Jalapeno Cheddar Grits
These Jalapeno Cheddar Grits are easy to make and loaded with flavor! They make a great addition to any meal of the day!
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“Well, you can just kiss my grits!” Folks in the South have some pretty funny sayings. I grew up down South, and I admit…some of our sayings are pretty darned funny. Honestly, most of these sayings weren’t strange to me until I met my wife. She’s from Pennsylvania, and she always cracks up at our unique sayings. Take “kiss my grits” for instance. According to Urban Dictionary (which we all know is the fountain of infinite internet wisdom), the saying is attributed to Flo from the 70’s sitcom Alice. I didn’t grow up watching Alice, but I can appreciate the fact that Flo’s signature catch phrase is now a part of Southern vocabulary.
I grew up on the winding, cobblestone streets of Charleston, SC. (In case you’re wondering, it’s not fun to ride a bike on a cobblestone street. Just sayin’.) I had no idea how lucky I was! Not many kids have the opportunity to ride out of their driveway and go searching for pirate’s treasure around the corner. I never actually found any pirate’s treasure…but that didn’t stop me from looking!
We lived in downtown Charleston across the street from the General P.G.T. Beauregard’s house. This is significant because all of the horse-drawn carriage tours would stop in front of Beauregard’s house. We named our family basset hound Beauregard, and he would go down and howl at the gates whenever he heard the tour leaders say his name. In hindsight, that’s pretty awesome! I didn’t realize how cool that was since I was just a kid, but man, I’d love to go back to those times!
Jalapeno Cheddar Grits
Jalapeno Cheddar GritsGrits are a popular dish down South. (Although, contrary to local opinion here in upstate New York, grits are not the only dish served in the South.) Any self-respecting cook knows how to whip up a delicious batch of grits at a moment’s notice. My wife and I went back to visit Charleston last summer, and I came across these Jalapeno Cheddar Grits. They were amazing, and I knew I needed to create a recipe once I got back home.
Well, here it is! I couldn’t find stone-ground grits (imagine that!), so I had to settle for quick grits instead. Either way, these Jalapeno Cheddar Grits are absolutely delicious! If you’ve always thought of grits as a tasteless pile of mush, then you absolutely need to make this version. It’s a delicious recipe, and I’m fairly confident you’ll love it. If you don’t, well then you can kiss my grits!
Did you make a batch of these Jalapeno Cheddar Grits at home? Leave a comment, or snap a photo and tag me on Instagram (@Spicedblog). I’d love to see your version!
Jalapeno Cheddar Grits
Ingredients
- 8 strips of thick-cut bacon diced
- 2 large jalapenos seeds removed and diced
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 ½ cups water
- 1 1/2 cups quick-cooking grits
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 cups white cheddar cheese grated and divided
- ¼ cup green onions for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Using a 9” cast iron skillet, add the diced bacon and diced jalapeno. Cook over medium heat until bacon is crispy (~8-10 minutes). Transfer the bacon and jalapenos to a paper towel and pat dry. Drain the bacon grease from the skillet and set aside.
- In a medium sauce pan, bring the heavy cream, chicken broth, and water to a boil over medium-high heat. Once boiling, slowly whisk in the grits. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and cook for 5-7 minutes, or until grits have thickened and absorbed the liquid.
- Stir in the bacon, jalapenos, salt and 1 ½ cups of the grated cheese.
- Transfer the grits into the cast iron skillet and top with the remaining 1/2 cup of grated cheese. Place skillet under broiler for 3-5 minutes, or until cheese on top has melted and grits are light brown in color. Garnish with green onions (optional).
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David – you grew up in a beautiful part of Charleston! My daughter and I visited there the summer of 2013 – and she wants to live there after she graduates from college – such a gorgeous, laid back town!
As for these cooked and broiled grits – dude – wow! Specially with bacon and jalapeno! So I think I might need a new contact lens prescription because I cannot see what you did with the bacon grease you set aside – I was half expecting you to use it to cook the grits in. I know bacon isn’t the healthiest – but I seem to have grown so incredibly fond of it recently!
You are totally right, Shashi! I had no idea how lucky I was to grow up in Charleston until we moved away. We were surrounded by history…literally. That probably partially explains my interest in history! I highly recommend your daughter moving to Charleston. Then we’ll have a place to stay when we come to visit…haha!
Oops…I see now that my wording is a bit confusing. I meant drain the bacon grease and then set the bacon aside. Basically, get rid of the grease. 🙂 Bacon isn’t healthy at all…but I live by the “anything is ok as long as it’s in moderation” rule. I’d love to chow down on bacon daily, but it just doesn’t happen. I guess I could chow down on bacon daily and then go to the gym more…but that’s just not worth it! Haha!
David that is crazy as I just made some cheddar cheese grits with Loveless Cafe Smoked Ham bits this morning. We were taken to the Loveless Cafe by family when visiting Nashville a few years back. I get stuff online from them all the time now.
This looks great right in the cast iron skillet and how can you go wrong with jalapeno AND bacon, too. Porkapalooza!
Haha! We were totally channeling the same delicious, cheesy grits thoughts, Kevin. I absolutely love Loveless Cafe. My sister lives in Nashville, and it’s definitely on my to-do list every time we go down to visit. Now I’m craving another batch of grits!
Dude, I need these. Something I could eat every night. #wolfpackeats
Haha! I think I could totally eat these every night, Matt. It’s the ultimate comfort food for when the weather starts getting colder. 🙂
I am a huge fan of grits. The more cheese the better! When I was little I would crumble up my bacon into my cheese grits. 🙂 You just took my grits eating experience to another level with the jalapenos and for that, I thank you!
Haha! I knew you would love the grits post, Tamara! I didn’t eat a ton of grits growing up, but I’ve been making up for it in recent years…ironically, I eat more grits now that I live in New York than when I lived down South. Go figure!
I just had my first encounter with Grits when I went to the southern part of VA this weekend. SO freaking amazing. And now this jalapeño version? I will be trying it soon.
PS: Totally just got the wolfpackeats hashtag! Lol!
Hahaha! #WolfpackEats is our little dude way of making a mark on the interwebs. It’s going to be trending on Twitter one day soon. I just know it! 🙂 But back to the grits…they get a bad rap, but when prepared the right way, grits are flippin’ delicious!! I’m glad you are on the grits wagon, Z.
I literally had a conversation with a Charleston local whom was telling me how beautiful it is there- you bet it’s on my list of places to check out- when I move here 😉
I had a diner breakfast the other morning and they asked if I wanted grits and had no idea what to expect (blame the Aussie in me)- I was surprised- they reminded me of cream of wheat…with a tonne of butter. I wish I had these cheese ones though!
Hmmm…yeah, grits really get a bad rap, Arman. Everyone thinks they are just a tasteless pile of mush. I have no idea how your diner version turned out, but when prepared the right way, grits become one of my favorite side dishes ever! And yes, you totally need to visit Charleston…it’s an amazingly beautiful place. And you can go hunting for pirate treasure while you’re there, too. 🙂
This is ultimate comfort food right here!! I love it! And I would use my favorite Cabot cheddar in here….sheesh, my stomach is growling!
Yes! This is definitely the ultimate cold weather comfort food…and of course Cabot cheddar is the best cheese to use here. I wouldn’t even consider anything else! 🙂
I have always wanted to go to Charleston. And when I do, I expect foodie recommendations from you! Truth be told, I’ve never met grits that I liked. But maybe that is because they didn’t have bacon and jalapeños and cheddar! Bacon for the win! These grits looks amazing! Pinned!
I will happily give all sorts of delicious foodie recommendations for Charleston! Just thinking about them is making me want to get on a plane and head down there right now. So here’s the thing about grits…I wasn’t a huge fan of them for the longest time either. Then I stumbled across this flavor combo…and it’s straight magic. Like I want to eat that entire skillet magic. Yay, bacon…and cheese! 🙂
I don’t even LIKE grits and I want to eat those.
Oh, you would LOVE this grits, Courtney! Like the entire skillet worth of love!
Jalapeño Cheddar grits with bacon sounds amazing. I haven’t had grits since I left Florida. We’d have these gatherings and they were always served. My guys have texture issues, so I never make them myself. These photos have me craving them now!! Pinning
I get the texture issue thing, Cindy…there are just some foods that I can’t get on board with. But not grits…especially grits with cheese and bacon and jalapenos! 🙂
These grits look so flavorful and I bet they are really delicious!
Thank you so much, Amy! I’ve been craving these grits again from the very moment that I posted them…they are super tasty. 🙂 Thanks for commenting!
I just can’t wait to make this. It’s serious comfort food – Southern style – with a kick. Love it!
I’m telling you, Candace…this is a seriously awesome side dish! Grits get a bad rap…but add in some Cabot Cheddar and diced jalapenos, and it’s a whole new ball game!
Grits are so often done badly, which is why they have a bad reputation I think…but clearly, this is the type of grits that makes people BELIEVERS. This sounds/looks SO good. Awesome!
You are totally right! Grits are so often mushy and unappetizing…but these grits are one of my all-time favorite comfort foods! 🙂
Dude, I’ll kiss your grits anytime. This looks phenomenal! Love jalapeno cheddar anything… and with bacon… forget about it!
I’m not sure how I feel about another dude kissing my food…but how about this: You move to upstate New York, and I’ll make you your very own skillet of Jalapeno Cheddar Grits. Complete with bacon and all. You know you want to!