I received this product for free and I am being compensated for my work. All opinions are my own.
Since the kids were born, we have traveled extensively throughout the southern states. Our road trips have taken us to Georgia {multiple times}, South Carolina, North Carolina, Tennessee, Kentucky, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana… am I missing any? You will find that each region has its signature dish, and for my birthday in November, we traveled together as a family to Savannah for a food and wine festival to learn even more about southern cuisine. Living in Gainesville, Florida, it’s so easy to drive an hour or so north to enjoy adventures in different states!
The South is famous for delicious slow barbecue dishes like pulled pork and brisket, gumbos, fried chicken, biscuits and gravy, stewed greens, and so many others. But my favorite? Grits. And not just any grits, but cheesy grits. Because even when you feature a braised piece of beef or sauteed shrimp with your grits, the grits kinda still become the star of the dish!
Ingredients:
- 1 cup stone-ground grits
- 2 cups chicken stock
- 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- Salt & pepper to taste
Directions:
One of the most important parts of preparing grits is to have the right pan. I recently received this amazing cast iron skillet from Southern Kitchen. As with any cast-iron cookware, you must season your pan. I followed the enclosed directions to make sure I did it just right. I preheated my oven to 450 degrees F, coated the pan in two tablespoons of oil, and placed it in the oven for an hour. I pulled it out of the oven and allowed it to cool. Be sure to season your pan and carefully clean it after for the best cooking results. This helps to maintain a non-stick cooking surface.
Now, on to the grits! In your beautiful cast-iron skillet, add two cups of chicken stock and one cup of stone-ground grits and bring to a gentle simmer. I prefer stone-ground grits because of the texture you will experience when your grits are ready to serve. The individual pieces of corn tend to be cut a bit inconsistently, which means that rather than getting a boring puree, you get creamy grits with a perfect little bite to them. And I use chicken stock over water or milk to give them a deeper flavor.
What’s great about this pan is that there’s a lot of surface area, which is awesome for grits, because you want to continually stir them and get an even heat on them as they cook. And that’s the trick – don’t step away from a pan of grits! As the cooking liquid is absorbed and the grits take on a softer texture {approximately 20 minutes}, stir in the cream. If you find the grits are too stiff, you can add an additional splash of chicken broth. Finish by incorporating the cheese.
Your grits are now ready to serve immediately. Easy, right? Remember, these make a delicious platform for sauteed shrimp, braised short rib, grilled steak, and pulled pork, but they are seriously the best cheesy grits served in a bowl all by themselves. I *may have* had a bowl for breakfast this morning.
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What is your favorite southern dish?
Any Comments?