Creamy Southern cheese grits made with stone-ground corn, sharp cheddar, and butter for a rich, comforting breakfast or side.
Cheese grits are the definitive Southern breakfast comfort food and one of the most beloved staples of lowcountry and Appalachian cooking alike. Stone-ground grits — coarsely milled dried hominy corn — are simmered slowly in a mixture of water and whole milk until they transform from gritty raw corn into a smooth, porridge-like base with genuine corn sweetness and a slight nutty depth. Then the enriching begins: butter, sharp cheddar, and a whisper of cream go in off the heat, stirring the fat into the hot grits so it emulsifies into a silky, glossy consistency that pours slowly and holds its shape on the plate. The difference between great cheese grits and mediocre ones is almost always patience — quick-cook or instant grits can never replicate the toothsome creaminess and flavor of the stone-ground variety, which needs 25 to 35 minutes of slow, attentive stirring. Cheese grits exist on a spectrum from humble weekday breakfast to restaurant centerpiece. On the breakfast table they are topped with a fried egg, hot sauce, and crumbled sausage. In lowcountry kitchens they anchor the iconic shrimp and grits, with a sauté of Gulf shrimp in a spicy, smoky sauce ladled over the creamy base. In Appalachia they are served plain alongside country ham and red-eye gravy. The cheese itself matters enormously: sharp white cheddar has enough tang and sharpness to cut through the richness of the butter and milk, while mild cheddar or processed cheese blends produce a bland, undifferentiated result. Gruyère or fontina can add complexity for a more European-leaning version. Whatever cheese you choose, add it in handfuls off the heat and stir gently so it melts smoothly without breaking into greasy strings.
Serves 4
Combine the water and milk in a heavy-bottomed saucepan and bring to a gentle boil over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally. Season with 1 teaspoon of salt. The mixture of water and milk gives grits a creamy body without making them overly heavy.
Watch the pot carefully — milk boils over fast. Lower the heat the moment you see it rise.
While whisking constantly, pour the grits in a slow, steady stream into the boiling liquid. Whisking as you pour prevents lumps from forming in the base. Once all the grits are in, reduce the heat to low and switch to a wooden spoon or silicone spatula.
Simmer the grits over low heat, stirring every 2 to 3 minutes, for 25 to 35 minutes until very thick and tender. They are done when a spoonful holds its shape momentarily before slowly spreading and the grits fall cleanly from the sides of the pan.
If the grits absorb liquid too quickly and thicken before they are tender, add warm water or milk a splash at a time.
Stir in the black pepper, garlic powder, and hot sauce if using. Taste and adjust salt — grits need generous seasoning at this stage or they will taste flat even with the cheese added. The garlic powder adds subtle savoriness that amplifies the cheese.
Remove the pan from the heat entirely and stir in the butter pieces and heavy cream if using. Stirring off the heat prevents the dairy from breaking or curdling and emulsifies the fat into the grits for a glossy, velvety consistency.
Add the grated cheddar in two or three handfuls, stirring well between each addition. The residual heat is enough to melt sharp cheddar smoothly. Adding cheese in stages ensures it fully incorporates without clumping or turning greasy.
Freshly grated cheese melts far more smoothly than pre-shredded, which contains anti-caking starches that interfere with melting.
Transfer to warm bowls and serve right away — cheese grits thicken rapidly as they cool. Top with a fried egg, crumbled bacon, sautéed shrimp, or just a pat of butter and a dash of hot sauce for a classic Southern breakfast.
Use Bob's Red Mill or Anson Mills stone-ground grits — the flavor and texture difference over quick-cook grits is dramatic and worth the extra cooking time.
Always use freshly grated cheese, never pre-shredded. The powdery anti-caking coating on pre-shredded cheese prevents smooth melting and leaves the grits grainy.
If the grits seize up and become too thick before serving, rescue them by whisking in a splash of warm milk over low heat until they loosen back to a pourable consistency.
Season the cooking liquid generously before adding the grits — insufficiently salted grits taste flat even when finished with good cheese.
Add the butter and cheese completely off the heat to prevent the dairy from breaking and the cheese from turning greasy or stringy.
Top with sautéed shrimp in a spicy tomato-bacon sauce for the classic lowcountry shrimp and grits.
Swap half the cheddar for Gruyère and finish with a few drops of truffle oil for an upscale restaurant-style variation.
Add crumbled cooked bacon and sliced scallions to the finished grits for a loaded, heartier breakfast version.
For baked cheese grits, spread finished grits into a greased baking dish, top with extra cheese, and bake at 180°C for 25 minutes until golden and set — they can be made hours ahead and reheated.
Cheese grits thicken as they cool and will set completely solid in the refrigerator. Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days. To reheat, add a generous splash of milk or water, then stir over medium-low heat until loosened to a creamy consistency. They reheat beautifully and taste as good as freshly made.
Grits derive from hominy — dried corn treated with an alkali — a preparation with roots in Indigenous American cooking practiced by peoples of the American Southeast for thousands of years before European contact. Cherokee and other Southeastern nations taught European colonizers to process and cook corn this way. Stone-ground grits became a staple of Southern Appalachian and lowcountry kitchens throughout the 18th and 19th centuries, and the 'Grits Belt' stretching from Texas to Virginia remains their spiritual home today.
Stone-ground grits are coarsely milled from the whole dried corn kernel with the germ and pericarp retained, giving them a pronounced corn flavor and slightly toothy texture. They need 25 to 35 minutes to cook. Quick-cook and instant grits are finely milled and stripped of germ and hull, which extends their shelf life but removes most of the corn flavor. They cook in 5 to 10 minutes but produce a gluey, bland result that no amount of cheese fully rescues.
Graininess usually means the cheese was added over direct heat, causing the proteins to seize and the fat to separate. Always add cheese off the heat with the pan removed from the burner entirely. Lumps in the base grits come from pouring them in too fast without whisking; add them slowly in a thin stream while whisking constantly to prevent clumps from forming.
Yes, and they reheat exceptionally well. Cool the grits completely, then refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 3 days. They will set firm, almost sliceable, in the cold. To reheat, place in a saucepan with a generous splash of milk, then stir over medium-low heat, adding liquid as needed, until they loosen to a creamy, pourable consistency. Add a little extra butter and cheese at the end to refresh the flavor.
Sharp white cheddar is the classic and most popular choice because its pronounced tang balances the richness of butter and milk. Extra-sharp cheddar gives even more flavor. Gruyère adds nutty complexity; fontina melts very smoothly; and smoked Gouda introduces a barbecue-friendly smokiness. Avoid mild cheddar or processed cheese blends — they melt well but contribute almost no flavor to the finished dish.
For breakfast, fried eggs, crumbled sausage or bacon, and hot sauce are the traditional companions. For lunch or dinner, shrimp and grits is the most iconic pairing — sautéed shrimp in a spicy Cajun sauce over the creamy base. Grits also pair beautifully with slow-cooked collard greens, country ham and red-eye gravy, roasted mushrooms, or seared salmon for a more contemporary presentation.
Per serving (280g / 9.9 oz) · 4 servings total
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