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

FAQs

What is the secret to great grits? ›

Soak your grits overnight before cooking for best results.

This is a tip I learned from Nashville-based chef and cookbook writer Sean Brock. When you soak your grits overnight, they cook faster and taste creamier.

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.

Toppings for Grits

Whether you like a sweet start to the day or something more hearty tasting, these grits can be topped with a wide range of ingredients. Sweet: Butter, cinnamon, raisins, syrup, brown sugar, peanut butter, jam, or berries.

Depending on the kind of grits you're making, you can replace some of the water with stock or broth (chicken or vegetable) or with dairy such as milk, heavy cream, or buttermilk. Milk adds creaminess and a touch of sweetness—ideal for cheese grits—while cream adds even more richness to grits in a breakfast casserole.

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.

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.

While some grains develop an unpleasant mushy texture when they're cooked for too long, grits just get smoother and creamier over time. Adding an egg is another option. Foodsguy recommends beating an egg in a medium-sized bowl until it's thoroughly combined, then stirring a small portion of cooked grits into the bowl.

Deciding when your grits are done is a personal choice, and will determine your total cooking time. Some people like their grits more on the runny side with a little gritty texture still remaining, others want them creamy and thick but flowing, and some want them so stiff they're able to hold their shape when dolloped.

Grits, especially in their whole-grain form, hold on to many of these helpful plant compounds, even when you boil them. Grits, as whole grains or enriched varieties, also contain folate, which helps prevent birth defects and may also lower your risk of heart disease and cancer.

I think the best grits still are stone-ground. Each “grit” is slightly bigger, courser and more flavorful. A bunch of them together on your breakfast plate are delicious with a pad of butter, egg, bacon, sausage or country ham and toast with blackberry jam.

Are grits healthier than oatmeal? ›

Oatmeal has more fiber and protein, grits have more iron and B vitamins. However, oatmeal has a lower glycemic index. So for blood sugar control, oatmeal could be a better option. But when balanced right, both oatmeal and grits can fit into a healthy diet.

Easily achieve the perfect creamy texture and save yourself some serious time in the kitchen by utilizing the little-known tip of adding baking soda to the pot. Just a pinch added early in the cooking process helps the grits to thicken up and can cut the needed cooking time in half.

Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer until cooked through, 6 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally. If you want the grits to cook longer and be more creamy, add a little more water, and return to the heat and simmer, stirring, uncovered, until done.

Grits, which are made from crushed or ground corn and have roots in Native American culture, are widely consumed by Southerners in a variety of ways. Me? I personally like mine with sausage, cheese, and an over-medium egg for the ultimate combination of flavor and texture.

Before turning on the stove, artisan grain producer Anson Mills recommends soaking the grits overnight for a “superior” texture. This step also reduces the cooking time by about 50 percent, which can take from about 20 minutes to 1 hour or more, depending on the type of grits and desired consistency.