The Best Thick and Creamy Grits Recipe - caramel and cashews (2024)

FAQs

What is the secret to great grits? ›

Southern Living Test Kitchen Director Robby Melvin prefers to cook grits in a mixture of water and heavy cream. "I use mostly water with 1/4 to 1/2 cup of cream. The water does the trick to tenderize the grits, and the cream adds an obvious richness and creaminess to the finished product," he says.

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.

Even if you buy 5-minute grits, don't cook your grits for only five minutes. Part of what makes the grits all creamy is the time they get to soak in the water. Making them softer and allowing them to merge together to form all the creamy goodness. I repeat creamy grits are not made in five minutes.

It doesn't taste like egg, not really, but it makes the grits taste richer, with a more cohesive, rib-sticking texture. It's also an easy way to sneak a little more protein in there—six grams per egg—and I've found it amplifies the cheesiness of cheese grits, without adding any extra dairy.

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.

Adding grits to your dietary plans is a great move. They are a versatile food option that's packed with iron, B vitamins, antioxidants, and several other nutrients. As with all other foods though, be mindful of the possible downsides like nutrient loss during production and a high carb count.

However, cracking an egg into your grits is an easy step that'll amp up their creaminess and add an underlying savoriness to complement their earthy corn flavor. Adding a raw egg directly to dishes is a widely used technique, employed to thicken soups, sauces, and even pasta.

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).

Then add an extra cup of heavy cream, half a stick of butter and some cheddar cheese. Let it stir non stop for 20 minutes, and then you'll have the best creamy grits.

What is a substitute for butter in grits? ›

Most people associate grits with butter but grits are also delicious and creamy when made with olive oil. Depending on who you ask, grits are similar or identical to Italian polenta. Both are made from ground cornmeal slow cooked over a low flame. Here is a recipe that we adapted from the Courier Journal.

Directions. Combine 1 cup of grits with 4 cups of water, stock, or a combination in a pot. On high heat, stir the mixture a minute or so with a wooden spoon or whisk. Reduce heat to a simmer.

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.

The culprit behind runny grits

Also, don't forget to lower the heat after you bring the grits and liquid mixture to a boil. Likewise, it's important to note that you usually can't just eat your grits as soon as the hour's cooking time is up. The grits will need to set a little to thicken, off the heat.

Avoid using cornstarch to thicken grits, too. Cornstarch doesn't do a great job of thickening the mixture and it will make the final product bland and flavorless.

Stir them frequently—every 5 minutes or so—to keep them from clumping up or sticking to the bottom of the pan. Add 1/4 cup water at a time, if needed to keep them from sticking. The tender cooked grits will be fairly creamy in texture if you stirred them to keep them from clumping and cooked them long enough.