How to Cook Cheese Grits in a Crock-Pot for a Crowd
Grits, which are made from coarsely ground corn, are a Southern breakfast favorite eaten plain, with milk and sugar or seasoned with salt, pepper and butter. Cooks have fashioned a few creative recipes with grits, including shrimp and grits, and grits often show up on pricey restaurant menus, at dinner tables and with every kind of meat imaginable. Cheese grits are another favorite, whether for diners who are accustomed to eating grits or for those who are experiencing grits for the first time. A Crock-Pot, or slow cooker, allows you to cook a large amount of grits slowly and avoid the usual disasters, such as lumps.
A bowl of cheese grits. (Image: dbvirago/iStock/Getty Images)Step 1
Add the chicken broth, half-and-half, salt, pepper and garlic powder to a sauce pan and bring the ingredients to a boil.
Step 2
Mix slowly and continuously until the ingredients are thoroughly combined.
Step 3
Pour the grits mixture into the slow cooker and add the cheddar cheese, butter and cream cheese.
Step 4
Set the slow cooker to a low setting for six to eight hours of cooking. Set the slow cooker to high for four hours of cooking.
Step 5
Stir the grits periodically and check the thickness. Add more chicken broth to the grits if they become too thick during cooking.
Things You'll Need
6 cups low-fat half-and-half
2 cups chicken broth
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
2 cups uncooked grits
12 oz. grated sharp cheddar cheese
1/2 stick butter
8 oz. softened cream cheese
Tip
This recipe makes about 10 servings. Increase the ingredients if you need to serve more people. You can increase the amount of uncooked grits and chicken broth and leave as is the ingredients that have a higher fat content.
Make a simple cheese and grits in the slow cooker with 15 cups of water, 3 cups of uncooked grits and 1 ½ cups of cheddar cheese. Cook for six to eight hours.
The Johnson Family Cookbook recipe for savory cheese grits uses 3 cups of chicken broth and adds dried mushrooms, garlic cloves and fresh parsley. Add ¼ cup of heavy cream before serving.
