Bacon Cheese Grits Recipes

BAKED TWO-CHEESE & BACON GRITS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. In a large saucepan, cook bacon over medium heat until crisp, stirring occasionally. Remove pan from heat. Remove bacon with a slotted spoon; drain on paper towels., Add water, stock, garlic powder and pepper to bacon drippings; bring to a boil. Slowly stir in grits. Reduce heat to medium-low; cook, covered, 5-7 minutes or until thickened, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat., Add Velveeta and butter; stir until melted. Stir in milk. Slowly stir in eggs until blended. Transfer to a greased 13x9-in. baking dish. Sprinkle with bacon and shredded cheese. Bake, uncovered, 40-45 minutes or until edges are golden brown and cheese is melted. Let stand 10 minutes before serving. Freeze option: Cool unbaked casserole; cover and freeze. To use, partially thaw in refrigerator overnight. Remove casserole from refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Bake grits as directed, increasing time to 50-60 minutes or until heated through and a thermometer inserted in center reads 165°.

BACON-CHEDDAR GRITS

Steps:

• In a medium saucepan, cook bacon and jalapeno (optional) over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until bacon is browned, about 8 minutes. With a slotted spoon, transfer bacon and jalapeno (if using) to a small bowl. Remove pan from heat and carefully add 4 1/2 cups water (fat may sputter).
• Bring liquid to a boil over high and whisk in grits. Whisk until mixture begins to thicken, then reduce heat to low and gently simmer, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking, 25 minutes or until creamy. Season with salt and pepper. Whisk in 1 cup grated cheddar and three-fourths the bacon mixture. Pour into a 2-quart serving dish and top with remaining cheddar and remaining bacon mixture.

CHEESY BACON AND GRITS CASSEROLE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. In a large skillet, cook bacon over medium heat until crisp, stirring occasionally. Remove with a slotted spoon; drain on paper towels., Meanwhile, in a Dutch oven, bring water, milk and salt to a boil. Slowly stir in grits. Reduce heat to low; cook, covered, until thickened, 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat. Stir in 1-1/2 cups cheese until melted. Slowly stir in eggs until blended. Stir in bacon, corn and pepper. Transfer to a greased 2-qt. baking dish. Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup cheese., Bake, uncovered, until edges are golden brown and cheese is melted, 35-40 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before serving. If desired, serve with avocado. , Freeze option: Cool unbaked casserole; cover and freeze. To use, partially thaw in refrigerator overnight. Remove casserole from refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Preheat oven to 350°. Bake grits as directed until heated through and a thermometer inserted in center reads 165°, increasing time to 45-55 minutes.

BEST BACON/CHEESE GRITS

Steps:

• Cook the grits according to package directions.
• Add the bacon, cheese and bacon grease.
• Keep stirring over low heat until the cheese melts; serve while hot.

PIMENTO CHEESE-BACON GRITS

Steps:

• Bring 6 cups of water to a boil in a pot. Add the grits, 2 teaspoons salt and 1 teaspoon pepper to the water and cook according to the package instructions. Keep warm and loosen with water or stock to keep from getting too thick.
• Add the bacon to a small skillet. Cook over medium heat until the bacon is crispy and the fat is rendered, about 10 minutes. Remove the bacon and any bacon grease to a large bowl and let cool slightly. Stir in the creme fraiche and pimentos until all is combined and smooth. Add the Cheddar and Gouda and stir until the cheeses are coated and the whole mixture is cohesive.
• Reheat the grits until they are very hot, adding more water if necessary, to loosen. Dollop a few large spoonfuls of the pimento cheese into the grits at a time, stirring each time until melted and all the pimento cheese is incorporated. Spoon into a bowl and top with the scallions.

BACON CHEESE GRITS WITH COLLARD GREENS

Steps:

• For the Grits:
• Add the bacon to medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir with a wooden spoon until some of the fat is rendered. Add the onion and saute until tender and the bacon is cooked and crisp, about 3 to 5 minutes.
• Add the chicken stock, milk, and salt and pepper, to taste, and bring to a boil.
• Once boiling, gradually add the grits in a low steady stream, whisking continually. Reduce the heat to low and stir frequently until the liquid is almost absorbed and the grits are thick, about 10 minutes.
• Add the smoked Gouda, whisking all the while to melt the cheese. Stir in heavy cream and butter. Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper, if needed. Sprinkle with chives and serve immediately with the Collard Greens.
• For the Collard Greens:
• Remove and discard the tough stems and center ribs of the collard greens. Stack the leaves and roll tightly into a cylinder. Thinly slice the collards into ribbons about 1/16th of an inch thick. Repeat with any remaining collard greens.
• Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add the olive oil. When the oil shimmers add the garlic and saute for 30 seconds. Add the collard greens, toss quickly with tongs, and saute until bright green, about 3 to 4 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Stir in the chicken stock and cook until the liquid evaporates, another 2 minutes. Serve immediately with the Grits.

BACON AND GRITS FRITTERS

Steps:

• Spray 8-inch square pan with cooking spray. In 2-quart saucepan, heat milk and salt to boiling. Gradually add grits, stirring constantly; reduce heat. Simmer uncovered about 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until thickened. Add cheese, bacon, onions and pepper; stir until cheese is melted. Spoon mixture into pan. Refrigerate at least 4 hours or up to 24 hours.
• Shape grits into 1 1/2-inch balls. In small bowl, beat eggs and water with whisk or fork. Place bread crumbs in medium bowl. Dip balls in egg mixture, then roll in bread crumbs.
• In deep fryer or heavy 3-quart saucepan, heat 3 inches oil over medium-high heat (350°F). Fry fritters, in batches, 3 to 4 minutes or until golden brown. Drain on paper towels. Place on metal cooling rack in baking pan and keep warm in 225°F oven up to 30 minutes. Serve warm.

SHRIMP AND CHEESY GRITS WITH BACON

Steps:

• Bring chicken broth and evaporated milk to a boil in a large saucepan; stir in grits and salt and return to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer grits until thick, stirring often, about 5 minutes. Stir in 1 cup Cheddar cheese until melted. Set grits aside and keep warm.
• Cook and stir bacon in a large skillet over medium heat until crisp, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer bacon to a bowl. Drain all but 2 tablespoons of bacon drippings from the skillet and cook and stir shrimp, green bell pepper, and onion in bacon drippings until shrimp are bright pink and no longer translucent inside and green pepper is tender, 5 to 8 minutes. Stir bacon into shrimp mixture.
• Spread grits into a serving dish, top with shrimp mixture, and sprinkle with 1 tablespoon Cheddar cheese for garnish.

SAUSAGE CHEESE GRITS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
• Cook the sausage in a large skillet over medium-high heat, stirring until the sausage is crumbly and lightly browned. Drain off the grease and place the sausage in a bowl. Meanwhile, bring the water to a boil in a large saucepan over high heat. Stir in the grits, and reduce heat to medium-low. Cook and stir constantly for 5 minutes until the grits are tender, or follow package directions.
• Stir together the sausage, cheese, butter, hot pepper sauce, and eggs. Fold in the grits until combined, then spread into an ungreased, small casserole dish. Bake in the preheated oven until golden brown on top, 30 to 40 minutes.