Cheesy grits bowls are topped with a variety of add-ins. This easy bowl recipe is perfect for breakfast, brunch or a simple weeknight meal.
Bowls are all the rage right now and rightly so. They're fun to make, customizable and tasty! We've already got Easy Southwest Chicken Bowls, Easy Greek Chicken Bowls and Easy Blackened Shrimp Bowls but this one is different.
One of our favorite restaurants here on St. Simons Island has a grits bowl on their menu and that got us to thinking... A southern food blog like ours is not complete without its own version - so here you go!
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Ingredient notes
Grits as the base. We're big fans of quick grits and use them in our Fish and Grits Recipe, Chicken and Grits and Pimento Cheese Grits among others. These are not instant grits, but not the long cooking type either - they're in between the two.
Cheese (we like white cheddar) to stir in the grits and there will be more on top. After all this is a cheesy grits bowl, right?
Toppings
This is where the creativity comes in. We like spicy foods around here, so we included a couple of toppings with a kick.
If you and yours tend toward tamer flavors, just leave out anything with heat. Better yet, set the ingredients out and let everyone top their grits bowl however they please.
Shown here:
- Cooked bacon crumbles. We always cut our bacon strips first and then cook them (like for our shrimp and grits recipe).
- Chives or green onions.
- More shredded cheese - use any flavor you like.
- Diced tomatoes
- Sliced jalapenos
- Sauteed onions or shallot
- Hot sauce
- Egg - cook them however you like
You could also use the following ingredients, or let your imagination go wild.
- crumbled, cooked sausage
- diced ham
- diced bell pepper
- herbs of your choice
We love to hear your ideas, so feel free to leave a comment with your topping ideas.
How to make your grits bowls
- Prep your toppings. You may need to dice veggies, saute onions, etc.
- Make the grits according to the package directions. We've written this up for two big (meal size) servings, but you can adjust according to your needs.
- Stir shredded cheese into the hot grits until melted and keep your grits warm until serving time.
- If cooking egg(s) do that last thing before assembling bowls.
- Spoon hot grits into bowls and then top with various toppings.
Pam's tips
- Much of the prep can be done in advance - even the day before. It's absolutely fine to dice the veggies, shred the cheese, cook the onions ahead of time.
- For several servings consider making the grits and keeping them warm in a slow cooker or crock pot.
- You can assemble the bowls yourself for serving or set it out as a "make your own" grits bowls. This is a fun, interactive way to serve breakfast or brunch.
FAQ's
We're big fans and would always include cheese but you don't have to. If you have someone who can't eat or doesn't like cheese leave it out of the grits and offer it as an option for a topping.
Grits bowls are hearty, and can be a healthy-ish meal with low calorie toppings like vegetables. They're also a great source of protein with meat and/or eggs on top.
You can. We like quick 5-minute grits because we do our best to keep our recipes easy, but you can use long cooking grits. You could even use instant grits as long as they're nice and hot before serving.
Storing
Once they're assembled, grits bowls don't store well. As mentioned above, you can certainly store the individual toppings and grits separately.
If reheating grits they will often need more liquid (water or milk) to reach the right consistency when hot.
More recipes with grits:
- Gouda Grits
- Shrimp and Grits
- Grits with Cheese, Corn & Jalapeno Peppers
- Chicken and Grits
- Fish and Grits
- Pimento Cheese Grits
📖 Recipe
Cheesy Grits Bowls
Ingredients
For the Grits
- 2 cups water
- ½ cup quick 5 minute grits
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup cheddar cheese shredded
Instructions
For the Grits
- Bring salted water to a bowl and stir in the grits slowly.
- Reduce heat to medium low and cover. Cook for 5 to 7 minutes or until thickened, stirring occasionally.
- Stir in shredded cheese until melted. Keep warm until time to serve.
Topping and Assembly
- Prep all topping ingredients as needed such as shredding cheese, cooking meat, dicing vegetables, cooking egg etc.
- Spoon hot grits into bowls and top as desired.
Notes
- Grits may cooked with milk or ½ and ½ for a creamier version.
- Additional toppings can include crumbled cooked sausage, sauteed onions or shallots, diced ham, diced bell pepper, sliced jalapeno pepper, hot sauce.
Kay says
Delicious!