Golden Country Grits Food

THE BEST SHRIMP AND GRITS

Steps:

• Bring water, half and half, 2 Tbsp unsalted butter, and salt to a boil and slowly whisk in grits.
• Reduce heat to a simmer and cover. You will need to stir this every 3-5 minutes so the grits don't become lumpy and/or burn to the bottom of the pan.
• Slowly add more water or half and half as needed if the grits become too stiff. Cook for ~ 30 minutes (or according to package instructions).
• Melt 1/4 cup butter in a small pan and slowly whisk in flour. Stir often and watch carefully as this paste is easy to burn (if you burn it, lower the heat, and start over).
• Cook ~ 5-10 minutes or until medium brown in color. Watch it carefully, it can burn quickly if you don't (see video).
• You can make the roux ahead of time. It is fine sitting for an hour or more as long as it's not still cooking in the pan (FYI - roux freezes well). Make the grits and roux at the same time, as they both require a little more attention than the rest of the meal.
• Bring a large pot to medium high heat and add vegetable oil. When hot, add andouille and cook until browned.
• Remove andouille (keep any liquid in the pot) and cook chopped bacon in the same pot ~ 4-6 minutes or until done.
• Remove bacon, lower heat, and cook onion, peppers, and garlic in the pot ~ 5-7 minutes or until tender. Feel free to remove some fat if you feel like it's too much.
• Place andouille, bacon, (and any liquid from it) back into pot and add chicken broth, lemon juice, lemon zest, and a pinch of cayenne pepper.
• Bring to a boil, add roux, and let simmer ~ 15 minutes.
• Add shrimp & cook ~ 3-4 minutes or until shrimp are cooked through.
• Remove from heat and let thicken ~ 5 minutes before serving. You may need to add ¼ to ½ cup broth or water to your pot if the sauce has thickened to much.
• Serve over grits and add salt to taste. Happy Eating! Beckie

BAKED COUNTRY CHEESE GRITS

Steps:

• Boil the salted water, add grits, lower heat, cover, and simmer for 6 to 7 minutes.
• Fold in 1/2 cup cheddar, parmesan, garlic, and sour cream.
• Pour into lightly greased 8" casserole dish.
• Toss the remaining cheddar with the scallions and tomato.
• Sprinkle over the grits.
• Bake in 375F pre-heated oven for 15 minutes.

COUNTRY HAM AND CHEDDAR GRITS SOUFFLé

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. With 2 tablespoons of the butter, grease a shallow 2 1/2- to 3-quart baking dish or a 13x9x2-inch baking dish; coat dish with breadcrumb mixture, turning dish to coat evenly. Refrigerate dish while making soufflé mixture.
• In medium saucepan, bring broth, cream, and salt to a boil; slowly stir in grits. Reduce heat to low, cover, and cook 5 minutes, or until creamy and thick.
• Meanwhile, in small skillet, melt remaining 2 tablespoons butter over medium heat. Add onion and garlic; cook 3 minutes, or until translucent. Add ham; cook 1 minute. Remove from heat. When grits are cooked, stir in onion mixture and pepper sauce. Stir in egg yolks, 1 at a time, until blended. Stir in cheddar and parsley, until cheese is melted and mixture is smooth.
• Beat egg whites with an electric mixer until stiff. Stir a quarter of the whites into grits mixture to lighten; fold in remaining whites. Spoon the soufflé mixture into chilled baking dish. Bake 40 to 45 minutes, until puffed and golden. Serve immediately.

COUNTRY GARDEN CHICKEN WITH CHEESY GRITS

Steps:

• Place oil in large sauté pan and heat on medium-high 2-3 minutes.
• Moisten chicken with 1 tablespoon water. Place breading mix in bowl. Coat chicken, one piece at a time, by pressing into breading mix; turn and coat other side. (For thicker breading, coat twice.) Set chicken aside. Wash hands.
• Place chicken, using tongs, in hot oil and cook 6-8 minutes, turning occasionally, until crisp and golden brown. Remove chicken from pan; cover to keep warm.
• While chicken cooks, prepare grits.
• Stir tomatoes, green peppers, onions and vegetable seasoning into pan with drippings. Heat over medium-high heat 2-3 minutes until onions are translucent. Stir in gravy mix and gradually add remaining 1 1/2 cups water, stirring continually, until sauce is smooth. Reduce heat to low and cook 2-3 minutes, stirring often, to heat thoroughly. Serve sauce over chicken.
• Grits Preparation Steps
• Combine all ingredients in microwave-safe bowl.
• Cover and microwave on HIGH 6 minutes, until water is absorbed, stirring once. Serve.

COUNTRY GRITS-AND-SAUSAGE CASSEROLE

Steps:

• 1. Brown sausage in a large skillet, stirring until it crumbles. Drain well, and set aside.
• 2. Bring water to a boil in a large saucepan; stir in grits. Return to a boil, cover, reduce heat, and simmer 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat; add cheese and next 3 ingredients, stirring until cheese melts. Stir in sausage and eggs.
• 3. Spoon mixture into a lightly greased 13x9x2 inch baking dish, and sprinkle with paprika.
• 4. Bake at 350°F for 1 hour or until golden and thoroughly heated. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.