What’s Your Favorite Brand of Grits?

[Michael_in_TX]

The best shrimp and grits I've ever had was at a hotel in Jacksonville, Florida of all places. It was just sublime. The shrimp, the bacon, and the creamy, buttery grits. It was the perfect color and consistency.

My attempts to do my own have all failed, or at least, have been lackluster. I may try again using some of the suggestions in this thread.

My humorous grits story is this: We have an IHOP close to the University and I was eating lunch alone there one day. A gentleman across the way ordered a bowl of grits. He took a bite or two and beckoned the waitress back. Politely, he remarked the grits were not quite right, so the waitress dutifully got him another bowl.

Again, the grits were just not right. Perplexed, he remarked that he comes in here quite regularly and the grits are always quite good, especially for diner grits.

The waitress goes off to the kitchen to investigate all things grits. She returns with an interesting piece of information: IHOP makes real grits on the weekends, but uses instant grits on weekdays.

The man let out a laugh. He indeed comes in regularly and orders grits, but only on the weekends. This is the first time he had been in on a weekday and ordered them.

[texastweeter]

And for the record polenta and grits are different kinds of corn

https://www.foodnetwork.com/how-to/packages/food-network-essentials/grits-vs-polenta

[Finster]

50+ posts and NOBODY has gone here yet?
It couldn't have been teed up any higher....sheesh

I'm really disappointed in this group right now... 🤦♂️

[Dan Deter]

If you're in the south, grits are one of those things that should really be bought from a local supplier, along with corn meal. The grocery stores here carry local NC suppliers of both of those items. Actual names vary, of course.

[BourBonQ]

Charlestonians will fight over grits!

Marsh Hen Mill, formerly known as Geechie Boy, make some of the finest. You will find them on the best menus in town and they can be ordered online:

https://marshhenmill.com/

My grandma would make special trips to the barrier sea islands just to bring back gallons of the sulfur-rich water to cook them in.

[Panhead John]

Thanks BourBonQ There’s now been several recommendations here for Marsh Hen Mill….and they made the list of Best Grits in my OP. Looks like these are gonna be on my list to try.

[Bkhuna]

Marsh Hen is all I buy. Heirloom varieties of corn. Ground and shipped in small batches. It's what grits should taste like.

[jfmorris]

Having had both grits and polenta, I agree that they are NOT the same. Can you interchange them in a recipe? Sure. But it won't taste the same.

I'm a southern boy, and grew up with grits, but it was more a weekend breakfast food. I never had grits with anything other than breakfast until I ran into shrimp and grits at a diner as an adult. For weekday morning breakfasts growing up in our house, the only hot cereal I had was oatmeal or cream of wheat.

[tstalafuse]

I didn't see it in any of the other comments, so I will say it and blame it on the devil... My favorite brand is the kind that get kissed.

[CandySueQ]

Here! https://dillardhousegiftbook.com/pro...e-ground-grits These are the BEST! And I am a huge grits fan, even instant grits with the powdered seasoning in them. My go-to meal is a bowl of cheesy grits with an over easy egg on top. But any stone ground grit will take it up a notch!

Dillard House used to host a BBQ contest on the front yard of the court house (and next to Dillard House). It was a favorite of mine, mainly because it was such a beautiful road trip and it was peach season in SC and GA. In 2016, I won 3rd in grits with Shimp and Grits Balls. This was an Asian inspired version of shimp and grits.

[Panhead John]

We’re gonna need to talk shrimp n grits in Lafayette! Gonna pick your brain Candy Sue.

[Panhead John]

All this talk about grits put me in the mood this morning to whip up a batch. This was my first time making grits not named Quaker Oats. 58limited mentioned that he likes a brand called Bob’s Red Mill Polenta. I had to go to H‑E‑B that day anyway and saw some there and picked it up. It tasted like grits to me so that’s what I’m gonna call it, grits. Anywho, fried up some bacon and eggs to go with it. CandySueQ mentioned she likes hers with cheese and an over easy egg on top, so that’s what I did. At the end of the grits cook I added a little butter, a cup of shredded cheddar cheese and salt n pepper….then put my egg on top.

Damn that was good stuff! These grits had a pretty good flavor on their own, but the additions put it over the top! I’m gonna order a different brand next, based on some of y’all’s suggestions. If you think you don’t like grits, remember, they’re kind of like mashed potatoes…..a lot better when you doctor em up a little. Even just adding butter, salt and pepper makes a big difference.

Don’t care what the label says, I’m calling em grits






Best grits I’ve ever made myself

[Finster]

Grits are a relatively new thing for me..
these are the ones I've used the couple times now that I've made them at home..
I don't know how they rate compared to others, but they taste good to me

[das85]

I saw only one other person mention Carolina Plantation in passing so I have to give them a shout-out here. My favorite source for both rice and grits.

https://www.carolinaplantationrice.com/store/products/Carolina-Plantation-Stone-Ground-Grits.html

[Bkhuna]

I bought a few bags of these once when I was visiting Charleston. I've been exclusively buying from Marsh Hen Mills for the last few years.

[texastweeter]

Dice a poblano chili, a jalapeño, a small yellow onion, 4 straps of bacon and 3 cloves of garlic. Cook the bacon in an instant pot on saute, remove the bacon bits, but not the grease. Sauce the diced veggies, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper until onions and garlic are translucent. Add in one cup of grits and toast until you smell popcorn like aroma. Add 3.25 cups of homemade or low sodium chicken stock. Lock the lid cook high pressure for 10 minutes. Natural release. Whisk in 1/2 cup heavy cream, 2 tablespoons butter, the bacon bits, 2 Oz extra sharp cheddar shredded, and 1 Oz parm. Swhisk until combined. You are quite welcome my friend.

[texastweeter]

58limited Spread the leftovers in a Sheehan about an inch thick and refrigerate. Cut into cracker sized squares. Dip in buttermilk, then roll in flour and brown in butter in a hot skillet.

[Dan Deter]

Oh my.

[fzxdoc]

I'm going to make this in a day or two. It sounds delicious.

[Carolyn]

I only have 2 to choose from at the store. Quaker and Albers. Both are made from hominy.
I can understand why people might not like them. The don't have much of a flavor on their own.

Cheese grits, fried grits, shrimp and grits, bacon in the grits. Love me some grits. We have grits and eggs for supper sometimes. My Dad talked about how much he liked garlic cheese grits, but he never made them.

[mnavarre]

I ran across a new-to-me brand of grits last weekend in Nashville. They were in one of the best bowls of shrimp and grits i've had, but as good as the shrimps and gravy were, the grits stole the show. I'd imagine that having someone cooking who knows their way around a bag of grits helps, but you could just tell it was quality product.

The brand is Weisenberger Mill, and I'm about to order a couple bags of grits and a couple bags of corn meal.

And if you're in Nashville check out Homegrown Taproom & Kitchen, and I ain't just sayin' that because my wife works for one of the owners. It was fabulous.



I mean, c'mon.

[fzxdoc]

Thanks for the tip. I'll check out Weisenberger Mill grits. Did you order white or yellow? Both?

K.

[mnavarre]

I ordered both white and yellow grits and corn meal.

[Starsky]

I've been using Palmetto Farms Stone Ground grits

[Texas Larry]

Same here, for years. Just ordered a new supply on Amazon.