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

FAQs

What is the secret to good 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.

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.

Grits are made from ground corn, typically from less sweet, starchy varieties often referred to as dent corn. Grits can be made from either yellow or white corn and are often labeled accordingly.

Grits are often cooked in either milk or water; we prefer a combination of the two for silky grits that aren't too heavy. For additional flavor, substitute water with chicken or vegetable stock. Grits require a 1:4 cup ratio of grain to liquid.

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).

Grits, especially in their whole-grain form, hold on to many of these helpful plant compounds, even when you boil them. Grits, as whole grains or enriched varieties, also contain folate, which helps prevent birth defects and may also lower your risk of heart disease and cancer.

"Grits are inherently Southern, so they identify as a taste of the South across cultures," she says. Murray theorizes that grits can be traced back much further than to the kitchens run by African American and white women in the antebellum South.

More hacks for creamy and flavorful grits

A cracked egg is the simplest way to instill rich texture and flavor into grits without having to swap a portion of the cooking liquid for heavy cream. You could even forgo the standard addition of butter by adding an extra egg yolk to the pot.

Shrimp and grits is Charleston's culinary signature, with grits being South Carolina official state food since 1976.

What is South Carolina grits? ›

In South Carolina, we prefer the stone-ground variety made by grinding dried corn, germ and all, between rotating millstones. The result is fittingly gritty, the coarse quality somewhat reined in by a good long soaking and simmering.

The word "grits" is derived from the Old English word grytt, meaning "coarse meal". In the Charleston, South Carolina area, cooked hominy grits were primarily referred to as "hominy" until the 1980s.

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. This proportion will work whether it is on the stovetop or the crock pot or whatever.

Easily achieve the perfect creamy texture and save yourself some serious time in the kitchen by utilizing the little-known tip of adding baking soda to the pot. Just a pinch added early in the cooking process helps the grits to thicken up and can cut the needed cooking time in half.

Cover and let the grits soak overnight at room temperature. If you are not soaking the grits, proceed directly to the next step. Set the saucepan over medium heat and bring the mixture to a simmer, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until the first starch takes hold, 5 to 8 minutes.