Cheese Grits Cakes | Mimi Omiecinski

Ingredients 

(for four servings)

  • 1 qt. milk
  • ¾ cup unsalted butter, divided
  • 1 cup yellow stone-ground grits – DO NOT SKIMP ON THE QUALITY OF THE GRITS!  (it’s the secret to great grits – they have to be stone ground, coarse and fresh – McCaffrey’s usually carries Callie’s Grits)
  • 1 cup grated Swiss cheese – DO NOT SKIMP ON THE QUALITY OF THE CHEESE – (I get from Olsen’s on Palmer Square)
  • Salt and pepper, to taste
  • ⅓ cup grated Parmesan cheese – DO NOT SKIMP ON THE QUALITY OF THE CHEESE – (I like to mix it up and get from D’Angelo’s!)

Preparation

Preheat oven to 375°F. 

Combine milk and ½ cup butter in a 2-gallon saucepan or a large Dutch oven, and bring to a boil over medium heat. Add grits slowly.  Turn on some country music ( I like Johnny Cash at this stage) and cook for 35 minutes, stirring constantly.  DON’T LEAVE THE STOVE!  IT’S CRITICAL TO STIR CONSTANTLY.

Remove from heat, and add a little whole milk if the grits look too stiff. Blend the grits with an immersion blender for 30 seconds, until creamy. Add Swiss cheese and a pinch of salt and pepper to taste, and mix well with a wooden spoon – (preferably handed down from your Nana or Mama – if you don’t have one, use one you have and plan who will inherit yours – maybe as a consolation to whomever doesn’t get your cast iron skillet!)

Pour the mixture into a buttered half sheet pan and spread into an even layer with an offset spatula. Dot with remaining ¼ cup unsalted butter and sprinkle high quality Parmesan cheese over the mixture.  

Bake for 20 minutes and START DANCING.  (I have a 20 minute Grits playlist of my all time country faves)

Remove from the oven, cool, and refrigerate (uncovered) for 30 minutes, and then cut into disks with a cutter of your choosing. Transfer the disks to a parchment-paper-lined sheet pan. To serve, rewarm in 200°F oven.

What makes it special?

These are special because they are fun to make as a group – it requires dancing AND they are delicious warm or as left-overs!  

What’s Your Connection to Princeton?

Super fan since 2005

Recipe shared by Mimi Omiecinski

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