30 of the Greatest Gourmet Grits Recipes

Hello and welcome to this thing we’re doing where we help you figure out what you’re gonna put in your mouth this week. Some of these are recipes we’ve tried, some of these are recipes we’re looking forward to trying, all of them are fucking delicious. Tell us what you want to put in your piehole or suggest your own recipes, and we’ll talk about which things we made, which things we loved, and which things have changed us irreversibly as people. Last week, we made good use of our leftover champagne.

food3My first memory of eating grits is from my first trip to Disney World. We always drove down, which took two days, and stopped in one of the Carolinas on the way up and down. And in the Carolinas, a continental breakfast at the hotel means grits. I fell in love, but throughout the years grits sort of faded from my memory because I lived up north where people ate oatmeal or maybe polenta instead. Over the last few years, however, I’ve had sort of a grits renaissance in my kitchen and my mouth. I want you to share in that joy, and thus! Here we are. What a beautiful day, y’know?


1. Grit Cakes with Sage Butter

Grit Cakes with Sage Butter


2. Baked Grits and Collards Casserole

Baked Grits and Collards Casserole


3. Jambalaya Grits

Jambalaya Grits


4. Black Truffle and Cheese Grits

Black Truffle and Cheese Grits


5. Garlic Grits Casserole

Garlic Grits Casserole


6. Fried Chicken Thighs with Cheesy Grits

Fried Chicken Thighs with Cheesy Grits


7. Hatch Green Chile Cheese Grits

Hatch Green Chile Cheese Grits


8. Pigs and Grits

Pig's and Grits


9. Fried Catfish with Cheese Grits

Fried Catfish with Cheese Grits


10. Amazing Cheese Grits

Amazing Cheese Grits


11. Honey Nut Breakfast Grits

Honey Nut Breakfast Grits


12. Cajun Shrimp with Smoked Gouda Grits

Cajun Shrimp with Smoked Gouda Grits


13. BBQ Pot Roast over Cheddar Ranch Grits

BBQ Pot Roast over Cheddar Ranch Grits


14. Cajun Fish and Savory Cheese Grits

Cajun Fish and Savory Cheese Grits


15. New Orleans Grillades and Grits

New Orleans Grillades and Grits


16. Banana Maple Grits

Banana Maple Grits


17. Sausage and Bacon Grits Muffins

Sausage and Bacon Grits Muffins


18. Baked Eggs and Grits

Baked Eggs and Grits


19. Cheesy Ham & Grits Breakfast Casserole

Cheesy Ham & Grits Breakfast Casserole


20. Crawfish and Grits

Crawfish and Grits


21. Saucy Smothered Southern Chicken with Parmesan Grits

Saucy Smothered Southern Chicken with Parmesan Grits


22. Grits Fritters

Grits Fritters


23. Smoked Cheddar Grits with Broiled Heirloom Tomatoes

Smoked Cheddar Grits with Broiled Heirloom Tomatoes


24. Jalapeño Cheddar Grits

Jalapeño Cheddar Grits


25. Grits a Ya Ya

Grits a Ya Ya


26. White Beans & Peppers With Goat Cheese Grits

White Beans & Peppers With Goat Cheese Grits


27. Smoked Sausage and Cheese Grits

Smoked Sausage and Cheese Grits


28. Cheesy Grits and Spinach Casserole with Bacon

Cheesy Grits and Spinach Casserole with Bacon


29. Artichokes and Cheesy Grits

Artichokes and Cheesy Grits


30. Pumpkin Cheddar Grits

Pumpkin Cheddar Grits

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Carmen

Carmen spent six years at Autostraddle, ultimately serving as Straddleverse Director, Feminism Editor and Social Media Co-Director. She is now the Consulting Digital Editor at Ms. and writes regularly for DAME, the Women’s Media Center, the National Women’s History Museum and other prominent feminist platforms; her work has also been published in print and online by outlets like BuzzFeed, Bitch, Bust, CityLab, ElixHER, Feministing, Feminist Formations, GirlBoss, GrokNation, MEL, Mic and SIGNS, and she is a co-founder of Argot Magazine. You can find Carmen on Twitter, Instagram and Tumblr or in the drive-thru line at the nearest In-N-Out.

Carmen has written 919 articles for us.

15 Comments

  1. The heavens declare the glory of grits, the greatest food known to womankind, and one of the top five things I miss most about living in the south. Thank you for this list!

    • “The heavens declare the glory of grits, the greatest food known to womankind, and one of the top five things I miss most about living in the south.”

      probably someone should produce this on needlepoint for us all to hang in our kitchens, or maybe they should embroider it

  2. I love grits, these are some great options. I did notice some of the recipes could be better when it comes to making the grits. The secret to great grits is to NEVER use water. There is no flavor in water, it does nothing for your grits. There are two options. Stock or 3 parts stock and 1 part milk. Chicken and turkey both work great. Whenever I make a turkey or chicken, I freeze the stock in 1 cup freezer bags and then you just grab the bag, it has all the flavor and seasonings without all the salt from store bought stock. Make sure to strain it so your not cooking with all the fat, that can really throw off the calculations, and it’s just not healthy. Then remember 2 cups liquid to 1 cup grits.

  3. Mmmm, grits. I grew up in the north but mom was southern so we were blessed with grits at home; my favorite was mixing egg yolk from my sunny-side-up eggs into the side of grits and adding a splash of Tabasco sauce.

    I wish I could have each of these recipes! Probably a lot better than the Grits Log sold at the Waffle House in Indiana, which I found out was a slice off of a cylinder of congealed grits, served cold and unadorned. Why? lol

  4. This warms my little southern heart. I like to make my grits with milk, it makes them extra creamy.

  5. my mom used to put cheez whiz in my grits when I was a kid and it was all I ever wanted to eat for breakfast. this post pretty much encapsulates everything my younger self thought adulthood could be.

  6. I’ve wondered what grits were since seeing My Cousin Vinnie and assumed they were some kind of hard, meat by product.

    Corn porridge-ishness is much more appealing.

  7. my grandmother just made me grits and i’d forgotten that they don’t have to be the awful mess that they put in a bowl at Dennys. Bless this

  8. My mom hates grits so she never had them in the house. SO I am making up for lost time! My go-to is an egg, cheese, and green chile, but I am happy to try all of these.

  9. Holy crap!!! Hatch chile cheese grits!!! I grew up on this stuff, since my extended family is from Kentucky but I grew up in New Mexico and this is a PERFECT food. THANK YOU for spreading the pure joy that is green chile in cheese grits.

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