HOW TO: Homemade Cheese Grits

At the grocery store these days there are so many kinds of sweet breakfast foods:  

• cereals, sweet or unsweetened (about 50 varieties)
• granola bars (about 10 varieties)
• protein bars
• breakfast shakes (vanilla, strawberry, chocolate
• pop tarts

These are the hot sellers in the grocery store as well as the most expensive breakfast items you can buy.  We do buy cereal, but I have never purchased the sugary ones.  The only boxed cereals that make it into our pantry are: Cheerios (plain), Grapenuts, Life (a little sweet) and Shredded Wheat.  I occasionally will get pop tarts as a treat for my older son who loves them.

In the breakfast cereal area are also a few items that probably go unnoticed.   Today I noticed that these were all on the bottom shelf of the breakfast foods aisle.

• grits
• oatmeal
• cream of wheat

There are "instant" varieties of each but they really take less than 10 minutes to prepare.  Who hasn't got 10 minutes in the mornings?  Of these three items, grits are a favorite at our home, especially cheese grits.  Try this with your family and see if you don't get smiles all around.  We tend to eat cheese grits more in the cooler months, but I made them last week and everyone enjoyed them.  No salt, no sugar, no milk needed.  The basic recipes for each are right on the boxes.

We had  a nutrition talk at our last Titus 2 Moms gathering so I think everyone there is making more nutrition foods for breakfast this week.  :)

Homemade Cheese Grits (3-4 servings)

INGREDIENTS:

• 1/2 cup of grits
• olive oil 
• 2 cups of water
• 1/2 cup of shredded cheddar cheese
• 2-3 ice cubes

You'll need a pot with a tight-fitting lid for this.

DIRECTIONS

• Add a small amount of olive oil to 2 cups of water.  [This helps prevent the grits from sticking to the bottom of the pot later.] Bring to a boil.  

• Dump in 1/2 cup of grits.  

• Quickly, add 2-3 ice cubes.  [I find this to be helpful to prevent the grits from boiling over the sides of the pot.] 

• Cover immediately and simmer for 7 minutes (directions on the box say 5 minutes, but 7 is better on my stove).  

• After 7 minutes add 1/2 cup of grated cheese. We had leftover cheese from taco salad the night before, so I used that.  

• Let it sit, covered, for 3 minutes, then stir. Serve hot.  

These proportions made all this--enough for 3 or 4 people:

There you go--a quick, homemade breakfast.  Add some orange juice and/or milk, bacon or fruit to round out the meal.

NOTE:  Be sure to wash or soak the cooking pot quickly or you'll need a jackhammer to get the grits off the bottom!