Cheese Grits
intro
Silky, rich, savory Southern cheese grits are ultra-creamy comfort food, perfect for pairing with fried chicken, shrimp, or weekend brunch plates.
Ingredients
Steps
Heat the liquid base
In a heavy-bottomed 3-quart saucepan, combine 2 cups (480ml) low-sodium vegetable broth and 2 cups (480ml) whole milk over medium heat. Bring the mixture to a gentle rolling simmer over 6-8 minutes, taking care not to let it boil over as milk scalds quickly. Stir in 1 teaspoon kosher salt and 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder once small bubbles form around the pan edges.
Whisk in the grits
Once the liquid reaches a steady gentle simmer, slowly pour 1 cup (160g) stone-ground yellow grits into the pan while whisking constantly in a circular motion to prevent clumps from forming. Keep whisking for 1 full minute after all grits are added to ensure no dry lumps settle at the bottom of the pan.
Simmer grits until tender
Reduce the stovetop heat to the lowest setting, cover the saucepan with a tight-fitting lid, and let the grits cook for 18-20 minutes. Stir the grits thoroughly with a wooden spoon every 4 minutes to prevent sticking to the pan bottom, and adjust heat if needed to maintain a very low, gentle bubble, as rapid boiling will make grits grainy.
Check grits doneness
After 18 minutes of cooking, uncover the pan and test a small spoonful of grits: they should be completely tender with no hard, gritty core, and thick enough to coat the back of a spoon without running off quickly. If grits are still crunchy, cover and cook for 2-3 more minutes before retesting.
Add cheese and butter
Turn off the stovetop heat, then add 3 tablespoons (42g) unsalted butter and 1.5 cups (170g) freshly grated sharp cheddar cheese to the hot grits. Stir vigorously in a figure-8 pattern for 2 minutes until the butter and cheese are fully melted, with no streaks of unmelted cheese remaining in the mixture.
Season and rest grits
Stir in 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, then taste and adjust salt if needed. Let the grits rest, uncovered, for 3 minutes off the heat to thicken to a perfect spoonable consistency before serving.
Tips
2.Never cook grits over high heat: rapid boiling causes grits to stick to the pan bottom, form lumps, and develop a gritty, undercooked core even if the outer layer looks done.
3.If grits thicken too much as they rest, stir in 2-3 tablespoons of warm milk or broth at a time until you reach your preferred thick, spoonable consistency.
OMG these grits are a total game changer! I’ve tried so many cheese grits recipes over the years for our family Sunday dinners and they always come out too grainy or bland, but these were perfectly creamy and had just the right amount of sharp cheddar kick. My kids loved it, they all went back for seconds — even my picky 7 year old who swears he hates all ‘soft corn stuff’. 10/10 will be making these for our neighborhood potluck next weekend too!
These were really tasty, super easy to throw together after work on a weeknight! Quick question though — I only had medium cheddar on hand instead of sharp, and it was good but felt like it was missing a little depth. Would adding a sprinkle of parmesan help fix that next time, or should I just stick to sharp cheddar?
SO good! I was worried easy grits wouldn’t live up to the ones my grandma used to make when I was growing up, but these hit every single nostalgic note. I served them with fried catfish and collards last night and my partner said it was the best Southern-style meal I’ve made since we moved up north. No notes, will be in our regular dinner rotation for sure!