The Best Thick and Creamy Grits Recipe - caramel and cashews (2024)

FAQs

What is the secret to great grits? ›

Soak your grits overnight before cooking for best results.

This is a tip I learned from Nashville-based chef and cookbook writer Sean Brock. When you soak your grits overnight, they cook faster and taste creamier.

Toppings for Grits

Whether you like a sweet start to the day or something more hearty tasting, these grits can be topped with a wide range of ingredients. Sweet: Butter, cinnamon, raisins, syrup, brown sugar, peanut butter, jam, or berries.

The key to cooking old-fashioned grits is going low and slow—use a low heat so the grits simmer and slowly release their starches, which creates a decadent, silky texture. Whisking constantly during the first couple of minutes, and frequently throughout the rest of the cooking process, will prevent lumps from forming.

Cream is very fatty and can over-thicken grits when too much is added. Use mostly water and add a small amount of cream, such as the 1/4 to 1/2 cup recommended by our test kitchen. If you want a stronger dairy flavor, you can use a mixture of half milk and half water along with the cream.

It doesn't taste like egg, not really, but it makes the grits taste richer, with a more cohesive, rib-sticking texture. It's also an easy way to sneak a little more protein in there—six grams per egg—and I've found it amplifies the cheesiness of cheese grits, without adding any extra dairy.

Even if you buy 5-minute grits, don't cook your grits for only five minutes. Part of what makes the grits all creamy is the time they get to soak in the water.

Creamy, cheesy piping-hot grits topped with spicy sausage – I don't think it gets much better than that on a cold day. Breakfast, lunch or dinner – this dish is perfect anytime! Aside from lots of delicious cheese, these grits get their extra creaminess by cooking them in milk.

What is the secret to creamy grits? The secret to a creamy texture is adding milk (or even heavy cream) along with water to the liquid mixture. That's why we like to use half water, half milk for this recipe.

Easily achieve the perfect creamy texture and save yourself some serious time in the kitchen by utilizing the little-known tip of adding baking soda to the pot. Just a pinch added early in the cooking process helps the grits to thicken up and can cut the needed cooking time in half.

Oatmeal has more fiber and protein, grits have more iron and B vitamins. However, oatmeal has a lower glycemic index. So for blood sugar control, oatmeal could be a better option. But when balanced right, both oatmeal and grits can fit into a healthy diet.

What tastes good in grits? ›

Ways to Serve Grits

Top them with eggs. I love poached eggs, but fried or scrambled eggs work, too. You can also add some cooked bacon or sausage. Grits are usually kept for savory dishes, but I know many people who love adding something sweet like honey butter, apple butter, or brown sugar.

(Worst case, you have to cook it for a few more minutes to thicken up.) This will guarantee—even for a total grits novice—a pot that cooks up silky and creamy.

Similarly, raw eggs mix with the released starches of the corn in the grits to create a thicker, creamier consistency. However, unlike pasta carbonara, there's no tempering or finesse involved in incorporating a raw egg into a hot pot of grits.

You're using too much H2O

According to Quaker, the perfect ratio of water to grits is 2 cups water for every ½ cup grits. When whipping up this creamy classic, oftentimes we as humans like to skip steps to get it done quicker — especially if we're extra hungry. This plays a huge role in why grits end up runny.

the grits until thickened and the grains are tender with just the touch of a bite, similar to a grain of rice, about 10-15 minutes. If the grits thicken too quickly, but the grains are still hard or chewy, whisk in another 1/4 C of warm water to the pot and continue cooking until they're like you want them.