As a Brit, ” Grits ” aren’t something very common here at all, I’ve never come across it, So I bought some. What should my first experience be with it?

40 comments

1. I like sharp cheddar cheese and black pepper mixed in.

2. Parmesan cheese

3. Here ya go. Right from the source-https://www.instagram.com/reel/ClwW75tgnkY/?igshid=NTdlMDg3MTY=

4. They better not be instant grits. No self-respecting southern uses instant grits.

5. Either add in cheddar cheese, as has been said, or just use lots of butter, plus salt and pepper.

6. It’s very similar to polenta, and you really can prepare grits in any way you could prepare polenta.

   I like them with just some butter and sugar or salt, or with cheese. Or cheese and jalapeno.

7. cheddar grits are great. Hell, plain grits are great.

8. What it absolutely shouldn’t be:

   Add hot water and serve. That’s how you make really bad grits.

9. All you really need is butter, salt, pepper, and maybe cheese. You can also prepare them with milk instead of water if you want them richer.

10. I recommend cheddar cheese. A lot of it. And then pan fry some sausage.

    If you’re feeling fancy you can try your hand at shrimp and grits

11. cheese and butter. I prefer a mix of pepper jack and cheddar

12. Have you ever had polenta?

    Very similar.

13. Cheese and some seasoning, butter and salt, or butter and sugar if you want something sweet.

14. Shrimp and grits with lots of butter and cheese.

15. Cook with 2 parts chicken stock to 1 part milk or heavy cream (instead of water).

    Follow cooking instructions on bag. Once cooked, add a sharp cheese and pickled jalapenos if you can find them!

16. Basic additions are salt & butter.

    Then, customize the grits however you prefer. Some people add sugar for a sweeter side item, while other people add savory items like cheddar cheese, bacon or sausage and black pepper.

    I’m a little weird, so I add butter, a bit of salt as a flavor boost & maple syrup: that touch of sweet maple syrup goes great with sausage & eggs for breakfast. (I drizzle maple syrup on the sausage, too).

    Some people like “shrimps & grits,” which is sauteed, spicy shrimp served over grits. A lot of shrimp & grits recipes call for adding cheese & bacon to the grits. Here’s [Bobby Flay’s recipe](https://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/shrimp_and_grits/) (he’s a well-known chef in the US). American bacon is made from the belly of the pig, not the back, so US bacon has more fat & so Bobby Flay’s recipe calls for reserving some of that fat to sautee the veggies. If you want to try that recipe, I’d just supplement with some butter if there isn’t enough fat to cook the veggies.

17. If you want a proper meal I’d try shrimp and grits or andouille and grits. Both are really good.

18. Shrimp and grits is a classic savory preparation. I used to work in kitchens, have been a hobbyist cook for 30 years and lived in the south for a long time.

    The quality of the product will greatly affect the results of your experiment. I’m dubious of the quality of “Island Sun” brand. Stone ground and recently ground grits are best, these things look coarse AF. Anson Mills is a great brand if you can find them. [Carolina Plantation](https://www.carolinaplantationrice.com/store/) ships and also has amazing rice.

    For southern recipes I like to use [Garden and Gun](https://gardenandgun.com/recipe/the-ultimate-charleston-shrimp-and-grits/) or [Southern Living](https://www.southernliving.com/recipes/lowcountry-shrimp-and-grits) as sources, [Sean Brock](https://www.foodnetwork.com/fnk/recipes/shrimp-and-grits-7151933) is another but his ingredients can be very finicky. One important ingredient is American-style bacon, not the back bacon you guys use.

    If not shrimp and grits….just use whole milk, low and slow in a pot with a pinch of salt. Add butter, cheddar, and black pepper off heat. Serve with runny eggs and some side meat.

19. You’ll want to make sure they are hominy grits (treated with alkali). The product in your picture doesn’t look quite right.

    All they really need is salt and maybe butter. Lots of restaurants add heavy cream (and maybe cream cheese?) to make it richer. Shrimp and grits are one of my favorite things and I would definitely recommend that to someone who’s never had it before. I’ve never made it at home though.

20. Grits are essentially a grainier polenta. What works with polenta works with grits, but throw some buttered and herbed prawns in there and it’s fantastic.

21. I like lots of butter, salt and pepper. Maybe an overeasy egg on top.

22. Its simple. replace the water with half heavy cream and milk. Use half milk and water if you don’t want it so creamy. Add lots of butter and salt to taste. Serve with over easy eggs, toast and bacon. Also, if it’s instant grits simmer it a good ten to fifteen minutes longer than the instructions say.

23. These look very coarse. American grits are much finer and whiter in color. I’ve also never heard of this brand so I’m not sure you’re in for a good time if you buy/prepare these.

24. Yellow Grits are better than White Grits IMHO. I boil them according to package directions, but I put cooked crispy bacon pieces in the water while the water is heating up. Around here, you can purchase the bacon already cooked and crumbled in the area of the supermarket near the salad fixings. So yeah, that and salt, add the grits, cook, finish with a hefty amount of butter. I add more grits than what the recipe calls for then loosen it up by adding a bit of milk, makes it creamier. Thats for breakfast.

    For a dinner side, [try this recipe.](https://www.food.com/recipe/zeas-roasted-corn-grits-428315)

25. Make it with a little less water or cook it longer so it’s not too soupy. Eat it with butter and lots of salt and pepper. Cheese and fried eggs go well, too.

26. Expect flavorless mush.

27. Cheese and butter. When you think it’s too much cheese and butter, more cheese and butter. Optionally you can grill (and that’s BBQ to you, not American Broiler) some shrimp (prawns) with Cajun spices and throw them in.

28. Boil them in chicken stock instead of water!

29. Cheddar cheese, a fried egg and hot sauce!

30. Throwing it in the garbage. You can do it now and save yourself the trouble of doing it later.

31. You gotta add plenty of butter, salt, and pepper along with hot water. That’s the base. After that some sharp cheese mixed in with shrimp and green onions on top will absolutely kill

32. I like jalapeno cheddar grits, or cheddar grits with hot sauce.

    Alternately, you could go the sweet route with cinnamon sugar grits.

33. Hot sauce, plenty of salted butter, and pepper out the ass.

34. Start here, add in some other ingredients if you think they’re too plain, but I think they’re creamy deliciousness.

    https://www.pauladeen.com/recipe/grits/

35. Shrimp and grits (coastal Mississippi/Louisiana) is peak grit consumption. You can get into a sweet or savory debate in other regions. However, if you want to taste what the medium has to offer, then find a great Shimp and grits recipe.

36. Shrimp & grits

37. I like mixing in Parmesan cheese, topping with caramelized onions, sautéed sweet peppers and mushrooms. Little more parm on top

38. If you can get the ingredients, jalapeno cheddar grits are amazing.

39. You can go savory or sweet. In the morning I like grits with butter, sugar, and some half and half. In the evening I like grits with cheddar cheese as a side dish.

40. Mix them with hot water, then toss them down the sink. I hate them.