Recipe | “Better than Mac” Cheese Grits

Fusing two cuisines together is all the rage in restaurants today. Drawing inspiration from one of my favorite comfort foods, I present to you the best Grit recipe you will ever have. Think of this as a substitution for potatoes au gratin or macaroni & cheese. I promise you’ll never look at grits the same again.

*For best results, grate the cheese from blocks. Pre-shredded cheese has anti-caking agents that make it not ideal for use in this recipe. By all means, if it’s all you have - go for it!

Ingredients List

For the Cheese Sauce

• 2 Tbsp butter
• 3 Tbsp Flour
• 1.5 cups milk
• 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese
• 1/2 cup mozzarella
• ½ cup parmesan
• ½ tsp garlic powder
• ½ tsp salt

For the Grits

• 3.5 cups water or broth
• 1 cup marsh hen grits

Directions

1. In a saucepan, melt your butter.
2. Once melted, add flour and whisk vigorously until thickened. Let darken on medium low heat for about 3-5 minutes before continuing on.
3. Turn the heat to medium-high and slowly add your milk. whisk to incorporate.
4. Once the mixture starts to loosen up, add spices & combine.
5. Add your cheese in small increments making sure it melts completely into the mixture before adding more cheese.
6. In a separate pot, heat your water/broth to a rolling boil. Reduce to a simmer.
7. Add your grits and stir vigorously while adding to avoid clumping of the grits.
8. Once your grits are properly incorporated into the liquid, let cook like normal for about 15-20 minutes. Add more water if necessary to completely cook your grits.
9. Remove grits from heat. While still hot, add your cheese sauce and incorporate.
10. Once fully incorporated, you can eat your grits as is or use as a base for cheesy shrimp & grits or a bacon, egg, and cheese grit breakfast bowl.
11. Enjoy!