Anyone into grits?

[KatyCooks]

You mean the old world, ie, Europe. This happened in northern Italy.

Grits and polenta are similar enough to me that they can be used interchangeably, so if you like polenta, chances are you will like grits. Imo, they're best served with a tasty gravy or sauce, or cheesed up or with a lot of seasoning.

I really don't like polenta! However, most things can be improved by the addition of cheese and seasoning! Lol

 

[Silversage]

Grits and polenta are related - similar but not the same. Polenta is made from yellow corn; grits from white corn. Grits are usually finer in texture. Instant is evil in either case.

I grew up on grits. Never had polenta until about 10 years ago. Both are best as vehicles for toppings and other flavors.

 

[dcSaute]

oh,,, not so fast (ggg)

Amazon.com : yellow grits

 

[Linda0818]

Love grits. I like them simply with butter and salt and maybe a little milk once they're finished cooking. I eat Cream of Wheat (a favorite of mine since I was a kid) the same way.

I made shrimp and grits once from a nice looking recipe I found online. It wasn't bad, but not something I'd make again. I love shrimp and I love grits, but I just didn't like the combination. They're two different worlds to me. Shrimp belongs on 'this side' of the spectrum and grits belong on the other.

 

[medtran49]

Stone ground grits only for me. I'm a snob about grits and happily admit it.

I always add butter and usually a little more S and P to plain breakfast grits, especially when out. I've even been known to stir in some half-n-half when out if they are too thick.

I cook them with water, sometimes with a little chicken broth mixed in for breakfast, finished with butter. Dinner grits, like for shrimp and grits, is half and half water and shrimp broth made from shells or chicken broth, with a little heavy cream, about 1/4 cup, mixed in along the way, again finished with butter. You have to make sure to season well while cooking and afterward to get a good flavor. I usually cook my grits for around an hour on very, very low.

If I'm making a grit casserole for breakfast, it gets cheese, as well as the other stuff like sausage, peppers, onions. Grits for shrimp and grits get some cheddar and Parm R.

If I have leftover grits of any kind, I pour them into a greased baking dish, refrigerate overnight, then slice and fry them to make grit cakes and eggs for breakfast the next morning.

I've been wanting to make shrimp and grits for the last few weeks, just haven't felt like cooking much. I found a low country shrimp and grits recipe long ago that looked good and have tweaked it over the years to our tastes.

 

[Silversage]

I love shrimp and grits! But 2 things I don't like.

One is bland. Some places just shrimp on top of grits and think they've done the dish justice. I do mine with a little Cajun twist- a bit of heat, spice, smoke, salt, and some well seasoned sauce or 'gravy'.

The second is runny, watery grits. You have to be patient and COOK them. Cook the water out. Make the grits creamy, not sandy. I also put cheese in the grits when making shrimp and grits.

 

[Cooking Goddess]

...I usually cook my grits for around an hour on very, very low...

Mine are cooked for nearly an hour, too. And over that length of time they get more water than the initial 4/1 ratio. By the time I'm ready to serve them I've probably incorporated five cups of liquid to that one cup of grits - and they are never watery.

 

[dcSaute]

I make three different batch sizes, but the most common - for two:
65g grits in 443g water

done at low heat on a copper diffuser plate. covered once it comes to a gentle simmer - takes 15-20 minutes to cook the grits proper.
after that, remove the cover - stir right regular - and thicken to desired consistency....
add butter / cheese / pixie dust / etc....

there is no grainy-ness, no sandy stuff . . .

 

[Roll_Bones]

Grits and polenta are related - similar but not the same. Polenta is made from yellow corn; grits from white corn. Grits are usually finer in texture. Instant is evil in either case.

We only buy yellow stone ground grits. There are as many yellow options as white.

I love shrimp and grits! But 2 things I don't like.

One is bland. Some places just shrimp on top of grits and think they've done the dish justice. I do mine with a little Cajun twist- a bit of heat, spice, smoke, salt, and some well seasoned sauce or 'gravy'.

The second is runny, watery grits. You have to be patient and COOK them. Cook the water out. Make the grits creamy, not sandy. I also put cheese in the grits when making shrimp and grits.

Our breakfast grits are cooked in plain water and salt. You can use all kinds of liquids, seasoning and herbs to prepare grits. You can treat it like rice. The sky is the limit as far as fortifying grits with plenty flavor.