Tag: Homemade Breakfast

  • Grits Are Just the Beginning

    Grits Are Just the Beginning

    Let’s talk about grits.

    I grew up in the Midwest, and if you asked for grits, there was a good chance they arrived with butter and sugar. That’s how I ate them. That’s how I liked them.

    When I tell people that now, I usually get the same look. The kind of look normally reserved for people who put ketchup on steak or think chili belongs on cinnamon rolls.

    Apparently, I had committed some sort of culinary crime.

    The thing is, nobody told me there were rules.

    To me, grits were breakfast. Warm, simple, and filling. A bowl of comfort before school or work. Butter melting into every corner. Sugar disappearing into the steam.

    Then I moved.

    That’s when I learned grits are really just a foundation.

    Some people eat them with salt and pepper. Some with scrambled eggs folded in. Some with cheese. Some with sausage. Some with whatever happened to be left over from the night before.

    And then I discovered shrimp and grits.

    Though I have to be honest, I think that name is a little misleading.

    Because every truly good plate I’ve had contained a lot more than shrimp and grits.

    There was bacon.

    There were peppers.

    There were onions.

    There were seasonings.

    Somebody was standing over a stove who understood that flavor doesn’t happen by accident.

    These days, shrimp and grits have become my favorite way to eat them.

    And before we go any further, let’s establish one rule.

    No instant grits.

    Take your time.

    Learn how to make them properly.

    I’m not even completely convinced instant grits are real grits. And we won’t even discuss the ones that come in little packets and tell you to use the microwave.

    Some shortcuts are worth taking.

    This isn’t one of them.

    Good grits require patience. Not much. Just enough.

    The reward is worth it.

    Serve them with buttered toast made from homemade bread and a hot cup of coffee, and you’ve got the kind of breakfast that makes you slow down for a few minutes before the world starts making demands.

    Here’s my version.

    Shrimp, Bacon, Pepper & Onion Grits

    For the Grits

    Ingredients

    • 1 cup stone-ground grits
    • 4 cups chicken stock
    • 1 cup whole milk
    • 4 tablespoons butter
    • 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
    • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
    • ½ teaspoon black pepper

    Directions

    1. Bring the chicken stock and milk to a gentle boil in a large saucepan.
    2. Slowly whisk in the grits.
    3. Reduce the heat to low.
    4. Cook for 25–35 minutes, stirring often.
    5. Once creamy, stir in the butter, cheddar cheese, salt, and pepper.
    6. Keep warm while preparing the topping.

    For the Shrimp Topping

    Ingredients

    • 1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined
    • 6 slices bacon, diced
    • 1 medium onion, diced
    • 1 bell pepper, diced
    • 2 cloves garlic, minced
    • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
    • ½ teaspoon Cajun seasoning
    • ½ teaspoon black pepper
    • 1 tablespoon butter
    • 2 green onions, sliced

    Directions

    1. Cook the bacon in a large skillet until crisp.
    2. Remove the bacon and set it aside, leaving the drippings in the pan.
    3. Add the onion and bell pepper and cook until softened.
    4. Stir in the garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
    5. Add the shrimp, smoked paprika, Cajun seasoning, and black pepper.
    6. Cook for 2–3 minutes per side until the shrimp are pink and cooked through.
    7. Return the bacon to the skillet.
    8. Stir in the tablespoon of butter.
    9. Remove from heat.

    To Serve

    Spoon the hot grits into a bowl.

    Top generously with the shrimp mixture.

    Scatter sliced green onions over the top.

    Serve with thick slices of homemade bread, toasted and spread with butter.

    And if someone tells you grits should only be eaten one way, smile politely.

    Then keep eating them however you like.

    A Note From The Cook

    Food has a funny way of following us through life. What begins as a bowl of grits with butter and sugar can become a bowl of shrimp, bacon, peppers, and onions, and a lesson in patience. The ingredients may change. The people around the table may change. But the purpose stays the same.

    To feed the people you care about.

    Kyle J. Hayes

    kylehayesblog.com

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