How to Cook Stone-Ground Grits – This traditional dish will bring a tear of joy to any true Southerner’s eye. The savory stone-ground grits accented with butter and smokey cheddar cheese is a dish to remember. Once you make them (and I’m going to teach you how to cook them right, bless your heart 😜), you’ll understand why this savory dish is such a Southern classic.
Grits are amazing because not only do they taste fantastic, but they are also the perfect way to round out a good old bacon and eggs breakfast or a weeknight dinner.
Believe it or not, cheesy grits make for the perfect side for seafood dishes and even hearty plates like breaded or smoked pork chops.
Contents…Recipe Ingredients |
What Exactly is Stone-Ground Grits?
Stone-ground grits are usually made from hominy, corn treated with an alkaline product to get rid of the hull. As the name implies, the dried kernels of corn are coarsely ground between two grist millstones. Grinding them this way gives them a richer corn flavor and a speckled appearance that instant or quick-cooking grits may lack.
Recipe Ingredients
- Milk – This ingredient adds extra flavor and a creamy texture to these cheesy grits. If you want to make a non-dairy version of this recipe, swap the milk out for water. You could also substitute the milk with more flavorful options like chicken or vegetable broth.
- Bay Leaf – An aromatic herb that will take the flavor of your grits up a notch.
- Stone-Ground Grits – Old fashioned coarsely ground grits make for a rustic, Southern-style dish.
- Unsalted Butter – No Southern-style dish is complete without a good dose of butter. I go with unsalted in this recipe to better control the salt content in the finished dish. If you just have salted butter in your fridge, never fear. Use that instead; just give your grits a taste test before adding more salt.
- White Sharp Cheddar – Strong and with a slight tang, white cheddar is my favorite for flavoring grits. I prefer a smoked variety because the subtle smoke flavor is divine. 😋 Sharp white cheddar, especially the smoked variety, is my absolute favorite for cheesy grits. That said, feel free to add any cheese you like to this recipe; just make sure it gets good and melty. For your dairy-free friends, you can leave out the cheese altogether – these grits will still taste fantastic.
How to Cook Stone-Ground Grits
- Heat Liquids – Add water, milk, salt, and bay leaves to a heavy saucepan, and bring to a boil. (Photos 1-2)
- Carefully Add Grits – Gradually whisk in the grits, little by little, until you’ve added the entire amount to the saucepan. (Photos 3-4)
- Stir Continually to prevent any lumps. If lumps form anyway, you can remove the saucepan from heat while whisking out the lumps.
- Simmer Away – When the grits are smooth, reduce the heat to low, so the grits barely simmer, and cover the saucepan.
- Patience – Continue stirring the grits frequently while they simmer until the water is fully absorbed and your stone-ground grits are cooked until thickened. It will take about 40-45 minutes, though cooking times will vary depending on the grind of the grits.
- Turn off the Heat – Remove grits from the heat and remove the bay leaf.
- Add Butter and Cheese and stir the grits with a whisk until the cheese is fully melted. (Photos 5-6)
- Serve piping hot and enjoy!
Tips and Tricks
- Before getting into cooking your stone-ground grits, it’s a good idea to remove the chaff. Simply cover the grits in water and give them a quick stir. Any hulls that made it through the grinding process will float to the top, and you can remove them before you begin cooking. Depending on the kind of grits you bought, there may be few or no hulls at all, but it doesn’t hurt to check.
- Keep a small kettle with boiling water nearby as you cook the grits, so you can prevent scorching. If you find the grits have absorbed all the water but aren’t soft yet, add hot water as needed to extend the cooking time.
- Season away! Since grits are pretty bland on their own, don’t skip the seasonings in this recipe. In fact, if you want to add other seasonings and herbs you love, go for it! Top with parsley or chives, hot sauce or bacon crumbles, or all of the above. The sky is the limit!
- If the grits are thicker than you’d like, there’s an easy fix. Simply add extra milk or even chicken broth to thin them out.
Make-Ahead Instructions
Prepare the base and cook the grits as per the recipe, but don’t get them ready to serve just yet. Transfer your cooked grits to an airtight container and store them in the refrigerator instead.
Heat ’em back up in a saucepan with some extra liquid over low heat when you’re ready to serve. Milk, water, or broth will work just fine.
Once they are warm, add the butter and cheese and stir until the cheese melts and the grits are hot. Serve and enjoy!
Serving and Storing Instructions
Grits are best served fresh and hot! And they’re really good with some chopped parsley or chives as a picture-perfect garnish. Bacon bits look and taste great, too crumbled over the top. 🤤
Store cooked grits in the refrigerator in an airtight container, and they’ll keep for 3-4 days.
When you’re ready to reheat your grits, add some extra liquid to the mix.
Pro Tip: Grits solidify in the fridge, so you’ll need the liquid to get the original texture back. Simply add the grits and milk, broth, or water to your saucepan over low heat and constantly stir until they are hot and creamy.
FAQs
Actually, both are pretty healthy. Oatmeal has more protein and fiber than grits. Grits have more micronutrients, such as vitamin A, calcium, and potassium. I vote you include both in your weekly breakfast menu! 💪
Regular grits are quick-cooking, and stone-ground grits are coarsely ground and take much longer to cook. Most people think stone-ground grits are more flavorful and heartier, and I have to say that I agree.
Even though both come from corn, grits and cornmeal are very different. Cornmeal is made from dried corn and is most often ground finer and used in breads and baking; think cornbread and polenta. Grits are coarser and made from hominy. They’re typically used in dishes similar to a porridge that can be eaten alone or as a side dish instead of baked goodies.
What to Cook with Stone-Ground Grits
You could have this deliciousness for breakfast with oven-baked bacon and eggs, but they really do make a beautiful side dish, too.
Try serving them alongside blackened shrimp, Southern smothered pork chops, or blackened catfish with shrimp sauce. Your friends and family will surely come back for seconds. 😙🤌
More Southern Side Dishes
- Southern Buttermilk Biscuits
- Red Beans and Rice
- Southern Mustard Greens
- Mac and Cheese Bites
- Mashed Sweet Potatoes
Watch How to Make It
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How to Cook Stone-Ground Grits
Ingredients
- 3½ cup (840 ml) water
- 1 cup (240 ml) milk (can sub with water)
- 1 bay leaf
- salt, to taste
- 1 cup (140 g) grits, stone-ground
- 3-4 tablespoon ( 42-56 g) butter, unsalted
- 1-2 cup (113-226 g) white sharp cheddar cheese, preferably smoked but optional
Instructions
- Start by adding water, milk, bay leaf, and salt to a heavy-bottomed saucepan. Bring to a boil.
- Then gradually whisk in the grits a little at a time until they're all in the pot. Keep stirring with a whisk or spoon to prevent any lumps. (You may have to remove the saucepan from the heat while getting rid of them.)
- Reduce the heat and cook grits at barely a simmer, covered, frequently stirring, until water is fully absorbed and grits thicken, 40-45 minutes. Cooking time varies depending on the grind's coarseness. If the grits get too thick, have some boiling water on hand and add a little to prevent scorching.
- Remove grits from heat, remove the bay leaf, and add butter and cheese, stirring with a whisk until cheese melts. Serve piping hot with Cajun fish and sauce for the ultimate indulgence.
- Enjoy!
Tips & Notes:
- Before getting into cooking your stone-ground grits, it’s a good idea to remove the chaff. Simply cover the grits in water and give them a quick stir. Any hulls that made it through the grinding process will float to the top, and you can remove them before you begin cooking. Depending on the kind of grits you bought, there may be few or no hulls at all, but it doesn’t hurt to check.
- Keep a small kettle with boiling water nearby as you cook the grits, so you can prevent scorching. If you find the grits have absorbed all the water but aren’t soft yet, add hot water as needed to extend the cooking time.
- Season away! Since grits are pretty bland on their own, don’t skip the seasonings in this recipe. In fact, if you want to add other seasonings and herbs you love, go for it! Top with parsley or chives, hot sauce or bacon crumbles, or all of the above. The sky is the limit!
- If the grits are thicker than you’d like, there’s an easy fix. Simply add extra milk or even chicken broth to thin them out.
- Please keep in mind that the nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary significantly based on the products used in the recipe.
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