Breakfast Grit Cakes

As you might recall from my last Book of the Week post, I recently purchased Modern Hospitality by Master Chef season 1 winner, Whitney Miller. Last weekend I finally got around to trying out one of her recipes... breakfast grit cakes. I couldn't wait to try these because having a Grandma from Georgia, I grew up eating grits, but I've never tried them fried. I was more than pleased with the outcome!

Ingredients:

• 2 1/3 cups water
• 1 cup quick cooking grits
• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 5 large eggs
• 5 slices bacon
• 1/4 cup sliced grape tomatoes
• 3/4 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Start by preparing your grits. Bring 2 1/3 cups water to a boil over high heat. Stir in the grits, reduce heat to low, cook stirring occasionally until grits reach porridge consistency. Remove from heat and stir in 2 tablespoons of the butter and a pinch of salt and pepper. Line a baking sheet with plastic wrap and pour the grits into the center. Spread with a spatula until even and about 3/8 of an inch thick. Let these cool for about 30 minutes.

In the meantime, cook your bacon until nice and crispy.

You can also use this time to scramble your eggs. If they get cool while you fry up your grit cakes, that's OK because you will be warming it all in the oven before serving anyway. 

I got this scrambled egg recipe from Whitney's book as well. This was my first time making scrambled eggs without milk, and they turned out great! Whisk 5 large eggs and 2 tablespoons water (my Grandpa always said ice water is best), and a little salt and pepper. Coat a nonstick skillet with cooking spray. Cook without stirring until bubbles form. Use a silicone spatula and gently fold as little as possible when bubbles begin to form. The less you touch them, the fluffier they will be.

The grits should be settled by now. It's time to start forming the cakes! Use a round cookie cutter (or a small bowl if you're like me and couldn't find one) and cut circles out of your cooled grits. Cover both sides of the cakes in flour.

Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large pan. Fry the cakes until lightly browned.

Preheat your broiler. Plate your dishes in this order: cakes, eggs, cheese, crumbled bacon, tomatoes. Before serving, pop these into the broiler for a minute or so just to melt the cheese and heat the eggs a bit.

Enjoy!