I’m not sure how old I was when I first tasted grits, most likely my Mother or Grandmother started me eating them as one of my first foods when I was a toddler. They both always made the best grits – creamy, buttery, and cooked to perfection.
I remember spending the night with Grandmother and waking up to the intoxicating, heady aroma of bacon crackling in her cast iron skillet. I’d quickly wipe my eyes and head down the long hallway of her house toward her kitchen where she was humming her favorite hymnals as she prepared our breakfast. I always wanted to be the first one into the kitchen with her when she was cooking to watch her perform her magic and to hopefully be able to taste test any number of dishes she was preparing.
Even as a young girl, I remember being mesmerized watching her in the kitchen. For breakfast she’d have a pitcher of orange juice, a pot of coffee, her bacon nearly done in the cast iron skillet that was slick and shiny from years of use. Her biscuits were neatly placed in one of her biscuit pans and rising in the oven while the eggs sat in a bowl on the counter waiting to be scrambled in a bit of the bacon drippings once the bacon had been cooked. But on the back eye of her stove stood a pot with grits thick from being cooked since very early in the morning with cream and butter just waiting on cheese to top it off.
Pure and total comfort.
Now I can easily buy grits in any number of varieties at just about any grocery store I step into below the Mason Dixon line and have even been shocked to find some when visiting other parts of the country. But old fashioned, stone ground grits are the preferred grit around my house. Luckily for me, you can cook them without having to get up before the rooster crows like my Grandmother did by using the slow cooker.
Here’s how I make them.
Spray the crock of your slow cooker with non-stick cooking spray. Then add in your grits.
Pour in your water..
and add your salt.
Now turn on low and cook overnight for about 7 hours.
When you wake up, add in your cream…
butter…
and grated cheese.
Stir, cover, and cook until all of your cheese has melted.
Serve it with another little bit of cheese and butter and enjoy.
Oh, and maybe scramble a few eggs and bacon to go with it. Grits are always better with a few of her friends.
Slow Cooker Grits Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups stone ground grits
- 6 cups water
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 2 cups cream
- 4 tablespoons butter + more
- 12 ounces grated cheddar cheese + more
Instructions
- Spray crock of slow cooker with non-stick cooking spray.
- Add grits, water and salt. Cook on low setting for 7 hours or overnight.
- Before ready to serve, remove lid and add cream, butter, and grated cheese.
- Serve with additional butter and grated cheese.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
What’s your favorite thing to eat alongside grits?
Enjoy!
Robyn
Every January 1st. My family & I had a New Year brunch! To bring in the New Year together. I made the grits this year it was such a hit! They love them. They were perfect!
What kind of cream?
Every year since I was a young child we would have Christmas Morning, all the fun that Santa brought us, open presents and then quickly had to pick up because my Aunt, Uncle and cousins would come over for brunch. Mom would make grits, her sausage casserole and biscuits. Now that everyone is older we still have the same tradition. But with age, we have discovered it takes us a lot longer now. So we have decided to do everything the night before. So at the last minute I Googled Crock Pot Grits and your recipe was the first to pop up. We doubled the recipe but now looking back we did it all wrong. Guess that’s what we get for doing it all at 2 AM.
We did not have the stone ground grits, we had the old fashion white grits which worked great. But put everything in the crock pot. Grits, Water, Salt, Cream and Butter turned it on, and went to bed. The next morning I opened the lid and was not too sure. but once I finally got it all mixed together, it was good. We added the cheese as we fixed our plates. They needed more seasoning but overall it was very good.
We doubled the recipe because we were going to have 10 people, but…looking back we should have kept the recipe the same because we had a lot left over.
I love Grits!! As a Child I would not eat anything other than Grits. My dad used to call me Grits-Blitz.
Such fun traditions, Leigh! I’m glad you liked the grits! Cute nickname too! Thanks so much!
Do you think these will hold well while transporting in my slow cooker from home to work (about a 20 minute driver)? Do you think I should wait until I reach work to add the cream, butter and cheese? I am worried they will seize without constant heat.
Hi Joni,
My recipe calls for adding the cream, butter, and cheese right before serving. If they are not warm when you reach your destination, then you can decide if you think you should warm them prior to adding the cream, butter and cheese just prior to serving. Thanks!
Hi! Do you think this recipe could easily be doubled and work out well? I just started to really take a good look at your recipes, and they seem inspired, homey, and Southernly delicious. I am looking forward to sampling several. Thank you!
Marsha
Do you have to use stone ground I couldn’t find it in the store only old fashioned? Are they the same?
You can use old fashioned grits, Jackie.
I enjoyed the different grits recipes and just got a new crockpot for a gift, and will put one of the recipes to the test.
Congratulations on your new slow cooker! I feel like mine is one of my best friends we are together so much! 🙂 I hope you enjoy the grits!
What size crockpot did you use? The size tends not ever to be mentioned–yet could be the reason why something may or may not turn out correctly. Too big and things may burn, too small and it either takes forever, or comes out blah. Thanks 🙂
I use a 6-quart slow cooker for this recipe. Thanks!
Just made these (as per directions) for dinner tonight & they turned out perfect! Thank you 🙂
We love cheese grits in the crock pot. In fact, we call them Crackpot Grits, because they are so good. The only way to improve on your recipe is to use crockpot liners to make clean up a breeze. LOL!
great tip!