The Best Southern Cheese Grits

🤔 What Are Grits?

Some of you are scratching your head and wondering just what the heck grits are. Well, they’re just ground corn. 

Actually, there’s a little more to it than that. First, though, what they are not is cornmeal nor polenta.

I’ve seen recipes where people state that you can substitute coarse cornmeal for grits. That’s just wrong. It’s a different product with a different flavor and method of processing. Cornmeal doesn’t substitute for grits nor do grits substitute for cornmeal.

Now, on to what they are. There are several different types of grits. Four to be exact — stone ground, hominy, quick, and instant.

Stone Ground Grits

Stone ground grits are the least processed. They’re ground from whole dried corn kernels with the germ retained in the final product. Stone ground grits are coarse and require a long cooking time (about 45 to 50 minutes).

Hominy Grits

Hominy grits are ground from corn that has been processed with lye to soften the tough outer hull. The outer hull is removed and the remaining kernel ground. It’s also a coarse product but doesn’t require quite as much cooking time as stone ground.

Quick (or Regular) Grits

Quick or regular grits are the most commonly used for home cooking. They’re a medium to fine grind and take from 5 to 10 minutes to cook. This is the type of grits that I use most often because they’re readily available. I also prefer to use a regional southern brand such as Jim Dandy or Dixie Lily. There are a few national brands but they’re not my first choice.

Instant Grits

Instant grits are very finely textured grits that have been precooked and dried so that all you need to do is add hot water to reconstitute them. No decent southern cook would be caught dead making instant grits. No. Just no.

❤️ Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Creamy, cheesy, luscious texture and flavor
• Quick, easy, and light on your budget
• Lots of options for making it your own creation
• Kids love it, adults love it. What’s not to love about grits?

🛒 Ingredient Notes

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• Grits – I’ve written this recipe with estimated cooking times based on “regular” or quick grits. Check the package of grits you’re using for the recommended cooking time. If you can source some old-fashioned stone ground grits, go for them!.
• Garlic Powder – This is completely optional, but I love the flavor it adds along with the sharp Cheddar cheese. You could use very finely minced fresh garlic if you’d like.
• Cheddar Cheese – A nice, sharp Cheddar is my choice. It’s usually not too overpowering nor underwhelming, just right.

🥄 How to Make Cheese Grits

Cook the Grits

1. Bring the water and salt to a boil in a medium saucepan.
2. Add the grits to the boiling water using a whisk. Using the whisk ensures that you don’t get lumps in your grits.
3. Cover the pot, lower the heat to a simmer, and cook the grits according to the package directions.

Add the Seasonings

4. When the grits are done, stir in the butter, black pepper, and garlic powder.

👉 PRO TIP: If you want to use fresh garlic, please do. Be sure to mince it very finely. However, since we usually have cheese grits with breakfast and I don’t like to get a hunk of garlic in my mouth at that time of the day, I’ll stick with the powder.

Add the Cheese

5. Finally, add the grated cheddar and stir until blended.

Some people like to get all fancy with the cheese and use Parmesan, sharp Provolone, or even Bleu cheese. Those are all really tasty. However, to me anyway, grits are (is?…still can’t decide) homey, comfort food, and messing around with a proven combination is just fooling with an already good thing. I usually just stick with the cheddar.

BeeBop read a story recently about a restaurant in New York City that had just put grits on their menu. They were selling them for $8 for a 1 cup serving. People were lined up out the door every morning to get those $8 grits. Man…I could go up there with $50 worth of grits and come home a wealthy woman.

Make some cheese grits soon. Your family will love you. And think about all those folks standing in line with $8 in their hands waiting for 10¢ worth of grits :-)

🍽 Serving Suggestions

Cheese grits are always good for breakfast. Serve them alongside eggs, bacon, and toast or biscuits. Or make a breakfast bowl with cheese grits topped with a fried egg and crumbled bacon or sausage!

For supper, serve them with some savory grilled pork chops, seasoned grilled fish, or a delicious pork rib ragu. Or use them as a side dish with a topping of sauteed peppers and onions.

You might try making some Parmesan cheese grits to serve as the base for a beefy tomato sauce with garlic bread on the side.

🔀 Substitutions and Add-Ins

I can think of lots of fabulous ways to tweak this recipe.

• If you want to make your grits even more rich and creamy, use milk in place of water in the recipe.
• To amp up the spice, you could always add a pinch of red pepper flakes or some very finely diced jalapeno.
• Add some very finely chopped herbs such as rosemary or thyme.
• For a southwestern approach, maybe swap out the Cheddar for pepper jack and add a little fresh cilantro. 

🍚 Storing and Reheating

• In the rare event that you have leftovers, you can keep them tightly covered in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
• Cheese grits are easiest to reheat on 50% power in the microwave stirring every 30 seconds. Or add a splash of water and reheat over very low heat in a small saucepan stirring frequently to prevent sticking.

🧾 More Grits and Breakfast Recipes

Cheesy Tomato Grits with Chiles and Bacon

Shrimp and Grits

Huevos and Grits

The Best Homemade Southern Tomato Gravy

• Chicken with Grits
• Cheesy Tomato Grits with Chiles and Bacon
• Shrimp and Grits
• Huevos and Grits, Y’all
• Sausage Gravy and Biscuits with Tomatoes
• Another Buttermilk Biscuit
• Tomato Gravy