Cooking the Grits

If you’re looking for a Southern dish to accompany your holiday feast(s), try this Grits Souffle. It’s a great substitution for cornbread dressing.

The bacon, jalapeño, chives and cheese all complement the grits very well. This recipe is a little time sensitive, but it doesn’t require too much attention.

Ingredients

• 6 eggs
• 1 cup stone-ground grits
• 1 cup chopped bacon
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1 jalapeño, seeded and diced (optional)
• 2 cups grated cheddar
• 2 TBSP chives
• 4 cups milk or chicken broth


Grits Souffle Ready to Bake

• Salt and pepper, to taste
• Unsalted butter (for casserole dish)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350F.
2. Butter a 2-quart casserole or baking dish.
3. Bring 4 cups of milk or chicken broth (or any combo of the two) to a simmer in a large saucepan, gradually whisking in the grits.
4. Reduce heat to low and gently simmer the grits, stirring often, until grits begin to thicken. Continue cooking and stirring for approximately 1 hour. (If the grits get too thick, add in an additional 1/4 cup of liquid as necessary.)
5. Remove from heat and let cool.


Grits Souffle

6. Meanwhile, place chopped bacon in a separate bacon dish and cook in over for approximately 20-30 minutes (until crisp). Transfer to paper towels to drain when crisped.
7. Whisk eggs and cream in medium bowl and whisk into grits in 3 additions.
8. Stir in 1 3/4 cups cheddar cheese, chives, jalapeño, bacon, salt and pepper.
9. Transfer grits mixture to buttered casserole dish and sprinkle remaining cheese on top.
10. Bake dish until golden and just set in the middle, about 1 hours.
11. Let cool for 10 minutes then serve.

This dish is guaranteed to be a hit at your holiday festivities. Feel free to add additional bacon or jalapeño to flavor it to your palette.