Can I use different cheese in the grit cakes?

Absolutely. For traditional southern cheese grits, use 1 cup of cheddar cheese for your cheesy grit cakes. I've also made these grits with gouda and gruyere and I'll be thinking about that deliciousness for a hot minute.

Can I add vegetables into the grits for grit cakes?

I love the flavor of bell pepper and onions with grits, but I do recommend making a Cajun sauce with peppers separately, and serving over the cakes. Unless they're cut very small, the veggies may create too much instability in the cake when frying.

Can I use stock in the grits instead of water?

You can, just eliminate the salt from the grits, as the stock will add all the seasoning you need. For these grit cakes, I like the pure flavor of the parmesan and pepper in the grits, but if you're looking for a more complex flavor profile, 2 cups stock (veggie or chicken stock, if cooking for non-pescatarians) would do the trick in place of the 2 cups of water.

What can I serve with these grit cakes?

For an elevated, southern-style breakfasts, these grit cakes make a special occasion even more delicious. Served with southern sausage gravy (or white gravy with tofu breakfast sausage crumbles ) makes the perfect meal. For lunch or dinner, I love serving blackened cod on the grit cakes with creamy cajun sauce over the whole thing.

How to store leftover grit cakes?

To store, transfer to an airtight container and keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. To reheat, move to a baking dish and heat in the oven at 400℉ until just heated through.

Cheesy Grit Cake Recipe

Ingredients

Scale

2 cups water

1 cup milk

2 tablespoons butter

1 cup grits

1/2 cup parmesan, shredded

1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper, divided

1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt, divided

1/2 cup all purpose flour

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons chives, for serving

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Instructions

To make grits from scratch, follow the package directions for timing, but instead of 1 to 4 ratio (1 cup grits to 4 cups liquid) we will use 1 cup grits to 3 cups liquid.
Combine 2 cups water, 1 cup milk and 2 tablespoons of butter over medium high heat. Bring to a simmer. Slowly stream in the dry grits, stirring to ensure the meal doesn’t clump. From here, follow your package directions – quick grits will require less time to cook than regular.
When all of the liquid has absorbed and the grits are quite thick, but the grains are tender, remove from heat. Stir in the parmesan cheese and pepper. Taste, then add salt. I usually add 1 full teaspoon, but you may want to start with 1/2 teaspoon, then taste and adjust.
Prepare a jelly roll pan or casserole dish with parchment paper or plastic wrap, to make removing the chilled grits easier. Pour the grits into the pan. I don't have the perfect sized pan, so I use a 2-quart casserole dish and then pour the remainder into small ramekins that have been well sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. Chill for at least 4 hours, or overnight.
When ready to make the grit cakes, remove from the refrigerator and lift the cheese grits out of the dish. At this point, you can use a round cookie cutter, a 2-inch biscuit cutter or just a small glass, if cutting into round cakes. I usually use a sharp knife to cut the molded grits into squares, so I don't miss any of the cheesy grit edges.
In a separate shallow dish, combine the flour, salt and pepper. Start preheating a cast iron skillet or large nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Add the olive oil.
Lightly dredge the grit cakes in the seasoned flour, then drop into the heated skillet, but don't overcrowd. Crisp for 3-4 minutes on each side, until golden brown. Remove to a wire rack to let the cakes drain off any excess oil.
Serve with green chives.

Notes

If using leftover grits, skip to the cutting and browning step. I do recommend when preparing to store your cooked grits (that will be used to make grit cakes) that you pour them into a parchment paper or plastic wrap lined dish that will allow for about 3/4 inch thickness on the grits once they set up.

Prep Time: 20
Cook Time: 40
Category: Breakfast, Dinner, Lunch
Method: Stovetop
Cuisine: American, Southern