You're about to be positively amazed at what you can do to a box of instant grits. Guaranteed, this is the best Cheese Grits recipe you'll ever lay taste buds on. We are talking buttery, savory, oh-so-creamy, and of course, cheesy. They only take a few minutes to make and the whole dish is super budget-friendly.
This classic, southern recipe is the epitome of comfort food. And the best part? You can eat it any time of the day! Serve alongside breakfast favorites like our quick-cooking ham steak, cheesy scrambled eggs, and homemade biscuits for a hearty breakfast feast or with a spicy pile of blackened shrimp on top for a dinner that's guaranteed to wow any Southern crowd.
ABOUT THE GRITS
Repeat after me -- classic Southern grits are not yellow. If you're using anything but grits, you're doing it wrong. Completely, totally, and utterly wrong. This is not the time for yellow cornmeal, also known as polenta.
Culinarily speaking, stone ground grits will score you more fancy pants points. The dilemma? It's fairly difficult to find anything but instant grits at your typical grocery store. They exist, but you'd better live near a Whole Foods if you're going to track a package down.
For ease and convenience, we'll be using instant grits. Although I once turned my nose up at this grit format, I've since come around. Guaranteed, even with instant grits, your Cheese Grits will be positively out of this world. There is no shame in this instant grits game, and you'll soon see why.
HOW TO MAKE CHEESE GRITS
In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, add low-sodium or unsalted chicken broth and bring to a boil. Using chicken broth over water infuses your grits with a level of savory you just can't get with water alone.
Once you've reached a boil, stream in your instant grits, whisking all the while. Once all the grist are in, reduce the heat to maintain a simmer, stirring frequently. It's really amazing how quickly this Cheese Grits recipe comes together!
After about 6-8 minutes, your grits should be tender and boast the perfect consistency! If your grits have not softened to your liking after the designated cook time is up, continue cooking them, adding a splash of water or chicken broth as needed to avoid any sticking to the bottom of the pan.
Once your grits are just right, stir in the butter, heavy whipping cream, salt, and pepper and stir to combine. Then, remove the pan from the heat, and stir in the freshly grated cheese. If you've been here for any significant amount of time, you'll know that The Anthony Kitchen is a big advocate for freshly grated cheese. There is just no way to achieve the same flavor and consistency with a bag of pre-shredded cheese, so do yourself a favor, invest in a grater that you love, and grate your cheese at home!
For this recipe, we will be using a combination of cheddar and Havarti cheese. You can use sharp cheddar cheese or mild cheddar cheese, it is up to you. Sharp cheddar will have more flavor, whereas mild cheddar is smoother and better for melting. If you don't want to spend the extra bucks on Havarti, feel free to sub in extra cheddar in its place. However, we especially love Havarti for cheese grits because of its crazy delicious, creamy meltiness!
If you'd like to give your cheese grits a bit of an Italian flare, cut the salt quantity in half, add a ½ teaspoon of garlic powder, and sub a quarter cup of Parmesan cheese instead of Havarti cheese. A super easy adjustment and the results are *chef's kiss*!
If you'd like to add just a bit more flavor and a great pop of color to your cheese grits, add in some chopped chives and serve right away!
6 MORE SOUTHERN BREAKFAST RECIPES YOU’LL LOVE
- Homemade Sausage Gravy
- Cream Cheese Sausage Balls
- Fried Apples
- Texas Kolaches
- Ham and Cheese Quiche
- Breakfast Grits Casserole
Homemade Sausage Gravy
Cream Cheese Sausage Balls
Fried Apples
Texas Kolaches
Easy Ham and Cheese Quiche Recipe
Grits Casserole
This classic, southern Cheese Grits recipe is as simple as it gets, yet SO flavorful and satisfying. Plus, you can serve it any time of day!
- 4 cups unsalted or low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
- 1 cup instant grits
- ¼ cup heavy whipping cream
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 cup freshly grated Cheddar cheese
- ¼ cup freshly grated Havarti cheese
- 2 teaspoons fresh chopped chives (optional)
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In a medium-sized saucepan, bring the chicken broth and Kosher salt to a roaring boil over medium-high heat.
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Slowly whisk in the grits, then, reduce the heat until you have reached a simmer. Cook the grits for 6-8 minutes, until they are no longer hard or chewy, stirring often.
If the grits have thickened too much before they've fully cooked through, stir in an additional ¼ cup of broth as needed throughout the cooking process.
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Add the cream, butter, salt, and pepper and stir to combine. Then, remove from the heat, add in the cheese, and stir until smooth. Add the chives, stir once more, serve and enjoy!
