We had the good fortune to spend
the weekend in The Holy City~ Charleston SC,
with friends in early December.
Besides the Southern charm, architecture, and beautiful
Christmas decorations of this historic city,
Charleston’s main attraction for us is the food!
In searching for a recipe this year for Christmas brunch,
I found a recipe for The Grits that Stole Christmas~
courtesy of Chef Bob Waggoner, formerly of Charleston Grill.
Grits are a delivery system for butter, cream, cheese and in this case~ sun dried tomatoes and goat cheese~ don’t hold their name or their down-south heritage against them. :)
If you like polenta, but think you don’t like grits, you will love this recipe I promise!
The Grits that Stole Christmas
Makes 2-4 servings
Ingredients
2 ½ tablespoons unsalted butter
2 ¼ cups chicken stock
½ cup stone ground grits (I used Charleston Favorites Stone Ground Grits, yellow, also available white)
1–2 cups heavy cream (I used 1 cup)
1 teaspoon chopped garlic
½ teaspoon thyme
½ cup diced sun-dried tomatoes
¾ cup goat cheese (I used less, about 1/2 cup)
1-2 tablespoons chopped chives
salt and fresh cracked white pepper to taste
Bring chicken stock and butter to a boil in a thick-bottomed saucepan. Stir in grits and return to a boil. Reduce heat, allowing grits to cook for another 15 minutes at a low boil, and until grits are thick and have absorbed most of the chicken stock. Stir occasionally to keep grits from sticking.
Add ½ cup heavy cream to pot and reduce heat, allowing grits to cook slowly for another 10 minutes. As liquid is absorbed add more cream, cooking grits to the desired consistency. Add salt and pepper to taste with a total cooking time of at least an hour.
The grits should be thick and full-bodied. Fold in chopped garlic, thyme and diced tomatoes. Crumble goat cheese on top. Bake in 350 degree oven for 10 minutes.
This recipe got rave reviews from family and accompanied a wonderful Savory Breakfast Bread Pudding my sister-in-law served!
Serve them straight from a casserole dish, or dress them up and serve them in martini glasses or individual ramekins.
Garnish with additional sun-dried tomatoes and/or chopped chives.
They would be a great addition to
your New Year’s Day brunch menu too~
You can find a printable recipe along with other
Charleston Lowcountry Holiday Recipes, here.
Merry Christmas Week and Happy New Year Wishes!
Beautiful pics Mary! The grits sound great, I used to eat them with milk and sugar as a kid… it’s been a while:@)
Yum! I can’t wait to try this!
I’ve had some wonderful Charleston grits variations, but I have never had the Grits that Stole Christmas. They look just delicious! My husband would love the sun dried tomatoes in them. I would love the goat cheese. Perfect!
Charleston at Christmas would be a treat! I can just imagine how beautiful all those southern homes are dress for the holidays. I’m not a fan of grits, but my husband certainly is. I’ll pass along this recipe. ;-)
New Year’s Day brunch………..it just might be on the menu.
Happy New Year to you and the girls……….Sarah
I love grits…in any shape or form, but my favorite is Shrimp & Grits…
Your grits above look sooo creamy and sounds delicious. I always make more than I need so I can have leftover to slice and ‘fry’…your grit recipe will make lovely slices!
I am making Hoppin’ John for New Year’s Day and might just have to add grits to the menu… ;-)
Happy New Year, Mary!
For years I’ve done a grits soufflé, a fancy name for a very simple dish, on New Year’s. It’s great with black eyed peas and beef tender, but then grits are good with about everything.
Some years ago, an old school friend and I, did a tour of the plantations alog the Ashley River and then into Charleston. My brother lived there for many years, he is/was a heart surgeon, retired now.
I purchased a bag of those wonderful grits you have just told us about in your post. In the great northwest the grits here just does not compare with those in the South. Miss them a great deal. I have bookmarked the site you mentioned and hopefully will order some in the future. Yours looks so yummy.
I love that name :) It looks delicious! Gorgeous photos of a beautiful place too.
Mary..OH! I have to try this recipe. I LOVE grits and this sounds so decadent.
Charleston is such a beautiful city. How wonderful to visit there at Christmas time. Thanks for the recipe…wish I had some grits right now.
Wow now that’s kickn’ it up a notch,love me some grits(born/raised on ‘em).Great recipe!…also enjoyed your feature @ Rattlebridge!
~Jo @ LoblollyLane
You have a knack for finding great and different recipes. I love how you presented this grits recipe in the red striped martini glasses. The shots of the church there are beautiful especially the last one with the light pole and Christmas wreath and the church in the background.
I really like grits so I will definitely try this one.
My MIL used to take leftover grits she stored in a glass, slice them, and fry them in butter like little pancakes. Yummy!
Oh- Beautiful! I only found you a few weeks ago so it is fun to see more of your blog in one post- xo Dana
Looks delicious! I love Charleston, it is so charming!…Christine
Just gorgeous.
- The Tablescaper
Mmmmm the grits look so delish, as do the pics, Mary! Happy New Years to you and thanks for all your inspiration.
I saw your grits on Stone Gable and had to come over and have a closer look. I’m southern and love good grits. What a great idea to use sun-dried tomatoes and goat cheese.
Sam