Instant Pot Cheese Grits

Name: Instant Pot Cheese Grits
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 1 cup old fashioned grits; 3 cups water; 1 cup half and half; Bacon Grease (about 2 tbsp ); 2 tsp Salt; 1/4 cup chopped onions; 1 tbsp chopped garlic; 1-2 tsp smoked paprika; 1-2 cups cheese (any kind ( I used cheddar and mozzarella) ); 2-3 tbsp butter (divided)

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Instant Pot Cheese Grits made easy and delicious, not to mention quick! Perfect every time, these savory grits will be a great addition to any meal!

Cheese Grits in the InstantPot

Instant Pot Cheese Grits made easy and delicious, not to mention quick! Perfect every time, these savory grits will be a great addition to any meal! I have said before, I consider myself a pretty ok cook. I have a few things that tend to whip me in the kitchen. Rice, Boiled eggs and yes, GRITS!

Now, in the South, to be a good cook, you have to have a signature cake recipe, a signature fried chicken recipe, be able to make really good biscuits and of course, GRITS. Grits are one thing I really do not excel at. Usually, I just get Big D to make them. He is the master of the grill and all things breakfast at The Buttered Home. I have been on a quest since getting my Instant Pot though, a quest to become good at the things that have been beating me. For others this tool has made easier, check out our recipes for INSTANT POT RICE and DEVILED EGGS.

How to Make Them

1 cup old fashioned grits
3 cups water
1 cup half and half
Bacon Grease, about 2 tbsp
2 tsp Salt
1/4 cup chopped onions
1 tbsp chopped garlic
1-2 tsp smoked paprika
1-2 cups cheese, any kind ( I used cheddar and mozzarella)
2-3 tbsp butter, divided

Prep and Cook

Measure and chop all ingredients. Set the IP to saute and let it heat up. Add the bacon grease and continue to heat. Once heated, add the 1 cup of grits. Stir them and let them toast in the bacon grease for a minute or two. This adds so much flavor y’all!

Once toasted, add one tablespoon of butter along with the onions, garlic and seasonings. Mix well and allow to cook for a minute or two more. Toasting a tad more and melding the flavors together with the grits. Add water and half and half and mix well. Close the lid and seal the vent and set to manual or pressure cook for 10 minutes.

Walk Away! Once cooking time is up, cancel or turn off the IP and allow to NPR (natural pressure release) for 15 minutes. Open the vent to release any remaining pressure and remove the lid. Stir well and add in desired amount of cheese and a little more butter. Serve and Enjoy!

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Tips and Tricks

Do I have to make them savory?

No, you can leave out the savory components and have just regular grits to allow your people to fix them up any way they want them.

What happens if I don’t release the valve?

Well that depends, if you have allowed the pressure to release on its own for a while, and your pin has dropped, you will be ok. I would make sure that pin is down before opening the lid. If not, you could easily get burned or have a mess in the kitchen.

Do I have to allow the pressure to naturally release?

I would always allow that for at least 10 minutes. This helps decrease the pressure in the pot as well as provides a bit more cooking time. Grits and rice may not be fully done if you open the pot too early.

The InstantPot has truly changed the way I cook. The things that used to be difficult or that I dreaded doing have become easy and less stressful for me. Just like my INSTANT POT RICE ! I hope that if you have a wonderful IP, you will try this recipe and become more “cooking empowered” too!

Enjoy!

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