I learned to like grits after a trip South this summer. I bought some of the Quaker Old Fashioned kind to try to replicate the experience at home. The first few times they turned out fine, but since then I've been having trouble. I can't figure out what's different. Does anyone know any tricks?

Every time I eat them, I think of "My Cousin Vinny" and it makes me laugh.

You can also add broccoli & other vegetables; just be careful not to add stuff with too much water, or your grits get runny. That's yucky.

I cook the vegetables first, then set them out to dry off a bit, then add them to the grits/cheese/eggs.

It works with egg substitutes, too, but I found plain ol' egg whites made it kinda dry and puffy.

Also...a sprinkle of sugar with the tiny bit of butter is how my Papaw ate them.

That sounds filling and tasty, D. Thanks! So far I've just been doing them plain with a tiny bit of butter and salt.

This might not be the gourmet answer, but...when they don't soak everything up in the time they should, I just cook them longer.

(So that you have something more than plain and for breakfast....

Make a serving of grits. Add a small amount to two eggs and start stirring. Gradually add more grits to the eggs--you're just trying to keep the eggs from scrambling--until the bowl you've been working in is hot. Mix the rest together and add 1/2-1 c of cheese and some red pepper flakes. Pour in a casserole dish, bake at 350 for 30 minutes. You should be able to slice it and eat the squares.

I'll take a piece of that, let it refrigerate overnight, and then slice it up into smaller cubes and saute in a skillet. I've eaten them just like that, or as "croutons" over salad or soup.

But, then, I like grits A lot.

I wondered about that. I also think maybe I am turning the heat down too low after I add the grits.

I'll have to keep experimenting. Yesterday I tried to make some and they didn't seem to soak up the cooking liquid right. I put them in a container in the fridge and this morning, heated up in the microwave, they were perfect. So that makes me wonder if they needed more heat/time to absorb the water -- and maybe the humidity has contributed to that.

Jen,
Could it be a function of all the rain and humidity we've been having? Maybe try a little less cooking liquid????