Cheesy grits are a creamy and comforting side dish that's perfect for breakfast, brunch, and dinner. They're filled with melted cheddar cheese and butter and can be ready in less than 30 minutes.
If you're a fan of grits, you will love my recipe for cheesy grits. This recipe is simple, creamy, and flavorful! You can have a batch on the table in 30 minutes or less.
Grits are a great breakfast food to eat on their own or with eggs and sausage on top, like in my grits breakfast bowl recipe.
They also make a fantastic side dish for dinner! I've included my savory dinner version in the recipe card below - give it a try for your next shrimp and grits dinner.
Ingredients and substitutions
- Grits - To follow the cooking times below, you'll need stone ground grits (not instant grits). If you've never purchased grits before, you can usually find them near the oats or cereal in your local grocery store. If you only have instant grits on hand, you can use the recipe as a general guide for flavor, but you'll need to consult your grits package for proper cooking times.
- Milk and water - I use a combination of milk and water for my grits. While grits can be prepared with water only, adding milk makes your grits creamy and rich.
- Butter - Adds flavor and creamy texture to your grits.
- Cheese - I recommend using freshly shredded cheese from a block. Pre-shredded cheese is often dusted in a powder to prevent clumping, which can make your grits grainy.
- Salt and pepper - Enhances the flavor of your grits.
Tips and tricks
Cook your grits low and slow - Grits need to be cooked low and slow to get that silky, creamy texture. Don't be tempted to turn up the heat! This will cause your grits to stick to the bottom of the pan and burn. They won't cook faster.
Use a whisk - When pouring your grits into the pot, whisk constantly to prevent clumps. Whisk frequently while your grits are cooking to prevent them from sticking to the bottom of the pan or forming lumps.
Do your grits look dry? - Add a splash of water and turn the heat down slightly.
Checking for doneness - Grits are done cooking when they're no longer rough and grainy. Do a taste test and keep cooking until they're soft and creamy.
Storage
Leftovers will keep for 3 to 4 days in a tightly sealed container in the refrigerator. Add a splash of milk or water and stir to rehydrate your grits while reheating.
Frequently asked questions
Grits are a coarsely ground corn product that's cooked with liquid until tender, like a porridge. Grits are made with a specific type of ground corn - dent corn (Wikipedia). The corn is treated with lime to remove the hull. Corn with the hull removed is called hominy. Then, the hominy is dried and coarsely ground, which creates grits.
Cornmeal is finely ground corn. It is finer than grits or polenta, but coarser than flour. It is most often used to make things like cornbread.
Polenta is made with a different type of corn than grits - flint corn (Wikipedia). Flint corn is put through the same process as dent corn. The main difference is that flint corn is a harder corn, which creates a coarser texture when ground.
Polenta and grits go through the same manufacturing process and are cooked similarly. All in all, they are very similar dishes, but originate from different parts of the world and made with different types of corn.
I highly recommend making your grits with milk because they turn out creamy and rich. I like to use a combination of half whole milk and half water. However, all water can work in a pinch (but your grits will turn out much less creamy).
For breakfast, grits can be served as a breakfast bowl with bacon, sausage, or eggs. For dinner, I like to make shrimp and grits, grits with roasted vegetables, and cajun chicken and cheesy grits.
Recommended
📖 Recipe
Cheesy Grits
Ingredients
- 16 ounces milk
- 16 ounces water
- 1.5 teaspoons salt
- 1 cup stone ground grits, not instant
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- ¼ cup unsalted butter
- 4 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
Instructions
- In a saucepan over medium heat, add milk, water, and salt. Bring to a boil, then slowly whisk in the grits.
- Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and cook for about 20 minutes, whisking frequently. If grits begin to stick to pan, reduce heat further and add a splash of water. Grits should be creamy and thick, with no rough texture remaining when they're done cooking.
- Remove from heat and add pepper, butter, and shredded cheese. Stir until melted, then serve immediately.
Equipment Recommendations
Notes
- Savory dinner version: Substitute water with chicken broth and cut the listed salt in half. Add 2 cloves of minced garlic just after adding grits to the pan.
- Breakfast grits: top with bacon, eggs, or sausage.
- Dinner grits: top with shrimp, pulled pork, grilled chicken, pot roast, or andouille sausage.
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