I’m not really a savory breakfast kind of girl, but every once in a while the mood strikes.
Cheesy grits are pretty awesome, but unless you add a considerable amount of salt and fat, they can be a little bland.
I wouldn’t dream of posting a recipe that’s not heart healthy in the month of February, so in lieu of cheese and sodium, I’m going to teach you a trick to add flavor without clogging your arteries.
Grab your pot, turn on the stove and set it on the burner to get hot. No water.
After a few minutes, add your corn meal (using the same amount you’d normally use), but still no water.
Let it get hot. Let it toast. Toss it around a bit.
Add cherry tomatoes.
After ~5 minutes on high heat, add warm water. If you measured the corn meal, you may as well measure the water, but I didn’t measure either.
I held the pot under the faucet until it looked right, then I put it back on the stove and stirred it up.
The hot grits cook instantly as the water hits them – it’s so cool. No boiling water stage whatsoever. The corn meal literally goes from hot and dry to toasty grits in a matter of seconds.
Once you’ve stirred it up a bit you can see how your texture is and if you need to you can add more water to get the consistency just right.
I waited for the tomatoes to pop before scooping it into a bowl.
I added a bunch of nutritional yeast, stirred some more, and voila!
Avocado and black beans could send this breakfast straight to recipe heaven.
Enjoy!
{ 14 comments… read them below or add one }
Looks yummy!! What are your thoughts on cornmeal/ hasa in regards to the over consumption of corn products in our diet? Also, do you think organic corn meal, etc is the best way too go? I love cornbread, etc…. But I also go for another grain source bc of the above brainwashing on the above topic. Thanks:)
i love that you brought this up. there are so many documentaries on how the corn and soy industry has infiltrated our government its hard to know who to trust and whats safe and whatnot.
in my opinion (which isnt to say im right, but this is just how i feel) i think there is a big difference between an organic whole grain like bob’s red mill corn meal and monsanto’s genetically modified crops. i realize that there’s corn and soy in just about everything we eat nowadays, but if you stay away from the processed, pre-packaged stuff and make your own food from real whole ingredients, i dont see any reason that corn and tofu should be shunned.
just my two cents.
I’ve never had grits before, and I’m not a huge savory breakfast person either. I think I might give this a try though!
I love bursting cherry tomatoes! This version of grits looks fantastic…I’ve only ever had the cheese laden variety in my grandma’s kitchen, but I’m pretty sure my belly would like yours better.
There’s something about grits that just makes me want to cringe. Maybe it’s the name. Maybe it’s the fact that they always serve them on the side of every breakfast dish at Cracker Barrel, smothered in butter and often times topped with greasy bacon pieces. Whatever it is, I feel like I need to get over my fear of the grit, especially after seeing how easy you made it look like to make. I love savory breakfasts, especially savory oats, so maybe I’ll have to give these a try. Do they turn out mushy or does toasting them first make them more crunchy?
it gives them a bit more crunch i suppose. mine never really get mushy because i like some texture, so i make sure not to overcook it.
youre right though in thinking of butter and bacon and cheese saturated grits because thats how they are typically consumed in the south. not really my cup of tea.
Are grits like polenta? It’s cornmeal, right? Confusing! Looks YUM though
yup. basically the same thing.
I’m definitely a savory breakfast kind of gal (known to mix grains in my rice cooker for savory porridge, ala steel cut oats + millet + onion + carrot). THIS recipe is a real keeper! I’m so glad you shared it! And love the suggestion of adding nutritional yeast!
any particular brand of corn meal e?
i used bobs red mill
Yumm!! Have you tried toasting your oats? Heidi (101 Cookbooks) did a recent toasted oats post – try that ten times fast – that had me running to the stove immediately after, and it was friggin delicious! Toasted oats in coconut oil is heaven.
so smart! thanks for passing on the idea
Yummo! Just made this for a post-run meal and added nutritional yeast and a bit of parmesan cheese. So delicious!