This recipe is a fab way to start the day with a breakfast bowl of creamy grits topped up with crispy bacon. If you’ve have already tried my Cheese & Prawn Grit Breakfast Bowl recipe you will love this simpler version too.

What exactly are grits?

Grits are made from white version of corn plant and as such they are naturally gluten-free. They are also referred to as homini grits. The are popular ingredients for breakfast meals and are usually made in a same way as a porridge.

The main difference is that the preparation takes much longer. Boiling grits takes a good 30 minutes (for about 1/2 cup) as they need to soak up a lot of moisture. Once prepared they are nice and soft and not at all ‘gritty’!

Why make this recipe?

Tasty & savoury way to start the day!
Perfect breakfast option for winter or cold mornings
Naturally gluten free & suitable for low FODMAP diet
Can be made easily dairy free (just use plant based milk of your choice)

Ingredients & Substitutions

Grits

This recipe is made with raw grits (not instant or pre-made). You can substitute the grits for polenta, but your mixture is going to be done sooner than if you’ve made it with grits as polenta is slightly finer.

Bacon

Smoked bacon is my choice, but you can easily use unsmoked. I also use bacon that hasn’t been treated (preserved) with nitrogen as this plays a havoc with my digestive system.

Milk

You can use any milk you have a hand. The higher the fat content in the milk the creamier the grits mixture is going to be. You are welcome to use a mixture of different milks (for example if you have some left over cream you can mix it with water or milk).

You can also use plant based milks, like oats, almonds or soya milk. I probably wouldn’t use coconut milk as the whole mixture might taste too sweet.

Butter

I’ve used unsalted real butter, but salted butter is fine too.

Any dietary requirements? This recipe can be made:

Naturally gluten free
No added sugar
Nuts free
Dairy free (Depending on what milk you use)
Low FOODMAP (use plant based milk, butter & choose bacon without nitrogen preservatives if you can)

My top tips on making bacon grits breakfast bowl successfully the first time round

Don’t skimp on water and milk when boiling the grits. They soak up a lot of liquid and although it might initially look like there is a lot of water, they will soak everything up. Believe me!

Make sure that you boil the grits for long enough until they are nice and soft.

Stir them once in the while unless you want to end up with the grits slightly burned

Add seasoning and plenty of salt to lift the grits flavour, otherwise they might taste a bit bland

How to serve traditional breakfast grits?

It’s perfect on it’s own, but if you wanted to serve it with a freshly baked soft rolls or crusty bread slice with homemade herb butter that would be great too!

What else you can serve breakfast grits with?

For this recipe, I’ll stick with savoury options, as grits can be made sweet too and there are far too many options!

Eggs (poached, fried, scrambled)
Poached eggs & spinach
Leftover meat (already prepared, e.g. chicken, pork etc)
Fresh herbs like chives or parsley
Bacon jerky pieces

Can I make grits in advance?

Yes, you can, but if you leave them cool down too much you’ll will get a skin developing on the top of the mixture.

To prevent this happening you can use a lid or foil to keep the saucepan hot, whilst you prepare the rest of your breakfast. You should be fine for about 30 minutes and you can easily reheat the grits just before you are ready to serve them.

How to store breakfast grits

To be honest, it’s best to eat them hot, but if you have any leftovers, you can cool them down and store them in the fridge for up to 2 days.

When you are ready to eat them, you’d need to reheat them in the microwave (or on the hob) with some extra water or milk. Expect them to get thick, when they set, so they need the extra liquid to loosen up again.

More savoury breakfast recipes