Oh my goodness! Could a savory dish be more rich and delicious???
This was only about my fifth time to even eat grits....and four of those have been within the past 6 months! My son made them for me back in the summer and I was hooked. I was only half watching when he made it and I still don't know quite how he makes his, but his are different than mine because of the ingredients. The best part is you can add anything you would like to it or on top of it. Last night, I made my Maryland Crab Cakes with a lemon-butter caper sauce to serve with it, but I am going to have to work on the sauce so I didn't post it.
Since I was just starting out, I just added a couple of my favorite cheeses, some roasted corn and a few thinly sliced green onions...not too many. I was thinking that next time I will add some bacon....I mean bacon takes everything up a notch....right?!?!
Let me just say something about the cheeses I chose to use. I love, love, love smoked gouda. I love to grab a slice of it and eat it on a cracker. I used Cream Havarti which is a little creamier than regular havarti because it has more cream in it....makes sense! I like to cook with havarti because it is so mild and smooth and it melts really nicely. I might even add some parmesan next time....maybe grated over the top would be nice. I wonder what a mexican version would taste like? You could maybe add some queso fresco and monterrey jack or pepper jack cheese to the grits and then top it with a dollop of salsa or pico de gallo. Hmmmm??? May try that sometime soon!
Now for the corn! Roasting corn is the easiest thing to do and kind of fun. I like hearing the kernels pop, pop, pop! Don't cook it too long though, you definitely want the crunchiness but also the juiciness of the kernels.
One of the best things about grits, is that it literally takes only about 10 minutes to cook! Five minutes on the stove and about 5 minutes resting time. I used a mixture of equal parts chicken broth and half and half. Because I made mine a little ahead, I had to add some heavy cream before I served it. Top it with a little of the roasted corn and thinly sliced green onion tops and you are done.
If you are tired of potatoes or rice and would like to try something different...try them. I really think you cannot go wrong!
SMOKED GOUDA AND HAVARTI CHEESE GRITS
1-1/2 cups Chicken Broth (1 can of Campbells's Chicken Broth is perfect)
1-1/2 cups Half and Half
1 cup Corn Grits
2 tablespoons of Salted Butter
1 cup Smoked Gouda
1 cup Cream Havarti
Heavy Cream (no certain amount...use to bring grits to consistency)
Charred Fresh Corn Kernels
Thinly Sliced Green Onion Tops
Salt and Pepper to taste
In a medium saucepan, bring your chicken broth and half and half to boil over medium to high heat.
Pour in grits and turn heat to between medium and low. Stir off and on for 5 minutes.
Add butter and approximately 1/2 cup of corn kernels. Stir and let sit for 5 minutes.
Add the cheeses and stir until well incorporated.
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| I made this picture extra large so you can see all that stringy, melty cheese goodness!! |
When ready to serve, add whipping cream or half and half to bring it to the consistency you would like.
Top with roasted corn kernels and thinly sliced green onion tops. 
NOTE: Great with some hot sauce sprinkled on or a dollop of Chili Garlic Paste
ROASTED CORN
2 Fresh Ears of Corn (husk removed)
Place the ears of corn directly on a stovetop burner that is at medium to low heat.
Watch as the kernels start to char.
Turn every 30 seconds or so to keep from over cooking.
Don't be alarmed when you hear a popping sound...it's normal.
Stand the corn on end and remove the kernels with a knife running downward against the cob.
ENJOY!
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