Tag: Southern 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

    Please like, comment, and share

    Resources for Hard Times

    If you’re looking for practical help, food support, or community resources, you can visit the Salt, Ink & Soul Resources Page.

    👉 Resources for Hard Times

  • Learning What Good Tastes Like

    Learning What Good Tastes Like

    Some foods sneak in through a side door.

    Biscuits and gravy did just that.

    Now, before the South collectively revokes my biscuit privileges, let me explain. Of course, I had heard of biscuits. I had even made them once in a high school cooking class. But somehow, despite growing up in America, I made it all the way to joining the military before I ever sat down in front of a plate of biscuits and gravy.

    I know. It sounds strange.

    The first time I had it, I wasn’t impressed. The biscuits were fine. The gravy was… there. It filled space. It occupied a plate. It tasted like someone had waved a sausage over a pan and called it seasoning.

    Then, a few weeks later, somebody else made it.

    Everything changed.

    The biscuits were still scratch-made, but now they had character. The gravy had pepper. It had flavor. It had purpose. It wasn’t just something poured over bread. It was comfort disguised as breakfast.

    The difference between those two plates was the difference between hearing music through a wall and sitting in the front row of the concert.

    And that’s when I learned one of the great truths of cooking:

    A recipe is only half the story.

    The other half is whether the cook understands seasoning.

    Years later, after leaving the Army, I’d occasionally order biscuits and gravy at restaurants. Sometimes it was fantastic. Other times it tasted suspiciously like the first version I’d ever encountered—bland, pale, and forgettable.

    Eventually, I decided to learn how to make it myself.

    The biscuits stayed traditional.

    The gravy got some attention.

    And somewhere along the way, I swapped pork sausage for turkey sausage. My heart would thank me later, even if a few Southern grandmothers might shake their heads at me from across the room.

    The result is a breakfast that still feels like comfort food, still feels Southern, but doesn’t leave me needing a nap before noon.

    If you’re looking for a Saturday morning breakfast that fills the kitchen with the smell of fresh biscuits and black pepper gravy, this is the one.

    One of the reasons I love biscuits and gravy is that it proves comfort food doesn’t have to be expensive. Using turkey sausage and basic pantry ingredients, this recipe can typically feed 4 people for around $8–$10, depending on local grocery prices. Sometimes the best meals aren’t the expensive ones. They’re the ones that leave everyone full and happy without leaving your wallet empty.

    Biscuits and Turkey Sausage Gravy

    For the Biscuits

    Ingredients

    • 2 cups all-purpose flour
    • 1 tablespoon baking powder
    • 1 teaspoon salt
    • 1 teaspoon sugar
    • 6 tablespoons cold butter, cubed
    • ¾ cup cold buttermilk

    Directions

    1. Preheat oven to 425°F.
    2. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar.
    3. Cut in the cold butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
    4. Pour in buttermilk and stir just until the dough comes together.
    5. Turn onto a lightly floured surface and gently fold the dough several times.
    6. Pat to about 1-inch thickness.
    7. Cut biscuits with a biscuit cutter or drinking glass.
    8. Place on a baking sheet with sides touching.
    9. Bake 12–15 minutes until golden brown.

    Turkey Sausage Gravy

    Ingredients

    • 1 pound turkey breakfast sausage
    • 3 tablespoons butter
    • ¼ cup all-purpose flour
    • 3 cups whole milk
    • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
    • 1 teaspoon coarse black pepper
    • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
    • ½ teaspoon onion powder
    • ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika
    • Pinch of cayenne pepper (optional)

    Directions

    1. Brown the turkey sausage in a large skillet over medium heat.
    2. Add the butter and let it melt.
    3. Sprinkle flour over the sausage and stir continuously for about 2 minutes.
    4. Slowly add milk while whisking to prevent lumps.
    5. Bring to a gentle simmer.
    6. Add salt, black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, and cayenne.
    7. Continue cooking until thick and creamy, about 5–7 minutes.
    8. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.

    To Serve

    Split a warm biscuit in half.

    Spoon a generous amount of gravy over the top.

    Add an extra crack of black pepper.

    Pour yourself a cup of coffee.

    Then do what Saturday mornings were always meant for.

    Sit still for a few minutes.

    The world will be waiting when you’re done.

    The biscuits don’t care about your deadlines.

    The gravy isn’t worried about your inbox.

    For once, sit, relax, and enjoy your food.

    A Note From The Cook

    There is a strange belief that good food has to be expensive. Maybe that’s because we’ve confused luxury with quality. Biscuits and gravy remind me that some of the best meals ever were made by people who didn’t have much money to spare. Good seasoning, a little patience, and a warm kitchen can still turn a few dollars’ worth of ingredients into something worth remembering.

    Kyle J. Hayes

    kylehayesblog.com

    Please like, comment, and share

    Resources for Hard Times

    If you’re looking for practical help, food support, or community resources, you can visit the Salt, Ink & Soul Resources Page.

    👉 Resources for Hard Times