Creamy Cheese Grits and shrimp Question?

[gmc2003]

So I wanted to try my hand at making grits and need some advice from of you southern cooks. I've read a few online recipes and wanted to know if it's better to use chicken broth, vegetable broth or water when making them. I'll be using Quaker quick 5 minute grits as that's all that I was able to find at our local grocer. Any other tips would be appreciated. The shrimp will be cooked in bacon grease and I'm planning on using freshly shredded cheddar cheese. Also one question that may sound a bit stupid. Are grits considered a main course or a side dish? I'm not even sure what they're supposed to taste like. Ok that's two newbie questions.

Thanks in advance
Chris

 

[sandyut]

I was schooled on grit by my southern wife. Here is what I know.

• I usually use water. Broth could be good to, I would check the salt content.
• Grits are a side dish.
• adding cheese make them nice and creamy. I dont measure, I jsut add and stir and taste till they get where I want them.
• hard to describe the taste...maybe like risotto meets cream of wheat? I hove no idea how to describe this bahah.

we use these. Amazon has been out of them... I also bought some from the manufacturers website.

 

[gmc2003]

Thanks sandyut . When your adding the cheese is it to taste the cheese, or is it more of a texture thing?

If I like these then I'll order them from your site. Thanks
Chris

 

[sandyut]

the grits should be soft and creamy, no crunch or gritty feel. those ones we use take like 20-30 min. to cook.

cheese is added to taste after the grits are ready to eat. Finish cooking the grits, then add cheese.

 

[Steve H]

I have shrimp and grits as a main meal from time to time. I use water. And use the normal grits that take about 20 minutes to cook. If you can get ahold of smoked cheese. Then use that. I cook up a few pieces of bacon till crispy. Let it drain. And cook the shrimp in the bacon grease. Then add that to the cooked grits. I don't measure either. And top with bacon crumbles. And a slab of unsalted butter.
I tried this awhile ago:

Smoked grits?

Did a reverse sear on a couple strips last night. And I thought to myself. How would a couple cups of grits do smoked? So, I put some in the smoker for 30 minutes, dried, unprepared yet. And stirred them a few times. And as luck would have it, sarcasm here. Insomnia struck. And I got up at 1:30...

www.smokingmeatforums.com

This was very good also.
Oh, I used to live in Arkansas for a few years. So I kinda qualify!

 

[Steve H]

we use these. Amazon has been out of them... I also bought some from the manufacturers website.

I get these sometimes as well. If not. I use Quaker. I normally by the other grits from e-bay.
I just looked. They have them in stock.

 

[gmc2003]

Thanks Steve. I do have a couple of blocks of smoked cheddar still sitting the fridge.

Chris

 

[gmc2003]

I'm gonna try the Quaker quick grits first(since I already bought them), and if I like them then I'll go for the real thing. Appreciate the tips.

Chris

 

[Brokenhandle]

Good question Chris! Some of us northerners have never had grits or know what they taste like.

Ryan

 

[gmc2003]

I'll let you know next week Ryan. If I survive. I just hope I don't get a case of the hershey squirts.

Chris

 

[Brokenhandle]

Now you can have a beer and a grit pole...I'm sure they will both fit on one! This is my beer, and my friend..The Grit! Have to stay one step ahead of yankee2bbq !

Ryan

 

[gmc2003]

True Grit!!!

Chris

 

[TNJAKE]

You should use chicken broth. Gouda is the best cheese for grits imo. And as Steve said shrimp and grits are delicious for a meal. If eating for breakfast I like to break up some bacon in mine. We love grits around here

 

[noboundaries]

Be careful if you smoke the shrimp. The smoke can completely overpower the flavor of the cheese and the grits. I made that mistake...once.

 

[justplainbob]

I'll let you know next week Ryan. If I survive. I just hope I don't get a case of the hershey squirts.

Chris

when i read hershey squirts i thought to myself this guy has got to be from long island or queens
then i saw the rangers av

 

[G8trwood]

Always used half chicken broth and half half-n-half. Vermont cheddar for the cheese

 

[912smoker]

Girls
Raised
In
The
South

I LOVE GRITS

But my grit wife says she uses chicken broth and heavy whipping cream.
I prefer no cheese but she adds to taste at the end.

Keith

 

[Ringer]

I use heavy cream and milk when I make grits for shrimp and grits.

 

[gmc2003]

You should use chicken broth. Gouda is the best cheese for grits imo. And as Steve said shrimp and grits are delicious for a meal. If eating for breakfast I like to break up some bacon in mine. We love grits around here

Thanks Jake. I would use Gouda, but I have a nice block of Cabot cheddar that I smoked last year. Bacon will be added. I'm cooking the shrimp in the bacon grease. Grits looks like a meal to me, but I wasn't sure.

Be careful if you smoke the shrimp. The smoke can completely overpower the flavor of the cheese and the grits. I made that mistake...once.

Appreciate it Ray. I'm not smoking the shrimp this time around. Only the cheese will be smoked. Shrimp will be cooked in the bacon grease.

when i read hershey squirts i thought to myself this guy has got to be from long island or queens
then i saw the rangers av

LOL, Close. I was born in Brooklyn and lived in Ithaca for a while. My cousins still live on the island.

Chris

 

[gmc2003]

Always used half chicken broth and half half-n-half. Vermont cheddar for the cheese

Thank you G8trwood. I'm still undecided about the liquid, but since I live in VT. Cabot cheddar is the cheese of choice. It's from a batch of smoked cheese I did last year.

Girls
Raised
In
The
South

I LOVE GRITS

But my grit wife says she uses chicken broth and heavy whipping cream.
I prefer no cheese but she adds to taste at the end.

Keith

Appreciate it Keith, and that's a good explanation for grits. I think figuring out what liquid combination I'm going to use is going to be the hardest part.

I use heavy cream and milk when I make grits for shrimp and grits.

Thanks Ringer, so no broth at all?

Chris