Amazing Country Crock Pot Grits

YUM, YUM and YUM!

Ok, this one is for all of you grits lovers! When I make this for church breakfasts or family events, people go crazy and eat every last spoonful and ask for the recipe. It's sooooo easy and delicious! And it's perfect for Christmas morning!

This recipe is for a huge batch that fits in a 6 quart crock pot. You can half the recipe or adjust it accordingly for a smaller batch.

There are many ways to make it, but here is how people seem to like it best:

Ingredients:
3 cups grits
3 1/2 quarts water (14 cups)
2 tsp salt (to taste)
1 lb sausage, browned and drained (I use Jimmy Dean Hot Sausage)
1/2 stick salted butter (or more)
8 oz cream cheese, softened
2-4 cups of shredded cheese (however much you like)
6 eggs (or more) scrambled
Pepper to taste

Directions:
1. Bring 14 cups of water and 2 tsp salt to a boil. Add 3 cups grits while stirring. Let it come back to a boil and turn down heat, cover, and let simmer for 10 minutes or so, or until the grits are done according to the directions on your package. I would suggest stirring every few minutes.

2. While the grits are cooking, brown the sausage, drain, and put in the crock pot. I like to make sure it's broken up into small pieces.

3. Scramble as many eggs as you like, and put those in the crock pot too. I like lots of eggs and have a lot of mouths to feed, so I usually scramble about 10 eggs.

4. Cut the butter up in pieces and put in crock pot. Put cream cheese in crock pot. Add a bunch (2-4 cups or so) of shredded cheese. I use the Wal Mart brand Mexican blend mix because it melts well and is really creamy.

5. Pour the grits into the crock pot. Sometimes I can't fit all of the grits in because I have so many other ingredients in the crock pot! Add as much pepper as you would like.

6. Stir all of those yummy ingredients together until it's well blended and the cream cheese is stirred in. Taste it to see if it needs more salt. Keep the crock pot on the lowest setting - warm or low.

I make this at night and keep it on warm until the next morning when we chow down on it. Grits do thicken over time, so you have to start off having the grits a little thinner than you would ultimately like them. Sometimes I have to stir in a little milk or water to keep it from being too thick. You can also make this and eat it right away.

Variations:
There are lots of variations for this recipe! You could add bacon bits, ham dices, sliced summer sausage, or whatever kind of meat you want. You could cook the grits with cream or milk instead of water. You can add whatever kind of cheese you prefer, and however much of it you like. I have a friend who has made it with shrimp, garlic, a little onion. The possibilities are endless. I promise you are going to love it!

Source: Adapted from Debbie Evans, one of the best country cooks I know! 

Photo: I never realized that grits were actually not very pretty. I had to take close to a hundred shots before I found a few that looked nice enough to post. Grits might not photograph as amazingly as they taste, but that does not matter. Just eat and ENJOY!