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SLOWLY start adding a few grits to the boiling water while whisking. Once the heavy bubbling subsides, whisk in the rest of the grits. Reduce heat to low and cover. Whisk every 1 minute or so to prevent lumping and sticking to the pot.
Once the grits have thickened (about 5 minutes), stir in the cheese and chile. Cook for another 1 minute or so, stirring.
Remove from heat and pour into bowls.
Instant grits vs. quick cooking grits vs. slow-cooking grits – Remember the movie My Cousin Vinny? There is a classic line from that movie that says “No self-respecting southerner uses instant grits.” Well, I don’t use “instant” grits, but I do use "quick-cooking" grits which cook in 5 minutes. Bob's Red Mill White Corn Grits are my favorite. I don’t feel at all guilty about it because my mother, who lived in Louisiana all of her life, used quick grits. And if they were good enough for her, they are good enough for me.
Green chile – New Mexico roasted, peeled, and chopped green chile is best. However, you can also use roasted and chopped poblano, and if you don’t like spicy, roasted sweet bell peppers work great. If you have chipotle you can make my Chipotle Grits with Feta and if you have some roasted red chile, then you could always make this Roasted Red Chile and Grits.
Cheese Choices – We use a mild cheddar cheese, but any mild semi-soft cheese works - Monterey Jack, sharp cheddar, Fontina, and even feta. You could also leave the cheese out altogether. In addition to just omitting the cheese, you could replace it with 1 tablespoon butter or butter substitute (if there is such a thing 🙂 ).
An egg on top – Bobby loves an overeasy egg on top. Me…not so much, which is surprising since I do love fried eggs on pasta and enchiladas. But for some reason, I prefer my grits without an egg.
Increasing the recipe – As with polenta, if you want to increase or decrease the recipe just stick with a ratio of 1/4 cup uncooked grits to 1 cup water.
Recipe author: MJ of MJ's Kitchen