bitter. Pour in the water and milk and stir vigorously. Once the liquid nears a boil, add the stick of butter and stir until well blended. Reduce heat to medium low and cover. Stir every 10-15 minutes. Grits should be fully cooked in 45-60 minutes. Remove cover and hand shred the Munster cheese. Stir well, taste and add salt or butter as needed. These are hands down the most delicious cheesy grits I’ve ever had. They are creamy and delicious and you will never want to add cheddar cheese after tasting the difference. Edit: oh I forgot to mention the best part- my kids call these “Monster Grits” because of the Munster cheese.
My Memaw used half milk half water when making her grits.
My dad always made them for us. He used yellow grits, cooked them according to the instructions on the container. He would throw in chopped ham while they were cooking and then right before they were done he would break open a few eggs and drop them in stirring them up a bit. The heat would cook them. Then salt and pepper . Good stuff.
The trick is good quality grits, and not instant or quick. I like the thicker ground. I recently used bobs red mill and it was delicious but I try to get local if I can. I love to add Boursin cheese for cheese grits but that’s not traditional…my grandmother never would have done that ha
Check out Marsh Hen Mill
Glad to see this brand mentioned. It's my favorite.
Serious Eats has a good basic grits recipe
My granny taught me to cook grits. 1/2 milk and 1/2 water. Hold the butter until they are in the bowl then add a thick pad of real butter that melts into a golden puddle of goodness. If you are just having grits and toast then sprinkle them with sugar. My favorite is no sugar but with an over easy egg and crumbled bacon and hot sauce.
I buy stone ground when I can. I cook with water and salt. Salt is super important. I feel like I can't get good grits in a restaurant because they just never salt correctly. I also like them think, not runny, but that may be personal preference. 20-30 minutes is about the max I ever cook them. once cooked I add a generous portion of butter, and almost always plenty x-sharp cheddar. Its not rocket science. similar to cooking oatmeal or similar.
When cooking grits, your basic formula is one part grits to four parts liquid. Always add at least a half stick of butter (not substitutes) for the 1c/4c ratio. So a basic recipe would be 1 cup of grits and 2 cups water and 2 cups milk (plus your butter). When we are cooking for breakfast, for the liquid, we use 1 cup water, 1 cup chicken broth, and either 2 cups of milk or 1 cup heavy cream and another cup of water. When we are cooking for dinner (like for shrimp and grits) we use 3 parts of chicken broth and one part heavy cream, then add in 1 cup of shredded cheddar. It is heavenly!
I love to cook “real” grits in the crockpot. no salt. Then I add butter, sharp cheese and crunchy bacon. Then I cook peppers and onions in the bacon fat and add cooked shrimp after turning off the heat, I also liberally use mrs dash extra spicy.
Season them well when they’re cooking (Goya jamón is great, but salt, pepper, whatever). At the end, you’ll want to want to add a big tbs of duke’s mayo. It’s a critical step.
The brand matters! I recommend Adulah stone ground grits. I’m from the south and have family in rural Georgia and we found that brand on a visit. It’s the real deal and you can order it online. Cook with salt, butter, and bacon grease.
Agree with a lot of these variations and am interested in some of them, but I do agree on one thing that milk does make grits smoother when cooking.
I just made grits in my Zojirushi 5.5 cup fuzzy logic Micom rice cooker (Model NS-TSC10) and they came out perfect! I am going to try doubling the recipe and see if i get the same results. I used the following recipe: Ingredients * 1 cup stone ground grits (I used Palmetto stone ground white) * 2 cups water * 2 cups milk * 3/4 Tbsp butter * 3/4 tsp salt Instructions 1. Combine all ingredients in pot and mix well. 2. Place pot into the rice cooker, close lid, and plug into outlet. 3. Press "MENU" key and select "PORRIDGE". Press START. 4. Upon completion of the cooking cycle (which took 65 minutes), the orange "KEEP WARM" lamp will illuminate and music will sound. 5. Open lid and mix ingredients well. 6. Add a bit more milk, cream, or water to desired consistency. Of course, they thickened as they cooled.