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America's Melting Pot
Cheese Grits hero image coming soon
1800s-present - Southern cooks building on Indigenous corn preparations and later adding dairy and cheddar
Creamy Southern grits cooked with milk or water, finished with butter, sharp cheddar, and black pepper.
Difficulty
Easy
Prep time
5 minutes
Cook time
35 minutes
Total time
40 minutes
Servings
4 to 6 servings
Region
Southern United States
Era introduced
1800s-present
Introduced by
Southern cooks building on Indigenous corn preparations and later adding dairy and cheddar
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Grits begin with Indigenous corn traditions and became a defining food of the American South through settlement, enslavement, plantation kitchens, small farms, and everyday breakfasts. Cheese grits are a later enrichment of that staple: simple grits cooked patiently, then finished with butter and cheddar. They can be breakfast, a side for fried fish, or the base for shrimp and grits.
Drafted with grits history from the Tennessee State Museum (https://tnmuseum.org/Stories/posts/grit-history-a-comfort-food-loaded-with-strife), Southern cheese-grits method from Lana's Cooking (https://www.lanascooking.com/cheese-grits/), and broader Southern grits context from The Local Palate (https://thelocalpalate.com/articles/shrimp-and-grits-history/).
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