Jalapeño cheese grits
I did not grow up in a grit-eating family. I’d beg and beg my mother to make grits, but she’d always say, “We don’t eat grits in this family. Now go eat your porridge.” OK, I lie…I didn’t grow up eating porridge or even curds and whey, another mysterious food found only in nursery rhymes.
But back to the grits: I was obsessed. And so when we took a family vacation to New Orleans to see the King Tut exhibit back in the 70s, I was in heaven. Every menu had grits and I finally could eat this forbidden food with the fantastic name. (Just say the word to yourself, “Grits, grits, grits.” You can’t help but fall into a twang.)
And what did I discover in New Orleans? Grits are gooooooood. They’re creamy with just a hint of texture to keep it interesting. And they’re a marvelous vehicle for butter. I was hooked.
It’s no surprise to me that grits are in vogue. I’m just wondering what took so long. Last week the New York Post had an article listing restaurants in New York City where they can be found. The Dallas Morning News also had a feature on grits, outlining how you can have an interactive grits bar at your next event.
It’s a brilliant idea as grits go well with so many foods—everything from smoked salmon to shrimp, with artisanal cheeses, bean dip, and bruschetta thrown in for good measure. And with such a wide variety of options, a grits bar is sure to please everyone. I wish I’d thought of it!
So even though I was a late convert, I’ve made up for lost time by making grits often and sharing their deliciousness with my New Yorker friends. Call me a grits evangelist.
There are countless approaches to serving grits, but here’s a recipe for my favorite way: with cheddar cheese and jalapenos. The cheese adds a certain creamy sharpness to the grits with the jalapenos providing a perfect kick. And you can serve them at any meal, as they go equally well with eggs as with chicken, fish, pork, beans or savory greens.
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Jalapeño cheese grits
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 jalapeños, seeded and diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 cups whole milk
- 2 cups water
- 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
- 1 cup uncooked yellow grits
- 2 cups (8 ounces) grated Colby-Jack cheese
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan, melt the butter on medium-low and add the a jalapeños. While stirring occasionally, cook until softened and fragrant, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 30 more seconds. Remove the jalapeños and garlic from the pot.
- Pour into the pot the milk and water, add the salt, then turn the heat to high. When the liquid comes to a boil, turn the heat down to low, add the grits, and stir until thick and creamy, about 5-8 minutes.
- After the grits are done, stir in the cheese, jalapeños, garlic, and stir until the cheese has melted. Taste and add more salt if needed.
This post was revised and updated in January 2019.
Just want you to know I’m doing these for my brunch this wknd…in a crockpot so I don’t have to watch so closely. Thanks for the recipe!
(btw, do you use the typeface “Georgia?” If so, I think that’s the funniest thing I learned all day. Georgia/Texas?)
Hi! I stumbled across your blog while doing some research for my cookbook on — GRITS! It seems that we have a similar situation – both expats in NYC, missing grits.
I’d love to post your recipe on my blog – gritsandmore.blogspot.com!
We eat our grits baked. It’s the only way I like them. My grandmother makes sure we have them at all family occasions. GARLIC-CHEESE BAKED GRITS….YUMMMMMMMMMM!
I have a recipe for green chili and cheese grits where you roast the green chili under the broiler and use quick cooking grits. THEY ARE DELICIOUS! I got the recipe from Bonnel's in Fort Worth and we LOVE them in my house. Plus they are an excellent dish to serve for a party, they take 20 minutes start to finish and people are always so greatful!
I love your blog. So deliciously nostalgic!
I've converted MANY people who would turn up their noses at the idea of grits to ones who specifically asked me to make them. Instead of water, I use milk (I do the same making polenta) and then add fire-roasted Hatch green chiles (Trader Joe's sells small cans of this wonderful item) and a big handful of either grated white cheddar, parmesan or manchego cheese and serve with two poached eggs on top–it's a wonderful Texas breakfast!
This is the way I cook them, too. I usually have roasted Hatch chiles in my freezer for at least half the year. I do skip the cheese, but serve with either scrambled or fried eggs. Buying stone ground grits makes all the difference, and I prefer the yellow. They still don’t take more than 15 minutes. They come out so creamy most folks find it hard to believe there is only 2% milk and no cream or butter until served.
I didn’t grow up eating grits, but went to the University of Florida in the early 60s on an extremely limited budget. Girls had to live in a dorm, so cooking for myself wasn’t an option. I lived on a $.55 breakfast of 2 eggs, sausage, grits, toast, oj and coffee at 3-4 days a week–followed by a $.10 Honor Apple (they were huge) for lunch. I had $1 a day in my budget, so with $.35 left over, supper was skimpy. I didn’t gain weight, for sure, and developed a life long love of grits
Janet–Grits and eggs are a wonderful combination!