Nassau Grits

     Welcome back! This post today is for the Improv Cooking Challenge with the theme Corn and Peppers. I went through several ideas for combinations before settling on this recipe. Y'all, I'm from the south, I LOVE grits. I esp. love making them with homemade chicken stock and some hard cheese, they are amazing that way. Typically I top them with greens and a fried egg. But once I saw this version I knew I had to make them. Now that you've been introduced to them, you will also need to try them. 

     Some notes on making this recipe. First off, gouda is the cheese that is most common in this recipe, I just happen to really, really, love the punchy flavor of aged gouda and used that in them. I usually have homemade chicken stock on hand; we have roast chicken once a week for dinner and I always cook down the frame afterward for broth and any extra bits of meat I can pull off once it's tender. I usually make grits with it if I can but I've tried this recipe with and without. There are so many additional flavors that making it with bouillon cubes was indistinguishable. So those are a great option as well. 

Improv Cooking Challenge

Corn & Peppers

• Corn and Bell Pepper Sandwich by Magical Ingredients 
• Flaxseed & Corn Poha by Sneha's Recipes
• Mexican Street Corn and Sausage Salad by A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Nassau Grits by Pandemonium Noshery

Nassau Grits Recipe

4 c. chicken broth

1/4 c. heavy cream

4 Tbsp. butter

1 1/4 c. grits

1/4 tsp. black pepper

1 oz. aged gouda, grated fine

6 strips bacon

1 onion, chopped

1 c. chopped ham

1 red pepper, sliced

1 Roma tomato, chopped

     Bring the chicken broth, butter, and black pepper to a boil. Slowly add the grits and stir to combine. Cover and allow to simmer over medium-low heat for 15 minutes. Add the cream and continue cooking until the grits are cooked. Remove from the heat and add the gouda, stir to combine and cover again. 

Meanwhile, place the bacon in a skillet and cook until crisp on both sides. Remove from the heat and add the onion and ham. Saute until the onion is tender. Add the red pepper and cook, stirring, just until the pepper is crisp-tender. Add the tomatoes and continue cooking. Remove from the heat. 

     Stir a little less than half of the vegetable and ham mixture into the grits. Divide the grits into four bowls and top with the remaining vegetable mixture, crumbled bacon, and fresh parsley.  Serve immediately.