Cheese Grits

By Millie Peartree

Updated March 11, 2022

Cheese Grits
Yunhee Kim for The New York Times. Food Stylits: Victoria Granof.
Total Time
20 minutes
Rating
4(399)
Comments
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There’s very little simpler than cooking grits. A few ingredients come together into something comforting, good for a cold morning and just as good for Sunday dinner. Use the best ingredients, pull out that pepper mill and season well. Make sure you pay attention to the details. The trick to good grits is cooking out the grittiness. The extra cream and frequent stirring here give it a consistency that’s not too dense and not too liquidy. Don’t leave it alone too long: If you stir it frequently, giving it love, it will love you back.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings
  • 2cups half-and-half
  • 1teaspoon coarse kosher salt, plus more to taste
  • ½teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper, plus more to taste
  • ½teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1cup stone-ground yellow grits
  • 1cup shredded sharp Cheddar
  • 4tablespoons unsalted butter
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

436 calories; 28 grams fat; 17 grams saturated fat; 1 gram trans fat; 8 grams monounsaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 37 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams dietary fiber; 5 grams sugars; 9 grams protein; 423 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    In a medium saucepan, bring 2 cups water, the half-and-half, salt, pepper and garlic powder to a simmer over medium.

  2. Step 2

    Slowly add grits while whisking vigorously to avoid lumps.

  3. Step 3

    Cook grits over medium-low, checking every 3 or 4 minutes and giving the grits a stir, until they’re smooth, creamy and have little to no bite, about 15 minutes.

  4. Step 4

    Remove from heat, and stir in cheese and butter. Taste and adjust for seasoning. Serve hot with scrambled eggs, bacon or on its own.

Ratings

4 out of 5
399 user ratings
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Comments

keith

this recipe is a crime against grits (and thighs). if you have to add that much fat to your grits you are doing something wrong. ditch the store bought box that's been sitting in your pantry for years and mail-order yourself some good grits from tennessee or georgia (or bob's mills). boil water + a little salt. serve w/ a fried egg on top, a little butter poked in, and salt & pepper. my wife likes to mix in a little shredded cheddar at the table. it'll all melt together and be delicious.

LT

I like to poach eggs in the grits. I stir in the cheese a few minutes before the grits are finished, then drop in the eggs and leave undisturbed, lid on, for the few minutes it will take the eggs to cook.

Jan

Unless they're magic grits ;-) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_T24lHnB7N8

agathe

I cooked in water and salt, then added butter and soft cheese. Quick awesome side :)

Carolyn Pryor

Weisenberger Mills Midway, Kentucky

pj6428

My MIL made the absolute creamiest grits without milk or cream. She got up super early to boil 4 cups of water, slowly whisking in 1 cup of grits & some salt. Stir until well incorporated, then cover. Place that pot into a separate shallow pan of simmering water. She would then return to bed, propped up drinking strong chicory coffee and reading the paper. She returned to stir the grits every half hour or so, adding hot water as needed to the simmering pan. As the rest of the family was beginning to stir, she would add a few pats of butter on top, letting it melt in. She also kept her coffee warm by placing the pot into another pan of barely simmering water. We would wake up to the aroma of her coffee and those grits! The best! I’m preparing Easter Brunch for 10 this year. Those grits will be the first thing on my to do list.

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