Many people have never heard of the term “grits” before.
Grits are a dish that is often eaten in the southern region of the United States and can be made from corn or other grains.
Whether it’s breakfast or lunchtime, you can find people serving up this classic dish to their customers.
But what do you do if your grits have gone cold?
Here are three different methods for reheating grits: stovetop, oven, microwave.
What are Grits?
Grits are a type of cereal that is made from corn, water, and salt.
They can be served as a breakfast or side dish.
Grits come in different varieties, such as cheese grits (made with cheese), bacon, ham, mushrooms, and other vegetables.
The most popular type is the sausage-gravy which includes ground pork sausage combined with white pepper and pan drippings to create an extra-rich sauce for toping over the grits.
The origin of Grits dates back to Native Americans who would heat crushed maize or corn kernels until they popped like popcorn then added hot rocks into it till they cooled off, making them solidify.
This process was called hitting hominy, giving us what we know today as grits.
Can You Eat Leftover Grits?
Grits are a great way to add southern flair to your dishes, but you may not know that they can also be leftovers.
The next time you cook up a batch of grits for breakfast or dinner, make sure to store the leftover in an airtight container and refrigerate them until ready to use again.
Some people love eating cold grits with butter on top, while others don’t think it’s something worth trying unless it’s fresh off the stovetop.
How to Store Leftover or Cooked Grits?
If you’re looking for a quick and easy breakfast on the go, then grits are your best bet.
They don’t need much preparation or cooking time to eat up in some milk with butter before work.
But what should we do when it’s not morning anymore? How can I store my leftover grits, so they stay tasty but avoid going bad too quickly?
The best way to store leftover grits is in an airtight container or sealed bag.
You don’t want the grits overexposed because they may dry out and lose flavor if left on their own.
If you’re cooking completely new grits, then a sealable plastic bag works well for storing them until mealtime.
As long as your storage containers are airtight, you can also put the cooking pots of grits into the fridge so that they stay cool enough to eat.
Once correctly stored, they can last up to three days in the fridge.
How to Tell if Grits are Bad?
There are a few telltale signs that’ll help you determine whether or not your grits have gone bad?
If the color has changed from white to yellow or a sour smell coming off them?
That means that the grits have gone foul.
Another way you can tell is by tasting it; when they’ve spoiled, they’ll taste bitter and unpleasant.
If you’re still not sure whether or not your grits are bad, give them a quick sniff: If there’s no scent of cornmeal (or if it smells moldy), then those are probably rancid and should be thrown out.
If you want to store your leftover grits for another day – either in their container or Ziploc bag- make sure that first, they’re cooled down (if hot) before storing them away.
How to Reheat Grits in an Oven?
Grits are a delicious staple of Southern cuisine.
Their creamy texture and flavor can be almost addictive to some people, but they tend to turn into something more akin to oatmeal when heated for too long in the microwave or on the stovetop.
Luckily there is an easy way around this problem: Heat them in your oven.
Follow these steps to reheat your grits in the oven:
• Preheat an oven to 350F.
• Spray a small baking dish with cooking spray and pour in your hot, cooked grits.
• Cover tightly with aluminum foil and bake for 20 minutes or until heated through.
If you want them even hotter, turn up the temperature of the grill by 25 degrees F each time you remove the cover to check on their progress.
This will help brown any cheese or other toppings included (for example, shredded cheese).
How to Reheat Grits in a Microwave?
If you need to reheat grits, it is best not to microwave them.
When microwaved on high for two minutes or more, the surface becomes hardened, and the inside becomes dry.
To reheat grits in a microwave:
• Please put them in a microwave-safe dish, preferably glass or ceramic.
• Cover the top with plastic wrap, but don’t put it over the edges.
• Microwave on high for one minute.
• Remove from microwave and stir before serving.
• You can add butter or milk to your reheated grits, but don’t stir them together before microwaving.
• You can also add a little more water and microwave for another 20 seconds if the grits are too thick.
• Grits will be hot after one minute of cooking in the microwave, so you may want to let it cool down a bit before serving.
How to Reheat Grits on a Stovetop?
The question of how to reheat grits is an ever-present problem for many cooks.
A bowl of fresh, hot, and creamy grits topped with a scoop or two of butter makes the perfect breakfast food on chilly winter mornings.
Or, for those of us who are not up early enough to enjoy breakfast, a hearty bowl of grits is the perfect comfort food at any time of day when you’re recovering from illness or an intense workout.
If you find yourself with leftover boiled grits and need to reheat them on your stovetop, here is how you should do it:
• Place a pot of water on the stove and bring it to a boil.
• Measure out one cup of cold water for every cup of grits in your bowl, and pour them into the boiling water.
Reduce heat so that they are just simmering.
• Cover with lid and let cook until all liquid is absorbed or evaporated – about 10 minutes (longer if you want more soaked up).
• Keep covered while cooking to avoid splatter from moisture hitting the bottom of the pan.
Once there isn’t any liquid left in the pan, remove the top layer carefully to not spill hot contents over the edge onto yourself.
What to Do with Leftover Grits?
Are you cooking a large pot of grits? You may find yourself with some leftovers after the meal is over, and you may not know what to do with those leftovers.
The first thing that comes to most peoples’ minds is adding it into a soup or stew as an ingredient in the pot.
You can do this any time of day – never too early nor too late for this idea.
Some people also like using leftover grits as a crust with eggs on top; make sure your egg has been cooked through before putting them on top of the grits.
If there’s enough leftover, use some butter or oil over medium-high heat until they’re browned (about three minutes), then add two cups of milk and cook until desired consistency is reached and serve hot over toast points or fried rice – yum.
You can also stir in some salsa, cheddar cheese, and bacon bits to make a delicious side dish.
Conclusion
Grits are southern comfort food that is typically eaten at breakfast.
If you want to enjoy them for dinner, there are multiple reheating grits depending on your preference and time restrictions.
Have you tried these methods? What is your favorite way of eating them? Let us know in the comments below.
How to Reheat Grits? The Best Ways
Ingredients
- Leftover grits
- Baking Pan or Skillet with Lid
- Stovetop
- Microwave
Instructions
- Prepare all the required ingredients and equipment in the article.
- Select and follow your desired method to reheat.
- Make sure to set a timer according to the guide.
- Serve and enjoy.