What do you do with left over grits? Turn them into the base for any number of toppings. Like polenta, grits will firm up on standing. So, if you have any grits left over from another meal or just want to make some extra for another day, do so! The grits will bake up firm and a little crispy. Dust them with a bit of Parmesan cheese, and you'll have a fantastic side dish or topping base. The baked grits "sticks" are great topped with marinara or spaghetti sauces, Alfredo sauce, sauteed mushrooms, spinach sauce...you get the idea. I like the baked grits topped with pork or chicken barbecue. Ummm!
Baked Grits -- Serves 4
3-4 cups of cooked grits (use the recipe on the back of the package for plain grits)
Non-stick cooking spray or olive oil
1/4 cup of grated Parmesan cheese
Coat a pan or plastic container with a little non-stick cooking spray and press the cooked grits evenly into the pan or container. Refrigerate the grits until they are firm. When you're ready to bake the grits, preheat the oven to 400 degrees and coat a baking pan with non-stick cooking spray. Turn the grits out--they should come out in a block--onto a cutting board and cut them into strips about 5 inches long and an inch or so wide. You don't have to be precise here, because the grits sticks won't show much under the topping. Put the sticks onto the prepared baking pan and then coat the sticks with cooking spray or spritz the sticks with olive oil. Dust the sticks evenly with grated Parmesan cheese. Bake the sticks for 25-30 minutes or until they are hot and the cheese has formed a crust.
