Cheesy Southern Grits – Southern grits are cooked in chicken stock, cream, and tons of spices to make them incredibly flavorful and finished with two kinds of cheeses to make them extra gooey and rich

a bowl of cheesy grits with a patterned napkin underneath

Hi! It’s Certified Pastry Aficionady back with a new recipe! Moving to the South almost 7 years ago has been the greatest thing for many reasons. But I have to say – my tastebuds have become the biggest winner in this move. I’ve gotten to try the most incredible foods that I just didn’t get exposed to in Florida – fried green tomatoes, pimento cheese, the best biscuits in the world, country gravy, and, my favorite, Cheesy Southern Grits.

Sure, in Florida, we had grits. But I had only seen plain, boring grits without any seasoning and a yucky, gritty, watery texture. Yuck.

When I got to Atlanta, almost every breakfast spot served their own version of delicious, creamy grits. Everyone raved about grits so I decided to give them another shot. After one bite, I was shocked – what is this thick, flavorful, starchy side? These cannot be the same CHEESY Southern Grits that I scoffed at back at home!

But even after enjoying grits for years, I hadn’t made them for myself until last year. I thought I needed to have the “Southern edge” in the kitchen to make great Southern food. But I found, with the right recipe and a passion for great food, I could easily tackle any classic Southern recipe.

And boy was I right! Just look at how thick and cheesy these grits came out!

How to Make Grits at Home

Now, don’t let these grits fool you – they may look complicated, but, man, are they simple! To make them at home, all you’re doing is:

  1. boiling cream, broth, and water together with spices
  2. adding the grits
  3. cooking until the liquid is absorbed
  4. Finishing with shredded cheese.

That’s it! Are you shocked?? It’s basically like cooking rice. Who knew!

Tips for Cheesy Grits

In case you’re still a little hesitant about attempting cheesy Southern grits at home, here are a few tips to help you along:

  1. Freshly shredded cheese ALWAYS melts and combines much easier than the pre-shredded stuff. So I HIGHLY recommend you buy a block of cheese and shred it yourself for this recipe to obtain maximum gooey-ness

What Kind of Grits to Buy

  1. Make sure you buy stone-ground grits – not instant grits! These grits are meant to cook slowly so they have time to incorporate all those yummy flavors.

Once you make these once, you’re going to want to see what other kinds of grits you can make. I’ve already got tons of variations floating around in my head: garlic parmesan grits, goat cheese grits, pimento cheese grits, the opportunities are endless!

Cheesy Southern Grits

Cheesy Southern Grits

4.20 from 41 votes
Servings: 8
Prep Time: 5 mins
Cook Time: 40 mins
Total Time: 45 mins

Description

Southern grits are cooked in chicken stock, cream, and tons of spices to make them incredibly flavorful and finished with two kinds of cheeses to make them extra gooey and rich

Ingredients 

  • 1  cup  grits , not quick-cooking!
  • 3  cups  chicken broth
  • 1  cup  heavy cream
  • 1  cup  water
  • 4  ounces  butter , salted
  • 1  teaspoon  ground black pepper
  • 1  teaspoon  creole seasoning
  • 1  teaspoon  onion powder
  • 1  teaspoon  garlic powder
  • 1  cup  cheddar cheese , sharp, shredded
  • 1  cup  cheese , Monterrey Jack, shredded

Instructions

  • Pour the chicken both, heavy cream, and water into a medium sauce pan. Add butter and seasonings and whisk together. Heat mixture over medium-high heat until it begins to boil.
  • Once it's boiling, very very slowly pour in the grits while whisking quickly for 2 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and let cook for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  • Once grits have cooked and thickened, add shredded cheese and whisk together until combined. Taste grits and add hot sauce or salt, if needed.

Notes

Store in the refrigerator for 5-7 days.

Nutrition

Serving: 1gCalories: 454kcalCarbohydrates: 4gProtein: 16gFat: 42gSaturated Fat: 27gCholesterol: 133mgSodium: 807mgPotassium: 185mgFiber: 1gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 1638IUVitamin C: 7mgCalcium: 459mgIron: 1mg
Author: Sharon
Course: 200+ Easy Side Dish Recipes Every Mom Needs

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a bowl of cheesy grits with a patterned napkin underneath

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