For the holidays put a twist on a breakfast favorite for your guests!  The Bacon & Grits Fritters brunch recipe will take you back to the times when mom was in the kitchen, you and your siblings were anticipating the time that she would get done so you all could finally get a taste of what was smelling so delicious.  The recipe is simple and tasty to make. So for this season try it out and you won’t be disappointed.

Southern Breakfast: Bacon and Grits Fritters

Image via: Foodily

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Servings:  32

Prep-Time:  35 min

Total time: 4hr 40min

Ingredients

1 cup of Uncooked Quick-Cooking Grits
4 cups of Milk
1 teaspoon of Salt
1 ½ cups of (6 oz.) Shredded Extra-Sharp White Cheddar Cheese
½ cup of Cooked and Finely Crumbled Bacon (about 8 slices)
2 Green Onions, minced
½ teaspoon of Freshly Ground Pepper
2 Large Eggs
3 cups of Japanese Breadcrumbs (panko)
Vegetable Oil

Image via: Betty Crocker

Directions

1. Prepare the grits like it is instructed on the package directions being sure to use 4 cups of milk and 1 tsp of salt.  Then remove it from heat and let it stand for about 5 minutes.  Stir cheese and the next 3 ingredients, stirring until cheese is melted.  Spoon mixture into a lightly-greased 8-inch square baking dish or pan, and chill 4-24 hours.
2. When the mixture has chilled take it out and roll the grits into a 1 ½ -inch balls (about 32 balls in all).  And set them aside on a plate or baking sheet.  Then, in a separate bowl whisk together the eggs and ¼ cup of water.  Take each ball and dip it in the egg wash and roll in breadcrumbs.
3. Get out a large skillet or pan and pour the vegetable oil in it and make it 3 inches deep and heat over a medium-high heat.  Fry the fritters, in batches for 3-4 minutes or until they are golden brown.  When the fritters have golden take them out of the heated oil and place them on paper towels to drain them.
4.  Keep the fritters warm in a pan on a wire rack in the oven for 225 degrees F for up to 30 minutes and serve warm!

Enjoy this Bacon & Grits Fritters Recipe for your next brunch or breakfast. Guaranteed to be a sure fire hit!

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Shrimp and grits gumbo style!  Grits are an amazing food mainly because of its versatile usage and wonderful taste.  Just think about anytime that you have eaten them, you were able to mix it with some of your favorite meats, cheeses, vegetables and you could eat them pretty much anytime of the day.  Now, for today let’s have Louisiana inspire us and create a flavorful gumbo topping that will add a kick of deliciousness to the stone-ground grits base of the meal.

Southern Gumbo Gravy over Stone-Ground Grits Recipe

Image via: Tartlette

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Servings: 6

Hands-On Time: 15 Min.

Total Time: 45 Min.

Ingredients

1 lb. of Large Raw Shrimp, Peeled and Deveined
1 ½ teaspoons of Cajun Seasoning
6 oz. of Andouille Sausage, Diced
2 teaspoons of Vegetable Oil
Vegetable Cooking Spray
1 cup of Diced of Sweet Onion
½ cup of Diced Green Bell Pepper
2 Garlic Cloves, Minced
3 tablespoons of Browned Flour (Refer Below)
1 cup of Reduced-Sodium, Fat-Free Chicken Broth
1 cup of Sliced Fresh Okra
2 Large Plum Tomatoes, Peeled, Seeded, and Diced
Slow- Cooker Grits

• Garnish: Sliced Green Onions
• Browned Flour Recipe: Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Spread 1 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour  in a 12-inch cast-iron skillet.  Then bake for 20-25 minutes or until the flour is has the color of pecan shells, stir with a wooden spoon every 7 minutes, after remove from skillet and let it completely cool (about 30 min).

Image via: Katrina Runs

Instructions

Gumbo Gravy

1. In a medium bowl, toss the large, raw shrimp in Cajun seasoning and set it to the side.
2. Next, in a large skillet coated with cooking spray, cook the sausage over a medium heat for 5 minutes or until they are lightly browned.  Then add the oil, onion, green bell pepper, and the garlic cloves into the skillet and sauté for 3 minutes or until everything is tender.
3. Sprinkle Browned Flour over sausage mixture; stir until blended.  Stir in chicken broth and increase the heat to medium high. Bring the combination to a boil making sure to stir it consistently for about 3 minutes or until it has thickened.
4. Begin to add in the shrimp, okra, and tomatoes and cook for 5 more minutes or until the shrimp turn pink and serve over the grits when the grits are finished.

Slow-Cooker Stone-Ground Grits

1. Stir together 1 ½ cups of uncooked stone-ground yellow grits and 4 ½ cups of water in a 3 quart slow cooker.  Let it stand for 2 minutes, allowing grits to settle to bottom; tilt slow cooker slightly, and skim off solids using a fine wire-mesh strainer.
2. Cover the grits and cook them on HIGH 2 ½ to 3 hours or until grits are creamy and tender, stirring every 45 minutes.  Season the grits with salt and freshly ground pepper to taste.
3. When finished fill 6 bowls with the grits and pour the gumbo gravy on the tops of each bowl and enjoy!

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