Every Southerner has been served 'grits' for breakfast somewhere, at some time. They're a southern staple comfort food, and nothing more so than cheese grits.
Meanwhile, polenta has been making a comeback at a lot of nicer restaurants.
Um, guess what polenta is? It's grits. Which is cornmeal mush.
Yup. You're paying top dollar for what's essentially grit boiled in milk, broth, or a combination, and made as cheese grits.
So here's my version of Southern Poor Food Haute Cuisine:
3 cups chicken broth (I use 'Better than Buillion' broth starter)
3 cups milk (we use whole)
1 tsp sea salt
Bring to a boil
Meanwhile, fry up
~5 slices of good quality bacon
and look through your freezer for vegetables you need to chop up and use.
We used
1/2 bag of broccoli/cauliflower blend
handful of frozen corn
Cook vegetables (we steam them in the microwave)
When the water is boiling, add
2 cups polenta/stone-ground grits
and turn the stove to low.
Stir semi-constantly.
When it's starting to thicken, chop up the bacon and veggies, and add them with
3/4 cup shredded smoked gouda cheese
Keep stirring until it's nice and thick.
Serve hot, but it can also be laid out on a flat pan, allowed to cool and semi-harden, then cut out to be fried the next day (preferably in grease from the bacon you just cooked)
We had this as a main dish, but it also makes a great side to a meat dish and a salad.
