Stone ground grits, made with whole milk or half and half, chicken broth, and roasted fresh corn, scraped from the cob.

Roasted Corn Grits

As a side dish, these roasted corn grits rock!

I patterned them after the dish of the same name at Zea Rotisserie and Grill in Metairie, Louisiana after hearing somebody, somewhere along the way talking about them recently. Oh my goodness. I thought my garlic cheese grits were good, but these? Off. The. Chain.

The roasted corn adds such incredible flavor.

Shrimp and Sausage cooked in a spicy tomato, roux and trinity enhanced sauce, and served on a bed of Garlic Cheese Grits.

Gulf Coast Shrimp and Grits

Grits are a southern dish for sure, and though classic Shrimp and Grits is more of a Lowcountry Southern dish, than it is a Deep South Coastal dish - don't y'all know we sure took it up down here too!

Grits are a perfect southern side dish with eggs for breakfast no doubt, but we certainly bring them out of pantry for other meals down here too. Eggs in Purgatory makes a perfectly good dish for brunch or even for supper, as does Grits and Grillades and here, Shrimp and Grits.

A souffle'd casserole of baked grits with cheese and sausage.

Baked Garlic Cheese Grits with Sausage

I love my stovetop version of garlic cheese grits. They are a creamy, cheesy, and perfect garlicky cradle for eggs in purgatory, shrimp and grits, or grillades and grits, or as a tasty side dish, great with scrambled or fried, dirty eggs.  Last week though, we were chatting over on the Facebook page about everybody's favorite way to make a baked, casserole-style cheese grits, like this one; souffle-like and fluffy.

Eggs are dropped into a bed of fiery tomato sauce, made from fresh tomatoes paired with chunky Rotel and enhanced with bacon, onion and sweet bell peppers, and then passed in the oven to set, topped with cheese and served over cheese grits.

Eggs in Purgatory

Eggs in Purgatory is one of those recipes that I consider to be a lost classic. You don't hear about it much anymore, though thanks to us bloggers, it seems to be making a resurgence in the past couple of years.

I see folks doing it all the time, but I have never been one to put ketchup on eggs, though I do love them with salsa, especially in a breakfast wrap. I absolutely adore these Eggs in Purgatory though, done up in a bed of thick and spicy creole tomato sauce. They are just delicious!

Strips of round steak, slow stewed with tomatoes and vegetables and served over a bed of garlic cheese grits.

Grillades and Grits

Grillades and Grits {pronounced GREE-ahds}, found on the menu at debutante balls and definitely a staple at Mardi Gras, is a dish of smothered beef, slow simmered in a roux and tomato base, though the name literally translated actually means grilled. Made with just about any kind of beef, and sometimes even with pork or veal, I prefer to use inexpensive bottom round steak. Don't use a top round.

Grits Cakes

Leftover garlic cheese grits, poured into a loaf pan and refrigerated overnight, then sliced into wedges, dipped in seasoned flour and deep fried.

Deep Fried Grit Cakes

Remember those yummy garlic cheese grits we made last weekend? Well, we're about to turn these into some awesome grit cakes! Talk about good. Give 'em a try ... they are fantastic!

First preheat your deep fryer to 355 degrees, or heat oil in a large skillet. In a medium bowl, mix up some flour with salt, pepper and Cajun seasoning.

A favorite breakfast staple of grits are taken a step up with the addition of garlic and cheese, making them the perfect bed for shrimp and grits, grillades or eggs in purgatory.

Creamy Southern Garlic Cheese Grits

Grits, plain with just butter, salt and lots of pepper are a delicious Southern staple. They are made from hominy or plain corn that has been finely ground to the consistency of sand and are typically served as a side dish with eggs and toast at breakfast, but often show up at other meals too.

I love grits, but I truly love garlic cheese grits. I mean these make my eyes roll back they are so good - creamy, cheesy and loaded with garlic. And, if you're lucky you'll have some left to make fried grit cakes too, because they are over the top, I'm tellin' ya!