Grits are a staple here in the south, and adding goat cheese is a sure fire way to get everyone around your table.
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Growing up, when I was sick, my darling grandmother would come over and make cheese grits. For us, this is comfort food. This is what we eat when we just need that little extra comfort in our life. We’ve had a hard day, something didn’t go as planned, your feeling blue, GRITS are the answer.
Grits are a staple here in the south. We serve them like Bubba Gump talks about shrimp… Every which way and more! We have a wonderful restaurant in town called Tupelo Honey Cafe, and many have heard of it now that it is a chain and all over the south east. They serve delicious goat cheese grits, and this recipe is similar. Their Goat Cheese Grits recipe is in their original cookbook — I remember preordering it, and being SO excited that my recipe was similar. It makes you feel all warm and tingly inside when that happens!
This is my favorite way to prepare them — with creamy goat cheese stirred in and smokey bacon crumbled on top. For me, this is a meal in itself, anytime of the day.
My recipe starts with slow cooking stone ground grits. Now, get ready… this isn’t a quick thing. Even when you buy the “quick cook” grits from Quaker, you still need to give it wayyyy more time than you think. {Like, those quick grits that say they are ready in 5-7 minutes… Not really… try 20-30 minutes!} Most people who say they don’t like grits have never had GOOD grits. And once you have the real deal, cooked all the way stone ground grits, you’ll know what you’ve been missing.
You’ll need to stand at your stove a while, so hunker down. This is a dish prepared with loving tender care — babied, and stirred more than most will ever know. It’s a lot like making a roux — take your phone off the hook {Which for millennials means put it on silent and remove your Apple watch.} and wear some comfy shoes. You’re going to be standing and stirring a long while.
- 3 cups of water
- 1 cup of whole milk
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 2 cups of white stone ground grits
- 1/2 stick salted butter
- 1/3 cup heavy cream (or 2/3 cup half and half)
- 8 ounces goat cheese
- freshly ground black pepper
- cooked bacon for garnish
- In a large dutch oven, bring water, milk, and salt to a rolling boil over medium high heat. {Because we are using milk + water, you'll want to keep your heat lower than expected.}
- Once you have a full rolling boil, SLOWLY pour in your grits while stirring constantly, with a wooden spoon. Don't stir too crazy, just gently create a cyclone with the water + milk.
- Keep stirring for a few minutes -- trust me here. Grits are like pasta, you want each grain coated, so you'll need to stir for a while.
- Once the pot is bubbling nicely, and your grits are stirred well, lower the heat to simmer. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes. Every few minutes, come and stir them so they don't stick to the bottom. Set a timer, and really stir every three minutes.
- After half an hour, stir in your cream and goat cheese and several turns of your pepper mill. Garnish with fresh bacon crumbled on top.
I love bringing the pot to the table, and ladling bowls of grits to everyone. Cooking is how I show love to people, how I connect. I love the humble act of serving others and hearing the silence of a good meal.
Does your family make grits?? I would love to hear what your mama made when you weren’t feeling well!
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XOXO,
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This looks delicious! I’ve never had grits before. Thanks for linking up to #HomeMattersParty
Thanks for stopping by! They are a *real* southern thing! 😉
I love grits – true southern girl here – so I’m sure these are as delicious as they look. Can’t wait to try them. #HomeMattersParty
I’m really picky about my grits – I can’t eat Quick grits at all, it’s got to be slow cooked. LOL I love a good recipe for creamy grits, and I have never tried eating them with goat cheese, but I love goat cheese too. I am printing this recipe to try. #HomeMattersParty
I am with you!! Love when someone else knows how to cook grits!