Grits Pie

Continuing on my post of Cheesy Grits from earlier this month, this Grits Pie is inspired by our visit to Atlanta. Who knew grits could be so versatile? Grits pie is similar to the better known chess pie, which is often made using cornmeal rather than grits. The grits add a nice texture and flavor to the pie.

This Grits Pie is inspired by one of the many pies I sampled at Sway Pie Buffet while in Atlanta. Sway Restaurant is located in a nice downtown hotel. I am sure the regular food is good, but I only went for the pie buffet. On one hand, there should be more pie buffets, but on the other hand, I ate myself into such a food coma, it took me quite some time to recover from all the delicious pie. Maybe pie buffets should be a once in a lifetime experience. I have never seen grits pie anyplace else, so I had to try to make my own. This grits pie is a delicious custard pie. I highly recommend it.

Grits Pie 

• unbaked pie crust
• 1 cup water
• 1/4 cup quick cook grits
• 1/2 cup butter
• 2 Tbsp. flour
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup buttermilk or greek yogurt
• 3 eggs
• 1 tsp. vanilla

Preheat the oven to 325. In a small saucepan, bring water to boil. Add grits and cook for 4 minutes. Add butter and cook for another 2 minutes. Allow to cool. Meanwhile, mix together the flour, sugar, yogurt, eggs, and vanilla. Slowly blend in the cooled grits. Pour into unbaked pie crust. Bake for 35 to 45 minutes or until center is set. Serve warm or cold. Enjoy!

Succotash

I made this Succotash for Thanksgiving because I realized that I did not have any corn on the menu. While it is not a recipe from Mom's recipe box, I did use onions from Mom's garden. And Mom took home all the leftovers because she loved it.

Succotash is so easy to make. And if you make it ahead, it re-heats easily. Traditionally, succotash is made with lima beans. I used edamame instead. Some succotash recipes might add other items to suit your tastes, such as chili peppers or paprika, which could be a welcome addition. Frozen corn and edamame work well for this recipe, just thaw them well before cooking.

Succotash 

• 2 Tbsp. butter
• 1 small onion, diced
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 1 cup shelled edamame
• 2 cups corn kernels 
• 1/4 cup chopped chives or green onion

Heat butter in pan over medium heat. Saute onions for 5 minutes. Add red bell pepper; saute for 5 to 10 minutes. Add edamame and corn; cook until heated. Toss with chives or green onion. Enjoy!

Cheesy Grits

At the start of each year, I start to plan for the annual trip for Super Bowl week and recall past trips and good meals. This recipe is inspired by the last restaurant stop in New Orleans in February 2025--Mother's Restaurant. I had the very filling breakfast special which included cheesy grits. Grits are a hot cereal made from ground corn. Grits are more common in the South. Grits can be made sweet or savory.

When I made these grits, I made a thicker style, similar to my Grandmother's creamy polenta. Making grits at home makes it easy to make them thinner or thicker, based on your preference. Cheddar cheese is the classic cheese used in cheesy grits, but other cheeses work well. In addition to cheese, I added garlic powder and ground black pepper. Although oatmeal will remain my preferred breakfast cereal, grits may make an occasional appearance. And grits could be a good non-breakfast side dish.

Cheesy Grits 

• Grits
• Cheese
• ground black pepper
• garlic powder

Make the grits according to the package instructions in the quantity needed. When the grits reach the desired thickness, add cheese, pepper, and garlic powder. Enjoy!