The Best Creamy Grits with Cheese
Try this recipe for The Best Creamy Grits with Cheese, or contribute your own.
Try this recipe for The Best Creamy Grits with Cheese, or contribute your own.
- Carbohydrate 1.19290500105761 g
- Cholesterol 70.5250000519329 mg
- Fat 20.4026900140257 g
- Fiber 0 g
- Protein 7.6690250007771 g
- Saturated Fat 12.8316020087308 g
- Serving Size 1 1 serving (89g)
- Sodium 490.855900015407 mg
- Sugar 1.19290500105761 g
- Trans Fat 1.05383250072327 g
- Calories 217 calories
Step-by-step
- Add the stock and the butter to a pot that will be large enough for the grits to expand.
- Turn the head to medium-high.
- When the butter begins to melt, add in the grits and salt.
- Stir well and reduce the heat to low.
- After about 12-15 minutes, the grits will start to release puffs of steam.
- Now is the time to add the cream.
- Stir well and continue to stir occasionally for the next 12-15 minutes.
- When the grits start talking again, add in the water.
- Stir to incorporate.
- Continue stirring occasionally for the next 10 minutes or so.
- The grits should be super creamy and delicious.
- Taste just to make sure.
- Turn off the heat.
- Add in the shredded cheddar and incorporate.
- Serve hot, topped with some shredded cheese, bacon crumbles and a bit of whole kernel corn.
- Enjoy!
Adding the cream halfway through the cooking process rather than at the very beginning prevents the milk proteins from scorching against the bottom of the pot during the initial starch gelatinization phase. Starch granules require sustained heat and liquid to swell completely, absorbing the beef stock before dairy fats coat the particles and retard hydration. Unsalted stock is essential here because reducing dairy and liquid by half concentrates sodium rapidly, risking an overly salty final dish if commercial salted broths are used.
Freezing cooked grits successfully depends entirely on fat content and moisture management, as dairy emulsions tend to break and weep water upon thawing. Heavy cream and butter provide the necessary fat matrix to hold the emulsion together during freezing, but the starch network still requires gentle handling when brought back to temperature. Store the cooled grits in airtight containers for up to two months, pressing plastic wrap directly onto the surface to prevent skin formation.
Reheating requires deliberate intervention because chilled starches retrograde and lock up free moisture into a rigid gel. Place the frozen block into a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium-low heat, whisking in two tablespoons of water or milk per cup of grits to rebuild the continuous phase. Vigorous agitation breaks the tightened starch bonds mechanically, restoring the velvety mouthfeel without scorching the bottom.
Leftover portions kept in the refrigerator for three days can be sliced into cakes and pan-fried in butter at medium heat for four minutes per side. This secondary preparation transforms the soft porridge into a crisp-edged disc by utilizing the retrograded starches to hold a solid shape under high heat.
