It is a family favorite. My brother asks for the leftovers every time he is here when we have it for dinner. I have made it for family dinners and church dinners as a side dish and even as a main dish when I wanted something with lots of flavor but didn't want a full meal or spend a lot of time in the kitchen. It's easy. It's flavorful. It's creamy. And it's delicious.
Here it is as a side with the Margarita Butt Chicken, Vidalia Onion tart, and steamed broccoli. Luckily my brother wasn't here tonight, so I actually get the leftovers.
Jalapeño-Monterey Jack Grits
Ingredients
1 tablespoon butter
1 red bell pepper, cut into 1-inch strips (about 1 1/2 cups)
1 yellow bell pepper, cut into 1-inch strips (about 1 1/2 cups)
1 tablespoon minced seeded jalapeño chili
1 garlic clove, minced
3 cups chicken stock or canned low-salt chicken broth
1 cup whipping cream
1 cup quick-cooking grits
1 1/2 cups grated hot pepper Monterey Jack cheese (about 6 ounces)
Preparation
Melt butter in heavy medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add both peppers, jalapeño, and garlic; sauté until peppers are tender, about 5 minutes. Bring stock and cream to boil in heavy large saucepan. Add grits in thin stream, whisking constantly. Whisk until grits are cooked and mixture thickens, about 6 minutes. Add sautéed pepper mixture and cheese; stir until cheese melts. Season with salt and pepper.
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This doubles or triples very well if you have a crowd. You can cook the peppers and garlic in advance. I do them in the same pot I am going to boil the grits in not to lose the extra flavor in the pot. I have also made them and put them in a crock pot for a church dinner. It kept wonderfully. I came home with an empty pot and this was in New Jersey where they weren't really sure what grits were!
