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Grits....


How do you like your grits?  

  1. 1. How do you like your grits?

    • Grits are supposed to be eaten with butter and sugar
      17
    • Sweet grits??? ewww...
      94
    • I don't like grits at all.
      59
    • I like them either way!
      13
    • Obligatory other.
      29


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butter and salt for both grits and rice

 

I grew up in FL and we moved to NC when I was six. I was shocked to watch kids put sugar and milk on their rice during school lunch. I doubt they allow sugar bowls on the table now (could it really have been forty years ago?!). I wonder if they still serve pinto beans for lunch?

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Copious amounts of butter & salt, typically. Once in awhile I'll splurge with some cheese ~ yum! I'm sorry, but no self-respecting Southerner EVER puts sugar on grits. It's just. not. done. :tongue_smilie:

 

FairFarmHand, you really should try shrimp & grits ~ they are amazing when made properly!

hmmmm.... considering that I've spent my life in the South and so has both my family and my dh's family and we all eat sugar on grits....I'll just have to respectfully disagree.

 

I am going to get a chance to try shrimp and grits this weekend. Our church is having a breakfast and someone will be making some.

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At least butter & salt. We like them with cheese and a fried egg on top too. Displaced southerner here. ;) (Of course, I let my grits cook in the rice cooker while I sit on the couch and have my morning caffeine, so I'm sure some of my late southern relatives are rolling over in their graves!)

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hmmmm.... considering that I've spent my life in the South and so has both my family and my dh's family and we all eat sugar on grits....I'll just have to respectfully disagree.

 

I am going to get a chance to try shrimp and grits this weekend. Our church is having a breakfast and someone will be making some.

 

Well that's interesting! I'm a lifelong Southerner as well, as are all my people and I've NEVER seen anyone but non-southerners put sugar on their grits. I've lived in NC, SC and deep down in MS, and have never seen it. Must be a TN thing :tongue_smilie: (I love TN and WISH I lived there, but I still wouldn't put sugar on my grits ;))

 

Of course, I've also only ever seen shrimp & grits served as a dinner meal, not breakfast, so what do I know?

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Copious amounts of butter & salt, typically. Once in awhile I'll splurge with some cheese ~ yum! I'm sorry, but no self-respecting Southerner EVER puts sugar on grits. It's just. not. done. :tongue_smilie:

 

FairFarmHand, you really should try shrimp & grits ~ they are amazing when made properly!

:iagree:

Find yourself a proper Cajun restaurant and enjoy shrimp and grits. :D

 

Also, I make my grits with about half milk (rice milk here) and water plus a little butter, a little salt and a sprinkle of cayenne. My kids can't even taste the cayenne, but they miss it when dh makes grits. The milk makes them creamier. When they're almost done, I stir in one egg per person to make it a meal. If I have some, I crumble on leftover bacon. yum. Bacon makes it all better.

 

I grew up with grits as a side dish to fried eggs and bacon. Dump the grits on the fried eggs, crumble in the bacon, add salt and pepper and stir. I order the Bob's Red Mill grits by the case from Amazon because I can't buy decent grits in Colorado - everything here is quick cook or instant. I like slow, yellow grits.

 

Of course, it is all just sweet memories for me because I'm allergic to corn so I just make grits for others these days.

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I eat them with salt, butter and cheese OR with milk and sugar. If I'm doing milk and sugar though, I prefer Cream of Wheat to grits. I loathe shrimp and grits. Ack. My family all loves them and the thought just makes me shudder.

 

FTR, my entire family is from the deep, deep south (I was born there, but did not grow up there) and they all put sugar and milk in their grits. Not all the time, it's usually butter or butter and cheese, but I can't think of a single one I've never seen do it. Maybe it's a regional southern thing?

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Well that's interesting! I'm a lifelong Southerner as well, as are all my people and I've NEVER seen anyone but non-southerners put sugar on their grits. I've lived in NC, SC and deep down in MS, and have never seen it. Must be a TN thing :tongue_smilie: (I love TN and WISH I lived there, but I still wouldn't put sugar on my grits ;))

 

Of course, I've also only ever seen shrimp & grits served as a dinner meal, not breakfast, so what do I know?

Well, my dh's family and my parents are all from the same area, so that could be some of it. Our families or origin are from the North GA, Chattanooga TN area. But, yes, I've seen plenty of life-long Southerners add sugar to the grits.

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Grits should be a savory dish, not a sweet one. :glare:

 

In southeastern Virgnia/Outer Banks of NC, we put bacon drippings on our grits. Nomnomnom. Or soft-fried eggs with really runny yokes, all mushed up in the eggs. Nomnomnom.

 

Never in my life did I see anyone in *my* part of the South put sugar on their grits. :blink:

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I spent half my life eating in GA, FL, SC, LA and NC. Never have I heard of people eating sweet grits until this poll.

 

I'm not a big fan of grits generally. I will eat them savory or with cheese. I prefer cream of wheat or oatmeal.

 

ETA: almost all seafood has to be separated from other foods on my plate. I don't eat fish stew, fish soup, fish casserole or fish salad. The only exception is tuna. That must be mixed with something in order for me to eat it. But not grits.

Edited by Parrothead
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Well that's interesting! I'm a lifelong Southerner as well, as are all my people and I've NEVER seen anyone but non-southerners put sugar on their grits. I've lived in NC, SC and deep down in MS, and have never seen it. Must be a TN thing :tongue_smilie: (I love TN and WISH I lived there, but I still wouldn't put sugar on my grits ;))

 

Of course, I've also only ever seen shrimp & grits served as a dinner meal, not breakfast, so what do I know?

 

Nope. Not an overall TN thing. Must be a highly localized custom. I've never heard of sweet grits before.

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Another grits-loving Southerner who hasn't ever heard of people putting sugar on grits. I mean, I guess maybe I've heard of people doing a bit of syrup on their grits? But not normal people. Crazy people.

 

Cheesy is the best way. And shrimp and grits is a low country classic.

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I spent half my life eating in GA, FL, SC, LA and NC. Never have I heard of people eating sweet grits until this poll.

 

I'll add in East Texas, Alabama, and Mississippi along with the states you listed. I've never seen a Southerner eat sweet grits.

 

I love grits with butter and salt, cheese, and shrimp. The Flying Biscuit Cafe (a small regional chain) makes delicious grits.

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Sweet grits are a travesty. Butter and salt are not optional.

 

:iagree:

 

I love mine cheesy, with lots of butter. Sometimes I bake 'em with butter, egg, green onion, and cheddar cheese. There's also this hand made chipotle cheddar cheese I buy at our health food store that is just awesome on grits...not traditional, but super yummy!

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My family likes grits--but we are Southerners & only eat them buttered & salted, and usually with cheese. I also like to add (real) bacon bits.

 

This Grits & Greens recipe is a HUGE favorite around here, and I get requests to bring it to covered dish dinners:

 

Grits & Greens Casserole

 

1C. Half and Half + 1 C. water OR 2 C. milk

2 C. chicken broth

1 cup quick cooking grits

1 14 oz. can of greens (I use turnip greens.)

1/2 stick butter

1 C. cheese

1/2 cup cooked and crumbled bacon

salt & pepper to taste (Garlic salt is good!)

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)

 

Combine half and half, broth and water and bring to a boil. Stir in the grits, cover and cook for 5 minutes or until thick, stirring often. Add butter & cheese. Drain the greens and add to the mixture along with the red pepper flakes. Pour into a casserole dish and top with crumbled bacon. Bake in a 350 oven until bubbly (about 20 minutes). This makes enough to serve at least 10 people.

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I'm from MI, living in WI

 

The one time I had standout grits, it was in Alabama - cheese grits made by a caterer. I need a good cheese grits recipe.

 

How do yall buy your grits? Not instant I assume

 

My dh eats instant grits, but I do NOT. I will buy the quick cooking kind, but the regular, long-cooking ones are better.

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I don't get why sweet grits sounds so icky. People put sugar on oatmeal or cream of wheat. Grits strike me as something in that category so what's the problem?

they are not that different really.

 

It's just that many people are brought up with them one way and can't imagine them any other way.

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Butter and salt at a minimum. Ideally with a soft fried egg on the side to be mixed in as I eat them. If it's a restaurant and all fancy-like, I'll spring for cheesy grits but I'm not a fan of shrimp & grits.

 

Drat. Why did I open this thread? Now I'm craving grits and there are NONE in sight....

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I've been in VA all my life. We always had oatmeal or cream of wheat. Started liking grits as an adult - Instant Butter Grits with added sugar.

 

When I've had the "real" grits it is always more coarse than I prefer. Maybe I haven't had them cooked correctly.

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