Slow-Cooked Grits with Chile and Cheese
Grits, a traditional Southern breakfast dish, are often served topped with butter and cheese. They fill hungry bellies and stick to the ribs for many hours. Technically, grits are coarsely ground hominy, and they are white in color, while polenta is ground, dried yellow corn. But in the United States (outside the Deep South), the two are often used interchangeably. It’s best if you can find the stone-ground real thing, but if not, you can use the instant grits that are available in nearly every grocery store or mail-order them from a source that specializes in grains, such as Bob’s Red Mill in Oregon. I recommend using a 2- to 3-quart slow cooker so that your grits don’t dry out overnight.
Recipe information
Yield
serves 2 to 4
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Place the grits, salt, and water in the slow cooker insert. Cover and cook on low overnight, about 8 hours.
Step 2
In the morning, simply stir in the chiles, adjust the salt to taste, and stir in half the cheese. Spoon up a bowlful for each person, then top with the remaining cheese.
Suggested Beverage
Step 3
No wine here, but a good, hearty cup of coffee at breakfast time or a Mexican beer at lunch or dinner.
