Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

It's no holiday without the cheese grits
St. Petersburg Times ^ | November 27, 2003 | COLLEEN JENKINS

Posted on 11/27/2003 5:00:56 AM PST by Cincinatus' Wife

It's Thanksgiving. If your family is anything like mine, a few people are loosening their belts or unbuttoning their pants to breathe easier while eating an unnatural amount of food in one sitting. The most self-aware eaters just admit their gluttony and wear sweat pants with elastic waists to the feast.

Everyone clamors to heap the prized dish, the family favorite you look forward to all year, onto already full plates. It's that special recipe passed down through generations - a creamy vegetable casserole, fluffy pumpkin bread, homemade applesauce.

Or baked cheese grits. Yes, you heard that right. In my family, the dish we never seem to have enough of is baked cheese grits.

That was especially true when my dad's side of the family used to gather in Ohio each Thanksgiving. As the oldest grandchild, I squeezed myself in at the adult table in my grandparents' dining room, mostly because I didn't want to miss out on anything interesting they might have to say.

Plus, I wasn't keen on watching my younger sisters and cousins spit food at one another at the kids' table in the kitchen.

The downside to this seating arrangement became evident each time I went for another helping of grits. My granddaddy, a big, boisterous man, always was watching. And he never missed a chance to broadcast to everyone, "Looks like Colleen's going for more grits!" or "How many grits is that for you? Two? Three?"

A little embarrassing, but it didn't stop me. These grits were worth it.

Thing is, I have never met anyone else who includes this dish as part of the Thanksgiving meal. I don't know if anyone outside my extended family even has this random recipe. And that's a crying shame, because it really is too delicious not to share.

So I thought, in the spirit of giving, that I would do just that. This, of course, required calling my dad in North Carolina for details because he's the one who typically makes the grits in our house.

"You're not going to put this in the newspaper are you?" he asked. "This is a family recipe!"

Sometimes even a journalist's parents don't understand that when we call people for information, most likely we want to put it in the paper. Fortunately, he was kidding. Both of our mouths started watering as he began describing from memory how to prepare what we call "cheese grits" for shorthand.

As with most old family recipes, the explanation was laced with tidbits of personal history. How after my grandmother stirred the milk, butter and grits in a saucepan until it boiled, she always took them off the heat and beat them for five minutes. She thought that technique made them softer.

And how she didn't even think about beating the grits until after they developed the texture of Cream of Wheat, an important distinction she noted specifically on the copy of the recipe she wrote out for my dad. (He apparently ate a lot of Cream of Wheat as a child and knew exactly what she was talking about.)

The grits are then poured into a baking pan to cool. At this point, you cut them into squares and stack them like fallen dominoes. Then you pour enough melted butter and shredded cheese on top to make dietitians everywhere cringe. Warning: This food definitely will raise your cholesterol levels.

Bake the dish for about 30 minutes or until the cheese starts to boil and, voila, it is time to make your stomach very happy.

Even Yankees like these grits. That's the case with my mom, who still bears a Massachusetts accent after 20 years of calling North Carolina home. She never laid eyes on traditional Southern grits, the soupy or lumpy kind from the box, until she became a reluctant Tar Heel.

But now here's what makes my family's baked cheese grits even more unusual. Until last week, I thought the recipe came straight from my granddaddy's Kentucky hometown. I mean, the man would get into arguments for dibs on his favorite leftover.

Dad noted, "It was fine as long as there were two pans, and there better be some left over for him. He protected them like they were gold." That explains his announcements to all within a 5-mile radius as to who was responsible for the depleted supply at Thanksgiving dinner.

Turns out the recipe didn't surface until Aunt Betty, Granddaddy's sister, left Kentucky and settled in New Britain, Conn. This wasn't my great-grandmother's recipe after all. For all we know, Aunt Betty might have gotten it off the back of some old grits box!

So there you have it. Baked cheese grits, the perfect blend of one family's own Southerner-goes-New England heritage. The melt-in-your-mouth delight I will eat too much of this Thanksgiving and then vow never to put such strain on my stomach again.

At least, not until Christmas dinner.

- Colleen Jenkins covers courts and social services in Citrus County. She can be reached at 860-7303 or cjenkins@sptimes.com


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Editorial; Miscellaneous; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: cheese; grits; holidays; memories; thanksgiving; tradition
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-4041-48 next last

1 posted on 11/27/2003 5:00:57 AM PST by Cincinatus' Wife
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: Cincinatus' Wife
"Thing is, I have never met anyone else who includes this dish as part of the Thanksgiving meal."

Well, not Thanksgiving---but Christmas. And yes---YYUUUMMMM!!!!

2 posted on 11/27/2003 5:08:15 AM PST by Wonder Warthog (The Hog of Steel)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Cincinatus' Wife
Are cheese grits part of your dinner today?

(my dad would anounce that I was going for more stuffing as well!)
3 posted on 11/27/2003 5:09:20 AM PST by netmilsmom (Proudly, A painful wart on the big toe of progress--No gay marriage!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Cincinatus' Wife
I made grits casserole at the company Thanksgiving lunch and was amazed at how many had never had or heard of such a thing. I told the yankees it was polenta.
4 posted on 11/27/2003 5:13:13 AM PST by doodad
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: netmilsmom
No I've never heard of cheese grits. But it made me think about the different traditions that tighten families ties together during the holidays.
5 posted on 11/27/2003 5:14:24 AM PST by Cincinatus' Wife
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: Wonder Warthog; doodad; All
I see the author's family isn't alone with their love of cheese grits. I didn't think they would be.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone.

6 posted on 11/27/2003 5:16:05 AM PST by Cincinatus' Wife
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: Cincinatus' Wife
Yankees can find more ways to screw up grits. You can always tell when they've had a hand in it - the recipe begins "Take one packet of instant grits"......
7 posted on 11/27/2003 5:19:18 AM PST by Leroy S. Mort
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Leroy S. Mort
ROFLMAO
8 posted on 11/27/2003 5:22:21 AM PST by cajun-jack
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies]

To: Cincinatus' Wife
We have "Texas grits".

Cheese grits, peppers, sausage, and other wonderful stuff all put together... MMMMM!

~ Happy Thanksgiving ~

9 posted on 11/27/2003 5:25:14 AM PST by 4mycountry (I don't approve of political jokes.... too many of them get elected.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Leroy S. Mort; cajun-jack

Grits

10 posted on 11/27/2003 5:25:33 AM PST by Cincinatus' Wife
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies]

To: 4mycountry
Bump!
11 posted on 11/27/2003 5:25:52 AM PST by Cincinatus' Wife
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 9 | View Replies]

To: Leroy S. Mort
Instant grits are sin. Yuck.
12 posted on 11/27/2003 5:28:15 AM PST by 4mycountry (I don't approve of political jokes.... too many of them get elected.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies]

To: doodad
In my (Italian) family, we always ate real polenta, freshly made and the consistence of a thick milkshake, covered with tomato sauce, and served with pork and meatballs.

I loved it as leftovers, too, when we'd bake it with some sauce over it, and sprinkled with parmesan - but it's a completely different dish. Because it is a tremendous amount of work to make fresh, most people only get it this way, in a tiny square garnishing a plate at a trendy restaurant.

13 posted on 11/27/2003 5:34:38 AM PST by LouD (Otherwise they might actually nominate someone who could win...)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: 4mycountry
Yup, that is what we call grits casserole. 3 cups cooked grits, 2 cups chesse, 2 cloves garlic (crushed), diced hot or mild peppers, 1/2 pound sausage (browned and crumbled). Combine in casserole bake at 350 for 35 minutes until brown on top. Not a Thanksgiving tradition for us, more a really good brunch item.
14 posted on 11/27/2003 5:38:39 AM PST by doodad
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 9 | View Replies]

To: LouD
That sounds great. Is there any real diff between grits and polenta?

Now, have you ever had grilled grits? They are unique and delicious.
15 posted on 11/27/2003 5:44:37 AM PST by doodad
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 13 | View Replies]

To: Leroy S. Mort
Yankees can find more ways to screw up grits.

We Real Yankees don't eat grits, much less cook 'em. Don't even know what to do with 'em, but we are curious. A real Yankee walked into a restaurant in the south and asked for some grits. The waitress says "Hominy?" and the real Yankee says "Oh, 10 or 12, I guess". < /rimshot >

16 posted on 11/27/2003 5:56:50 AM PST by Ol' Sox
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies]

To: Ol' Sox
A Yankee once told me that grits were only good for putting out cigarettes - more proof that culture stops north of the Mason-Dixon line.
17 posted on 11/27/2003 6:03:39 AM PST by Leroy S. Mort
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 16 | View Replies]

To: Ol' Sox
"We Real Yankees don't eat grits, much less cook 'em. Don't even know what to do with 'em, but we are curious. A real Yankee walked into a restaurant in the south and asked for some grits. The waitress says "Hominy?" and the real Yankee says "Oh, 10 or 12, I guess". < /rimshot >"

Grits were introduced to the first pilgrims by the Indians. Grits were a yankee food before they were a southern dish.

18 posted on 11/27/2003 6:05:37 AM PST by blam
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 16 | View Replies]

To: Cincinatus' Wife; LibreOuMort
Even Yankees like these grits.

I've quite shuddering when the Yankee goodwife pours maple syrup over her grits... but cheese grits??? Sounds good!

19 posted on 11/27/2003 6:12:35 AM PST by Eala (Sacrificing tagline fame for... TRAD ANGLICAN RESOURCE PAGE: http://eala.freeservers.com/anglican)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: LouD
My favorite meal was hot water cornbread made with and fried in bacon grease and served with navy bean soup and greens. yum.
20 posted on 11/27/2003 6:13:35 AM PST by Mercat
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 13 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-4041-48 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson