Grits With Corn and Onion Greens

Savory grits with extra corn and green onion greens, Parmesan cheese, and parsley.

By
Elise Bauer
Elise Bauer
Elise Bauer
Elise founded Simply Recipes in 2003 and led the site until 2019. She has an MA in Food Research from Stanford University.
Learn about Simply Recipes' Editorial Process
Updated June 23, 2022
Elise Bauer
Grits with Corn and Onion Greens
Elise Bauer

A dear friend of mine from Alabama called me recently and demanded to know, "why aren't there any grits on your site?!"

Uh, because I'm not Southern and I can't even try to fake it with our readers?

Well my dear ole dad found a recipe for grits he couldn't pass up. The recipe is by the wonderfully talented chef Virginia Willis in her book, Bon Appetit, Y'all: Recipes and Stories from Three Generations of Southern Cooking.

These grits were so good he made the recipe twice!

What I have learned in researching grits is that people who grew up eating them are passionate about how they like them — white corn, hominy grits, with syrup for breakfast, etc.

So, if you have a particular way that you like your grits, please let us know about it in the comments.

By the way, according to NBC, Michael Phelps eats grits for breakfast, along with several fried egg sandwiches, an omelet, three slices of French toast, and a stack of chocolate chip pancakes. Breakfast of champions.

Grits With Corn and Onion Greens

Prep Time 5 mins
Cook Time 60 mins
Total Time 65 mins
Servings 6 to 8 servings

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

  • 1 large white or yellow onion, grated

  • 1 cup whole corn kernels, either frozen or freshly cut from the cob

  • 2 cups whole milk

  • 2 cups water

  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper

  • 1 cup stone-ground grits or coarse-ground grits

  • 2 tablespoons butter

  • 3/4 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese (about 3 ounces)

  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh green onion greens

Method

  1. Cook the onion and corn kernels:

    Heat the oil in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat. Add the grated onion and cook, stirring, until transparent, about 2 minutes.

    Add the corn kernels and cook, stirring occasionally, until the kernels become soft, about 5 minutes.

  2. Add the milk, water, and 1 teaspoon of the salt:

    Bring the mixture to a boil over high heat.

  3. Whisk in the grits, decrease the heat to low, and simmer:

    whisking occasionally, until the grits are creamy and thick, 45 to 60 minutes.

  4. Stir in the butter, Parmesan, parsley, and chopped green onions:

    Taste and adjust for seasoning with salt and pepper.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
166 Calories
10g Fat
14g Carbs
6g Protein
Show Full Nutrition Label Hide Full Nutrition Label
×
Nutrition Facts
Servings: 6 to 8
Amount per serving
Calories 166
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 10g 13%
Saturated Fat 5g 24%
Cholesterol 23mg 8%
Sodium 282mg 12%
Total Carbohydrate 14g 5%
Dietary Fiber 1g 3%
Total Sugars 5g
Protein 6g
Vitamin C 3mg 13%
Calcium 168mg 13%
Iron 0mg 2%
Potassium 178mg 4%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. In cases where multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.