Pan Fried From-Scratch Cheese Grits with Homemade Mixed Berry Syrup

Even a life-long north-easterner (pronounced, “Yank-ee”) like me knows that if you’ve never had well-made grits, you’re missing out on something special.


Grits are generally made from either hominy or cornmeal, the difference being that, for  hominy, the dried corn is treated with lye to remove the germ and hard outer shell before the corn is ground. (Like sausage, it’s best just to enjoy hominy grits without thinking too much about how it’s made.) Real hominy being hard to find in some places, most home-made grits are made with coarse, stone-ground cornmeal. Grits are a member of the same dried-corn porridge family as polenta and corn meal mush. (The latter may sound like a derogatory term, but it’s what the dish is actually called.) What are the differences between grits, polenta, and cornmeal mush? The easy answer is that polenta is made from cornmeal a bit finer than the coarse kind used for grits, and mush is made from a cornmeal that’s finer still. Like most easy answers, though, there’s still a lot of disagreement among folks who know. The important thing, if you’re making cornmeal grits, is to use coarse, stone-ground cornmeal. Use something too fine and the texture of the finished product won’t be right.


Although grits can be made part of any meal – shrimp and grits, for example, is a classic southern dinner – they’re often made for breakfast. One common approach is used in this recipe: the grits are put into a loaf pan and allowed to cool overnight to a form a loaf. Come morning, the loaf is cut into slices, coated with egg, and pan fried till they look something like pancakes. Add your favorite syrup or similar topping, and you’ve got a seriously good breakfast. (In the photo above, I combined them with turkey bacon, fried egg substitute, and a slice of home-made cranberry-banana bread. It tasted wonderful.)


This recipe makes a loaf half the size of a two-pound loaf pan. I’m going to call that 4 – 6 servings, though how many slices make a “serving” is, in this case, very much a matter of individual judgment.


A couple of other items to note:
• If you’d rather serve the cheese grits in the usual way instead of making a loaf, you can. Just skip the steps that involve pouring the grits into a loaf pan, letting them cool into a loaf, slicing the loaf, and pan-frying the slices.
• Even though making the grits from scratch using cornmeal is easy, some folks may still prefer to use packaged grits to make the loaf. If so, it’s not a problem; just make the grits as per the directions on the package, and pick up the recipe from there.
• Cheese grits are usually made with cheddar cheese, but you can use any you like. In this recipe, I used goat cheese. The important thing is that the cheese you choose should melt well.
To make the grits:


Heat one quart of fat-free half-and-half in a heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat just until steam begins to rise from the surface. (Overheating, or heating too fast, may cause the half-and-half to separate.)


Add ½ tablespoon of kosher salt to the half-and-half, and then slowly add 1 cup of coarse stone-ground white cornmeal, whisking constantly while the cornmeal is being added.


When the cornmeal is incorporated into the half-and-half, lower the heat, cover, and let the mixture cook and thicken till smooth, about 15 minutes, whisking thoroughly about every 2 – 3 minutes. (If you’re using packaged grits instead of making them from scratch, make one quart of the grits as per the directions on the package and pick up with the next step.)




Remove the pot from the heat, and add ½ teaspoon of fresh ground black pepper, 3 tablespoons of butter substitute, 4 ounces crumbled goat cheese (or other desired cheese), and a few drops of hot sauce to taste. Mix until well combined to form cheese grits. (If you want to serve the grits as is without forming the loaf, this is when to serve them.)



Pour the grits into a buttered loaf pan, cover with foil, and refrigerate overnight until the grits forms a firm, gelatinous loaf that can be turned out onto a cutting surface.


Melt butter substitute in a skillet. While the pan is heating, cut the loaf into slices ½” – ¾” thick. Dip the slices to be fried in egg substitute to coat.


Pan fry each side till well-browned, about two minutes per side. Serve immediately, topped with syrup or other desired topping.


As an extra bonus, let’s make the mixed berry syrup shown in the plate in the photo. (This recipe makes about one pint, so you’ll have plenty left over for other delicious meals!)


Put a small glass plate in the freezer.



Put 1 cup of sugar and the juice of one lemon in a saucepan, and mix till combined. Turn the heat on very low. When the sugar-lemon mixture has just melted (don’t let it burn!), add 1 pound of mixed berries (frozen ones that you’ve thawed will work just fine), 1 tablespoon of butter substitute, and ¼ teaspoon of ground nutmeg. Mash the fruit and let it cook down, stirring often. Every so often, put a few drops on the glass plate you chilled in the freezer to check the texture. When the syrup on the plate is the texture you want, remove the saucepan from the stove and pour the syrup into a container. Seal the container and refrigerate until ready to serve.


So there you have it: cheese grits from scratch, pan fried to deliciousness and topped with home-made mixed berry syrup. Life is good, folks.


If you prefer your recipes in cookbook-style format, just send me a note and it will be sent!


Hope to see you next week for another tasty, reduced fat recipe! Till then, stay well, keep it about the food, and always remember to kiss the cook. ;-)

For Angie: Bubble and Squeak with Honey-Ale Onion Gravy

I admit there are two aspects of today’s article that require explanation.


First explanation: Bubble and Squeak


As much as Bubble and Squeak might sound like the name of a Saturday morning cartoon show in which the two main characters take turns dropping anvils on each other, it’s actually a marvelous English dish dating back to World War II. In a time when many foods were in short supply, there was a need for new ways to make sure nothing was wasted, and so a dish designed to make creative use of leftover meat, vegetables and potatoes developed.


Today Bubble and Squeak (a name most sources agree comes from the sound the patties sometimes make when being pan-fried) is just as often made with newly-cooked ingredients, but its value as a classic English way to serve leftovers remains. The recipe below uses newly-cooked ingredients, including the traditional cabbage, but feel free to use any vegetables you have on hand. (I’ve also put the meat - sausage, in this case - into the patty, but it’s just as proper to make the patty from potatoes and vegetables only and serve the meat on the side.)


The real point here is the general method: combine cooked vegetables and potatoes (and, if you like, meat) into a patty, and pan-fry it into something wonderful. And it’s also worth nothing that your Bubble and Squeak patties will be just as good for breakfast as they are for dinner.


In the photo above, the patty is shown with a tomato omelette as a side dish. (Today’s article includes recipes for the patty and the gravy. I hope to cover omelettes as a separate topic very soon.) You can also serve it with a salad, soup, or anything else that strikes your fancy.


Second explanation: Who is Angie and why is Ben dedicating, of all things, a recipe to her?


In the profile connected to her wonderful blog, "Can You All Hear Me at the Back?", Angie described herself this way:  “Little, chubby (ok, fat then), blonde, beautiful, fibber (well, blonde's right...approximately), disabled, deaf and daft. I enjoy making sugar flowers and am reasonable at it, though they probably wouldn't win any prizes.” A more comprehensive description would have included her being a charming, inspiring English lady whose brilliant light and spirit illuminated the many lives she touched through her blog posts and e-mails. Regular readers of this blog have seen Angie’s comments on my posts many times.


A few days ago I was shocked and saddened to learn that, around the end of January, Angie took ill and passed away. There are literally people all over the world who will miss her. Were I a musician or poet I’d want to write a great song or poem in her memory.  As it happens, I’m neither of those things, but I do like to cook some, and so it is for Angie that I make my first foray into English cuisine. I strongly suspect the whimsical undertones of Bubble and Squeak would appeal to her.


And now, I’d imagine she’d be telling me to stop talking and get to the recipe already!


This recipe makes 6 burger size patties.
Put a large pot of water on the stove over medium-high heat. When it has started to boil, put three medium potatoes with the skins on into the pot and cook until they’re fork tender. (For medium potatoes, this should be about 12 minutes after the water has started boiling again after the potatoes were added.) When the potatoes are done, drain them well and set them aside for a few minutes until the crackling sound stops. Cool (and, if desired, peel) the cooked potatoes, add some butter (about 2 – 3 tablespoons) and mash until chunky mashed potatoes form. This should make about two cups of mashed potatoes. (Of course, if you already have left-over mashed potatoes, just use them and skip this step!) 
Next we’ll make our cooked meat and vegetables. (Unless you already have leftover meat and vegetables, in which case just use them! Are we seeing a pattern here?)
After the potatoes have been removed from the water, boil one half of a medium  cabbage till tender, about 3-4 minutes. When the cabbage is done, let it cool enough to cut, then dice it (1/2” pieces).


Warm 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet. Cook 1-1/4 pounds of turkey sausage meat (cases removed) in the skillet till browned, then remove the meat from the skillet and set aside.


Using the same skillet (and adding a little more oil if necessary), saute ½ a diced medium onion, 1 diced green pepper and a pinch of nutmeg. When the vegetables are soft, add the cooked sausage to the onions in the skillet and mix well.


To the skillet, add the chopped, boiled cabbage and a splash of balsamic vinegar. Cook the mixture till lightly browned (about two minutes).


Transfer the cooked vegetable mixture to a bowl, and fold in 2 cups of mashed potatoes till blended. Using your hands, form about 6 patties, each about ½” thick. Working two at a time, cook the patties in the pan till browned and just a little crisp, about 3 minutes per side, adding butter or oil as needed.
To make the honey-ale onion gravy:
In a skillet, sauté a diced onion in 3 tablespoons of butter, then add 3 tablespoons of all-purpose flour, and stir until smooth. Add a bottle (12 ounces) of English ale (Bass or similar)and 2 tablespoons of honey. Cook on high till it thickens to a gravy for topping the Bubble and Squeak patties.
If you’d like a cookbook style, notebook ready copy of this or any other Kissing the Cook recipe, say the word and it shall be done!


See you next week with another recipe adventure! Till then, stay well, keep it about the food, and always remember to kiss the cook. (Or, as Angie would no doubt say, “MWAH!”)