Cheese Grits are super creamy and comforting! This irresistible, filling, and oh so delicious recipe is worth indulging in, with minimal ingredients you just can’t say no!
You all know how much I love a variety of different foods, especially regional foods. But, here’s another fun fact- my mom is from Mississippi, so I grew up eating Cheese Grits…. a lot of grits.
Mom always made the best grits and I can never get enough of them. So, whenever I’m reminiscing on my childhood and I want some Cheese Grits, these are what I whip up.
These are some of the most flavorful grits I have ever tasted. Most places just taste like watery sand to me, so I just prefer to make my own.
I’ve been making Cheesy Grits for as long as I can remember. My husband and kids loves them just as much as I do. Grits are a wonderful and filling comfort food that’s perfect all year round.
Trust me, once you have a spoonful of these grits you’ll see why the Southern folk are all about their grits! There is nothing better than homemade that is for sure.
These are great for breakfast, dinner or just a side dish, we don’t really care as long as we get our fix! So you have to whip up this recipe, because it will be your new go-to.
Some of our other favorite comfort food recipes on our site include: Chicken Pot Pie Soup, Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole, and Crock Pot Mashed Potatoes.
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS:
- Ready in about 30 minutes.
- Creamy, cheese, comforting- need I say more?
- Just like mama made them! Southern Mama approved!
INGREDIENTS NEEDED (FULL RECIPE AT BOTTOM)
Heavy cream
Chicken stock
White stone-ground grits
Pepper
Kosher salt
Garlic powder
Onion powder
Butter
Cream cheese
Cheddar cheese
HOW TO MAKE CHEESE GRITS, STEP BY STEP:
- Use a large pot or dutch oven and add the cream, chicken stock, grits, pepper, salt, garlic powder, and onion powder, and stir to combine.
- Place the pot over medium-high heat and bring ingredients to a boil. Cover and reduce heat to low.
- Simmer for 20-25 minutes or to the time frame on the back of your grits packaging, frequently whisking until most of the liquid is absorbed.
- Add the salted butter and stir it in the mixture until melted.
- Add the softened cream cheese and about 4 ounces of the shredded cheddar cheese.
- Stir to combine and melt everything. Remove from the heat and serve immediately with more butter and cheddar cheese sprinkled on top if desired.
DO I HAVE TO USE HEAVY CREAM?
You can use whole milk or half and half in place of the heavy cream if desired. But using heavy cream helps make the grits extra creamy and rich, so I suggest trying it out before subbing it out.
CAN I USE ANOTHER CHEESE?
I like to use sharp cheddar so you can really taste the cheese with your grits but you can absolutely use other cheese options.
Here are a few that would be good: pepper jack, Monterey Jack, Mozzarella, any variety of cheddar, or Colby Jack. Really any melting cheese will work with your grits.
WHAT TO SERVE WITH GRITS?
You can enjoy these creamy Cheese Grits by themselves, or with other dishes like:
- Egg in a Hole
- Southern Fried Chicken
- Cheesy Breakfast Potatoes
- Cheddar Biscuits
- Southern Collard Greens
- Shrimp Boil
HOW TO STORE:
Store leftover Cheese Grits in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Reheat leftovers in the microwave or on the stovetop until they’re warmed through.
You can also freeze cooked grits for up to 3 months in a freezer safe container. To defrost, remove to the refrigerator overnight and follow the reheating instructions above.
TIPS AND TRICKS:
- You don’t want to use instant or quick grits. They won’t turn out the same.
- The longer your grits sit, the thicker and thicker they’ll get. When this happens, add a few splashes of chicken stock or more cream to help loosen them back up.
- Don’t skip out on the cream cheese. It adds another creamy element to the grits that I think really makes this recipe so special.
- Using softened ingredients helps them all blend nicely together.
- You can freeze leftovers, see above how to do that.
- Feel free to swap out the cheddar cheese if needed. I have more suggestions on what to use instead, listed above!
Looking for a smooth, creamy, belly-warming recipe? these Cheese Grits are just what you need to make! Easy, filling and go great with so many different things.
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If you’ve tried this CHEESE GRITS or any other recipe on my site, let me know in the comment section how it turned out, we love hearing from our readers! You can also follow along with me on PINTEREST, FACEBOOK and INSTAGRAM to see more amazing recipes and what shenanigans I’m getting into!
Cheese Grits
Ingredients
- 2 ⅓ cups heavy cream
- 2 cups unsalted chicken stock
- 1 cup white stone-ground grits not instant or quick cook
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder
- 6 tablespoons salted butter plus more for serving
- 4 ounces cream cheese softened and cubed
- 6 ounces shredded sharp cheddar cheese divided
Instructions
- Use a large pot or dutch oven and add the cream, chicken stock, grits, pepper, salt, garlic powder, and onion powder, and stir to combine.
- Place the pot over medium-high heat and bring ingredients to a boil. Cover and reduce heat to low.
- Simmer for 20-25 minutes or to the time frame on the back of your grits packaging, frequently whisking until most of the liquid is absorbed.
- Add the salted butter and stir it in the mixture until melted.
- Add the softened cream cheese and about 4 ounces of the shredded cheddar cheese.
- Stir to combine and melt everything. Remove from the heat and serve immediately with more butter and cheddar cheese sprinkled on top if desired.
Notes
- You don't want to use instant or quick grits. They won't turn out the same.
- The longer your grits sit, the thicker and thicker they'll get. When this happens, add a few splashes of chicken stock or more cream to help loosen them back up.
- Don't skip out on the cream cheese. It adds another creamy element to the grits that I think really makes this recipe so special.
- Using softened ingredients helps them all blend nicely together.
- You can freeze leftovers, see above how to do that.
- Feel free to swap out the cheddar cheese if needed. I have more suggestions on what to use instead, listed above!
Nutrition
Tornadough Alli is not a nutritionist or dietitian, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and nutritional value is important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories and values can vary depending on which brands were used.
Bobby
Awesome recipe. I’ve been eating cheese grits all my life, and still consider them in my top five favorite foods. This recipe is right on point for traditional Southern grits; although I like to add a couple of teaspoons of yellow mustard and a dash or two of hot sauce. And my family and friends LOVE grits as a side with steak.