In a blatant attempt to pander to the southern vote, I decided to make something with cheese grits, y’all. Actually, I cannot tell a lie, it has nothing to do with that. I’m not even running for president! Shocking, I know! The truth is, I like to make recipes inspired by songs, and one of my favorite songs is RZA’s Grits. I find it beautiful on so many levels! It remembers a childhood of poverty, of grits for dinner every night. It’s affectionate and honest, and, it’s so pretty!

I’ve had grits a few times, and, to be honest, I haven’t loved them. They’ve been stodgy and tasteless. So I wanted to do something a little different with them. But nothing crazy fancy, I wanted to keep it simple! So I used half milk/half water to make them, and I steeped this mixture with some aromatics as it was warming. Once the grits were cooked, I added eggs and cheese, and then I chilled the mixture for a while, because I had to get the boys from school!

These turned out really nice. They were so far from stodgy that they were almost delicate. A little crispy on the outside, but with a nice, soft, flavorful and comforting interior. We ate them with a red lentil cashew curry, which I’ll probably tell you about later. But they would make a nice meal with some greens, potatoes, and maybe a fresh tomato sauce, or some beans. Anything, really! And I think they’re gluten free.

Here’s RZA with Grits. (I like the video, too!)

1 1/2 cups water
1 1/2 cups milk
3/4 cups old-fashioned grits
2 bay leaves
1 t rosemary
1/2 t sage
1/4 t. red pepper flakes (or to taste)
3 T butter
3 eggs
1 cup grated sharp cheddar
salt and plenty of pepper

Add the herbs and pepper flakes to the milk. Bring to a boil, and once it’s boiling, add the grits. Stir and cover. Reduce the heat. Cook for about twenty minutes, stirring frequently, until the mixture is thick and fragrant. You should just about be able to stand a spoon up.

Remove from heat and transfer to a large bowl. Stir in the butter and the cheese. Let it cool for a minute or two, and then stir in the eggs, one at a time. Season with salt and pepper.

As I said, at this point I left it in the fridge for a few hours, but I don’t think this is necessary. They might be a little flatter if you cook it right away, but it should be fine. I’ll try it soon and let you know!

Preheat the oven to 425. Butter two cookie sheets. Place 2 heaping tablespoon of batter at even distances on the sheets. Bake until they’re crispy and brown. About 20 minutes to half an hour.