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My modified Cheesy Creamy Cornmeal Grits is not Southern anymore, but with a South African twist at the end.
Grits are a type of porridge made from boiled cornmeal. Hominy grits are a type of grits made from hominy – corn that has been treated with an alkali in a process called nixtamalization, with the pericarp (ovary wall) removed. Grits are often served with flavorings[1] as a breakfast dish. Grits can be either savory or sweet, with savory seasonings being more common. Grits are similar to other thick maize-based porridges from around the world, such as polenta and mieliepap. The dish originated in the Southern United States but is now available nationwide. Grits are often part of a dinner entrée shrimp and grits, served primarily in the South.
Cornmeal is dried, ground corn in varying grinds. Grits are dried, ground yellow or white corn. Polenta is an Italian dish made from coarse ground cornmeal.
Cornmeal Grits Meal
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 4 portions depending on size 1x
- Category: Dinner Recipes
Description
We served it with a tomato and onion sauce, which of course is much more South African and not at all Southern, but it was delicious!
Ingredients
- 2 cups milk
- 2 cups water
- Salt (according to taste)
- 2 cup cornmeal (You can use coarse ground, I only had fine)
- Pepper (according to taste)
- Butter (according to taste)
- Cheese (according to taste)
Instructions
- Heat milk, water, and salt.
- Slowly whisk in the cornmeal.
- I have learned from experience that it is MUCH easier to avoid lumps if you keep some of the water aside and mix the cornmeal into it, then add that to the warm mixture.
- Also, pull the saucepan off the heat when you add the cornmeal.
- Mix like mad to combine it without lumps, then put it back on low heat.
- The original said to use a whisk, but as I mentioned, I personally find the handle of a wooden spoon to work very well!!
- Cook for about 20 minutes or so, stirring often.
- Pull off the heat again, and add the pepper, butter, and cheese.
- Mix in and serve immediately.
Now, this last part is probably Southern sacrilege, but if you are like me and don’t always time your dishes exactly perfectly, you could bring it back if you made it a bit too early. See, it sets up if you leave it and you lose that smooth consistency.
But if you add some hot boiling water to it and mix like mad again, you can get that same luscious smoothness back!
We served it with a tomato and onion sauce, which of course is much more South African and not at all Southern, but it was delicious!
Notes
Prepared, tried, and tested by Corlea from The Recipe Hunter: Tried and Tested Recipes from Home Chefs and SA Tasty Recipes – Saffas Daily Recipes
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1
- Calories: 55
- Sugar: 0
- Sodium: 214
- Fat: 5
- Saturated Fat: 3
- Unsaturated Fat: 2
- Trans Fat: 0
- Carbohydrates: 1
- Fiber: 0
- Protein: 2
- Cholesterol: 15
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This does look great! I love grits. I love savory. I would like to try it with the tomato/onion sauce. Sounds like it would balance out the flavors really well.
Thank you for coming to share at the Homestead Blog Hop!
Laurie
Hi Laurie – we love, love love grits and especially with tomato and onion sauce mix. You can make your very own from scratch or in a rush you can also use a tin or mix, although not sure if you get it in your area, but we are used to it, so its when in a rush. Enjoy