Cheddar Grits Cakes
These Cheddar Grits Cakes are SO GOOD – good gosh – I have no words – I just wish y’all would make them and experience them for yourselves!
The first time I laid eyes on these “grits cakes”, I made up my mind I was not going to try them – first, I am not a huge fan of grits, and second, they had my long-time nemesis (aka “dairy”) in them!
After having been burned several times by dairy foods, I have become a little jaded and have done my darndest to steer clear of all gut-busting lactose products for the last few years. But then, last week happened!
As a member of the Atlanta Food Blogger Society, I got to sit in on a “one-of-a-kind” dining experience featuring nine original lactose intolerance-friendly recipes which were the brainchild of Cincinnati-based Chef Caitlin Steininger at the gorgeous Third Space in downtown Atlanta.
Now, I had heard about aged cheeses being lactose-intolerant friendly, but, I was skeptical and avoided them – and probably would have kept on avoiding them – if not for the persuasive powers of the representatives from the Southeast United Dairy Industry Association, the National Dairy Council and Cabot Cheese who made it a point to educate and inform jaded skeptics like myself.
The evening started off with a cheese tasting which led to appetizers such as “Cheddar puffs with tomato jam” (good golly that tomato jam was p.h.e.n.o.m.e.n.a.l.), “Parmesan shortbread with fig jam” and delectable “Black Bean Soup with White Cheddar Popcorn and Greek Yogurt“.
Bottom right to left: Cheddar Grits Cakes, Chocolate yogurt cupcakes, and oatmeal cookies with horchata
We moved on to 3 main courses: “Roasted chicken on garlic mashed potatoes with spiced carrots and arugula pesto with aged cheese“, “Peaches and green salad with toasted cumin dressing“, and finally – mind blowing “Cheddar Grits Cakes with shredded beef and red eye gravy with aged cheeses“. Guess it took a chef from the north to get me to fall in love with a southern favorite!
These grits cakes were – good gosh – I have no words – I just wish y’all would make them and experience them for yourselves – and yup – they are an “Experience”!
I had to make them when I got home – and deviated a tad bit from Chef Caitlin’s recipe by adding cayenne instead of hot sauce and adding cilantro to garnish as well as using 2% milk and vegetable broth instead of chicken – otherwise, I followed her directions exactly and my daughter and sister (who came into town to surprise my daughter for her birthday) found these to be absolutely delicious too!
Our wonderful night ended with a 3 course dessert round, with “Chocolate yogurt cupcakes“, to die for “pound cake-Georgia peach preserve sundaes” (with a sauce made with reducing white wine and peach preserves), and we toasted our chef and her wonderful crew with a totally unique “Oatmeal cookie” and “Homemade horchata“. We grabbed a lactose free hot chocolate and eggnog for the road before calling it a night.
[Tweet “Cheddar Capped Grits Cakes By @Cookingwithcaitlin @AtlBS @TheDairyRD @RunninSrilankan… http://savoryspin.com/2014/12/09/cheddar-capped-grits-cakes-cooking-caitlin/ via @RunninSrilankan”]
Disclaimer: I am so thankful for the chance to be included in this unique, informative and one of a kind dining experience. I received no compensation for my thoughts and opinions herein.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups lactose free whole milk I used 2%
- 1 1/2 cups chicken broth I used vegetable
- 1 cup cornmeal
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 cup and 1/2 a cup cheddar cheese
- 1-2 teaspoons hot sauce I used 1 teaspoon cayenne
- 1 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Combine the milk, vegetable/chicken broth in a pot and bring to a boil
- When liquid is boiling whisk in the cornmeal and baking soda and whisk till mixture thickens
- Fold in the hot sauce/cayenne and 1 cup of the cheddar and salt
- Transfer mixture to a greased 8×8 pan/tray and chill about an hour
- When cool, cut or scoop and shape into what shape you prefer
- In a non stick pan over high heat, add a pinch of cheddar and when it melts, add a grits cake onto it – when ready , flip and let cook on other side about 2-3 minutes)
- Repeat for all cakes
- Garnish with cilantro or serve as is
What a fun experience. I love hearing about it, and the menu. So glad you came around about two of my faves: cheddar and grits!
Katie – the experience was priceless and so is cheese – I forgot how good it was! 🙂
Wow, those look so good. I had no idea regarding aged cheese and lactose intolerance. Amazing and I am sure lots of cheese loving lactose intolerant people will do the happy dance. Those grit cakes sound and look delicious, love grits and love cheese a great recipe from Chef Caitlin.
Suzanne – I learned so much that night – and chef Caitlin is pretty darn amazing!
Sounds like a really fun night! These grits cakes look awesome!
Thanks so much Chris!
I miss DA CHEESE!! I haven’t had cheese in 13 years and I can only remember what it tastes like when I smell it…… If I were around when there were cooking, oh man, you would hear some interesting groans from me! LOL!
Duuuuuuuude – I hadn’t had cheese in like 11 years till that night! OOh -cheese is good!
Yum I totally have cornmeal that is just sitting here… never thought to make grit cakes. Totally pinning to try!
Cassandra – thank you – I would never have thought to either!
Soup with popcorn?! Brilliant! And I seriously don’t do enough cooking with grits. I think I’ve only ever bought one bag of them, and I actually enjoyed it so I have no idea what on earth stopped me from getting more…
Amanda that popcorn balanced of that soup so well – this little chef Caitlin sure knew what she was doing! xxs
Yay, this looks like so much fun! So glad you got to join this awesome dining experience! These grit cakes look amazing and sound perfect with those cupcakes and sundaes you had too 🙂
Thanks Kelly – yes – yes this was one experience I won’t forget! How can I forget the night I ate cheese again – right? 😉
What a beauty! These cheddar-grits cakes are so mouthwatering… I am personally a fan of creamy grits. It is comfort food for me but I will have to try the cakes made from it.
Thanks Denise – if you love grits – these are gonna be a special treat for you! xxs
Omigosh Shashi, it was such.a.treat. to get to feed you and Geri. Thank you for the love note that is this post. And THANK YOU for bringing your energy and openness to the table. We look forward to the next time… Caitlin + Kelly (but you can call me Heather 😉 )
Awww Kelly (aka Heather btw, I am so so sorry for calling you Heather)- thank you and Caitlin so much for such a wonderful evening! Geri and I had a blast! Wish you and your sis and y’alls families a wonderful Christmas and Happy 2015! Hoping our paths cross again! xxs
What a fun experience Shashi! And these look so yummy and I’m not a huge grits fan either!
Hope your December is treating you well!
Melanie – I was so humbled to have been able to be part of this – it was a truly amazing evening!
Hope December is treating you well too! xxs
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Sounds like you had a super fun night Shashi and so much great food. Those cheddar puffs with tomato jam sounds like they were the real deal.
About grits, I’m certainly not the biggest fan but yours look pretty legit.
Mike – that tomato jam was so awesmazing! I used to not be a fan of grits – being here in Atlanta – grits are free flowing everywhere – but I never could develop a taste for them – then Chef Caitlin made these grits cakes and well – now am a convert – though don’t think I could eat a bowl of grits straight up yet!
What a great experience! Those cheesy cornmeal cakes look so beautifully golden brown and tempting!
What an awesome night, Shashi! Anything involving cheddar and grits just has my name written all over it. We need to talk to poor Mike about his aversion to grits. He just needs to taste some good grits so he knows what good Southern food is all about, right? 🙂
David – I used to abhor grits so I can understand Mike’s “issues” well – but these grits cakes were like no grits I had tasted before – Chef Caitlin is pure genius to come up with them – d she is from the North! 🙂
hey Shashi! what a fun night!! I love things like this! I wonder if Madison has something similar. . these cheddar capped grits cakes look SO GOOD!!! and love that you and your sister were able to celebrate your daughter’s birthday! love when family gets together!
Thanks so much Alice – yes, surprise family get togethers are the best! I am not sure if they will be coming to Madison or if there will be any others – they did mention they were going to take a break for the holidays for now.
These sound so good – interesting about aged cheeses being ok for lactose intolerance – my husband is lactose intolerant so I’m sure he’d love to know that.
Jeanette – I ate a ton of cheddar and Gouda that night – but I was a-ok in the hours following and I am very sensitive to lactose…hope your hubs fairs well with any aged cheeses he tries.
Grit cakes, oh mama mia.. come to me! What a fun experience, looks like it was a blast!
It sure was Pamela – such a gastronomically delightful night! 🙂
What a great experience, Shashi! I always forget about grits and they’re so good…especially when topped with cheddar. Great recipe!
Marissa – truth be told – I never thought grits were good – till I had some of those grits cakes!
What a wonderful night with so much great food! I love grits any which way, but these cheddar grit cakes look especially good!
Thanks Christin – Chef Caitlin was genius to come up with these!
What fun for you! I could go for these cheesy grits cakes right now!
Maureen – my daughter just finished the last one of the second batch I made today!
Sounds like you had a great day, Shashi! You’ve spurred me on to look up grits now and find out what they are. I’ve heard of them but have no idea what they are!! Hahaha … I bet that seems strange to you! I take your word for it though that these cakes are tasty … they certainly look it!
No Helen I dont think that’s strange at all – grits is a Southern American thing (heck I didn’t really know that much about Thanksgiving till I came to the USA) – i hope you manage to find some cornmeal cos these cakes were pretty fantastic!
What a great sounding experience! It looks like you had a wonderful time!
I’ve never been the biggest fan of grits but I’ve never thought to use them in cakes like these! They look so good!
Ashley – I abhorred grits – no matter how they were cooked – then I had these grits cakes and am singing a different tune now! 🙂
Yum – I LOVE grits!!! I feel sure that I will love these grits cakes!!!
Oooh – if you love grits – be prepared to be addicted to these grits cakes! 🙂
I like all kinds of corn meal, I just had creamy polenta for dinner, mmmm. I know I’d love these grits cakes! They look delicious as does your dinner. Sounds like a fun night!
So interesting about grits! I must admit that I wasn’t really taken with them when I tried them either. I thought that they’d be…tastier! But it sounds like you found the right recipe!
This sounds like such a blast of an evening- what a great experience! I’ve never made grits or grit cakes but you have me intrigued- fortunately I have all the ingredients at home too! Am I wrong in thinking that these are kinda similar to cheese puffs?
It’s always fabulous when you have pre-conceptions but then what you thought is turned on its head. I’m so glad you gained a lot from this experience. The grit cakes look amazing. I’ve never made anything like this but would love to give them a try xx
I’ve heard that same thing about aged cheeses also! Good to know it’s actually true. 😛 Oh these cheesy grits. Sounds fabulous.
What a wonderful experience! Love these grits cakes and that they are topped with a generous amount of cheeeeeese!!!!!
The Cheddar capped grits looks awesome Shashi!! I loved the golden yellow color of it, I am sure this will be a party pleaser. I am surprised not a single drop of oil is used and yet it came out so perfectly.
Now I’m a Northern girl who actually likes grits – ha 🙂 And being a former employee of dairy farmers, I’m a cheese loving gal too so these look A-MAH-ZING to me – yum.
Sounds like you had a terrific time. I’d sure have a terrific time eating this — I do like grits, and just love this recipe. Really fun — thanks so much.
Those look delicious! And it sounds like a fabulous experience!-Ashley
I’d love to try grits… I think I can get all those ingredients here actually… I always think the name sounds so funny… makes me think I’m going to end up with a mouthful of little rocks, but they look really good!
Oh Yeh…I could definitely eat a few of these in one sitting. You say “grits” and I get in line!