Southwestern Grits

So, I’m sure most of you know by now that Forrest is from North Carolina. And, like any good Southern boy would be, be grew up eating grits quite often. Me? I had no idea what they were until the first time I went to North Carolina and we went to a little diner for breakfast.

Luckily, they weren’t gross like I was expecting, and I’ve enjoyed eating them since. We sometimes buy the microwavable kind, but a few months ago, we decided to try making our own from scratch.

It actually turned out quite yummy, but was more like a grits casserole! We added spicy chorizo, green peppers, onions, and a few spices, and added that to the traditional cream, buttery flavor, and created something rather delicious. We ended up eating the entire batch (oops) and Jack was obsessed with them! I used almond milk and Earth Balance buttery spread, just so I didn’t feel bad feeding them to Jack, and they sure were tasty.

Have you ever eaten grits before?

inspired by Alton Brown’s Cheesy Grits

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Southwestern Grits

Yield: 8 servings

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Ingredients

• 2 cups whole milk
• 2 cups water
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup cornmeal
• 1 teaspoon pepper
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 1/2 cup monterrey jack shredded cheese
• 1/2 pound mild chorizo
• 1/2 cup green pepper, chopped
• 1/2 cup red onion, chopped
• 1 teaspoon cilantro
• 1 teaspoon garlic
• 2 teaspoons coconut oil

Instructions

1. In a skillet, place coconut oil and chorizo and brown it. Add green pepper, red onion, cilantro, and garlic, and cook until tender. Set aside.
2. In a large pot, bring milk, water and salt to a boil. After it comes to a boil, slowly add in cornmeal, whisking the entire time. After the cornmeal has been incorporated, turn the heat down to a low and cover, whisking every few minutes for 20 minutes, or until the mixture is the desired consistency.
3. Remove from heat, add in butter, and mix until butter melts. Then, add in cheese, and the chorizo/vegetable mixture. Serve with toasts, eggs, biscuits...or just about anything else you can think of! If you want just a plain grits recipe, just omit the chorizo and vegetables.