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Servings:

Roasted Garlic Cheese Grits

This luscious, indulgent side dish is just as comfortable with your morning eggs as it is with a slow braise of pork or lamb and of course, some spicy, saucy shrimp.

Total Time

1hr 10min

5.0

6 Ratings

Author: Garlic & Zest

Servings:

Ingredients

•

1 cup

Polenta Grits

or White Stone Ground Grits

•

4 cups

Low-Sodium Chicken Broth

•

1/2 cup

Half and Half

•

5 sprigs

Fresh Thyme

•

1 cup

Shredded Fontina Cheese

•

1 cup

Shredded Cheddar Cheese

•

1/2 tsp

Salt

•

1/4 tsp

Freshly Ground Black Pepper

•

1 head

Garlic

•

5 dashes

Hot Sauce

•

as needed

Olive Oil

Cooking Instructions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).

Cut the head of Garlic (1 head) crosswise at the pointy end, trimming about 1/4-1/2 inch so that the interior of the cloves are exposed.

Drizzle Olive Oil (as needed) over the garlic and wrap it in aluminum foil. Bake for 40-50 minutes until soft. Let cool.

While the garlic is roasting, rinse the Polenta Grits (1 cup) with cool water, stirring to separate any loose chaff and hulls. Hold your hand on the edge of the bowl to drain the water and loose particles, but hold the grits in the bowl.

Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan bring Low-Sodium Chicken Broth (4 cups) and Fresh Thyme (5 sprigs) to a boil.

Whisk in the grits and once the liquid returns to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover and stir frequently 30-35 minutes, until thick and creamy. Be sure to scrape the bottom of the pan as the grits cook, so they don't stick.

Peel apart the garlic once cooled. Holding a clove of garlic from the bottom, squeeze out the roasted garlic onto a cutting board. Repeat for each clove. Chop the cloves roughly and use the side of the knife to smear the garlic into a paste.

Add the garlic paste to the grits and whisk in until thoroughly combined.

Add Half and Half (1/2 cup) , Fontina Cheese (1 cup) , Cheddar Cheese (1 cup) , Salt (1/2 tsp) , Freshly Ground Black Pepper (1/4 tsp) , and Hot Sauce (5 dashes) . Stir until cheese is melted.

10.

At this point, you can hold the grits covered in a pot until you're ready to eat them (they will continue to thicken as they cool). Rewarm them to serve, garnished with additional cheese and hot sauce if desired.

Author's Notes

If you have leftovers, save them, they will reheat beautifully in the microwave with a pat of butter.

Nutrition Per Serving

CALORIES

325

FAT

15.6 g

PROTEIN

16.2 g

CARBS

29.0 g