Grits are one of my favorite starches to serve with breakfast or dinner – they are the perfect canvas for so many delicious flavors and add a nice creaminess and luciousness to every dish.
Leftover grits? They’re fine. Leftover polenta? Literally the same thing. And they’re so much better fried up into a grit cake! These are easy to mess up but also easy to get right!
Tips on the Perfect Grit Cake:
- COLD GRITS: Take your leftover (cold) grits and put them in the freezer to get even colder. This will help them really solidify and keep their shape.
- HOT PAN: Getting your pan nice and hot will ensure you get a good sear on the grit cake which caramelizes it and makes it so delicious, but, more importantly it helps it to keep its shape.
- Plenty of oil and/or butter: I like to use a little oil for the higher smoke point and a little butter for the flavor. Don’t skimp on either because that will ensure your grit cake doesn’t get stuck to the pan and fall apart.
My favorite ways to make grits are with green chiles and cheddar or caramelized shallots and pecorino romano.
Enjoy!
How to Make a Grit Cake
Bring new life to your leftover grits with this elevated spin on a Southern classic
Yield: 0
Materials
- 2 cups cooked grits or however much you have!
- 1 T butter
- 2 T avocado oil
Instructions
- With leftover or chilled grits of your choice, get as smooth as possible in a freezer-safe dish (I am using Pyrex), then put in the freezer for about 20 minutes.
- In a pan over medium-heat, add butter and avocado oil until bubbling
- Slice grits to size of choice and add to hot pan. Once browned, flip and repeat (About 2 minutes each side).
- Serve with toppings or main course of choice!