Goat Cheese Grits with Crispy Mushrooms
My husband says that these gluten free Goat Cheese Grits with Crispy Mushrooms are his favorite grits. And that is saying a LOT because he doesn’t like grits! I actually developed this recipe because I knew that he didn’t like grits and wanted to take on the challenge of making a version he’d like. Just a few simple tricks for added flavor and extra creamy consistency, along with addictively good pan fried mushrooms was the way to make it a winning dish.
Don’t Rush the Grits!
If you’ve ever seen the movie My Cousin Vinny, you’ve heard that no self-respecting southerner would ever use “instant” grits. Although I wouldn’t call myself a “southerner,” I have lived in the deep south for many years and had my fair share of grits. I completely agree with the movie, slowly cooking the grits allows you to achieve the right texture and consistency. But that doesn’t mean it is hard to do, or will take forever. Count on about 20 minutes start to finish. Just about as long as it takes to make rice.
Flavor the Grits!
Instead of rehydrating the grits with water, I like to use a good quality chicken stock. This is the first added layer of flavor. So we begin by bringing chicken stock, salt, garlic powder and dried Italian herb seasoning to a boil in a large saucepan. Gradually add the grits to the boiling mixture while stirring. This will prevent the grits from sticking together and becoming lumpy.
Turn the heat to low and put a lid on the saucepan to allow the grits to cook for about 15 minutes. Every 5 minutes give the grits a stir and work out any lumps if you spot any.
Extra Creamy & More Flavor
Roughly break up the log of goat cheese and stir it into the grits. Put the cover back on the saucepan and allow it to heat through for a minute or two then stir it again to combine the melted cheese well. Turn the heat off and keep it covered until you are ready to serve.
Crispy Mushrooms
Mushrooms are like little sponges and have a lot of moisture in them to begin with. To get them crispy, we have to get the excess moisture out. To best accomplish this, resist the urge to rinse the mushrooms off and clean them with a brush or paper towel instead. Remove the stems and break them into 1 inch sized pieces or cut them however you’d like.
Dry Frying Pan?
Yup! You read that correctly. Throw all of the mushrooms into the frying pan over a medium high heat and start drawing out the moisture. Most of the time, the liquid will release from mushrooms and boil away pretty quickly. Make sure to move the mushrooms around in the pan from time to time to prevent them from sticking and burning. I have had the occasional batch of relatively “dry” mushrooms that don’t release much liquid, which happened while I was making a video for this recipe. That’s okay too. Just let the mushrooms begin to brown in the pan.
Sprinkle with salt and pepper to help release a little more liquid. Once just about all of the liquid has evaporated and the mushrooms have browned some, add the butter. Stir or shake the pan from time to time and allow them to continue to brown until the edges are crisp to your liking. Turn the heat to medium low and add the fresh garlic, allowing it to heat through and become fragrant. Toss to coat the mushrooms well and reseason with salt and pepper if needed.
Serve Up the Goat Cheese Grits with Crispy Mushrooms!
Stir the grits again before dishing it out and top with butter if you’d like. Pile on the Crispy Mushrooms and sprinkle with fresh herbs if you’d like. I like to add chives or parsley, but thyme or basil would also be great. To make it a meal, top it with a fried egg or serve it along with grilled steak or Easy Baked Garlic Shrimp.
More Gluten Free Sides
- Browned Butter Mashed Sweet Potatoes
- Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes
- Santorini Rice
- Garden Fresh Quinoa Salad
- Fettuccine Alfredo
Goat Cheese Grits with Crispy Mushrooms
Ingredients
For the Goat Cheese Grits:
- 1 cup grits (not instant grits)
- 4 cups chicken stock
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp Italian herb seasoning
- ¼ tsp kosher salt
- 4 oz garlic & herb goat cheese log
- 2 tbsp butter (optional for serving)
- 1 tbsp fresh chives, parsley or mix of herbs (optional for serving)
For the Crispy Mushrooms:
- 16 oz baby bella mushrooms (brushed clean, stems removed, broken or cut)
- 2-3 tbsp butter
- 1 clove garlic (finely chopped)
- salt & pepper (to taste)
Instructions
- In a large saucepan, combine the chicken stock, garlic powder, Italian herbs and salt. Bring to a boil. While stirring, gradually add the grits until combined without any lumps.
- Turn the heat to low and cover. Let cook for 15 minutes, stirring about every 5 minutes. Add the goat cheese to the hot grits and cover for a minute or two, then stir to combine the cheese and grits well. Turn the heat off and keep covered until you are ready to serve.
- Heat the mushrooms in a dry frying pan over medium high heat. Shake the pan or stir from time to time to prevent stirring. Allow the mushrooms to release as much moisture as possible When you begin to see that the mushrooms are browning some (after about 10-15 minutes), sprinkle with salt and pepper and allow to cook for about 5 more minutes until all of the liquid has evaporated.
- Then add 2 tablespoons of butter and allow the mushrooms to become golden brown and crisp on the edges. You may need to turn the heat a little higher briefly if they aren’t browning. When they are browned the way you’d like, turn the heat down and add a little more butter and the fresh garlic. Stir it all together allowing the butter and garlic to coat the mushrooms and it is ready to serve.
- Before serving, stir the grits again, pour into a serving dish. Top with butter if you’d like & the crispy mushrooms. Sprinkle with fresh parsley, chives, basil or thyme if you’d like.
LOVED this! I don’t recall ever having goat cheese and I know that I’ve never had it “herbed” so I dipped a finger, tasted it, and did NOT like it. I wanted to substitute parm. Glad that I didn’t because the end result was delicious. It will now become part of the rotation. I tried it with an egg on top. Next time, like tomorrow, I’ll have it with shrimp. Thanks, Shay. Please keep them coming!
Hi D! I am so glad that you tried the goat cheese before adding it to the grits! Smart move. Clearly, it isn’t for everyone. So happy to hear that you replaced it with a cheese you like and enjoyed the dish:-) Thank you so much for taking the time to write and share your experience. Much appreciated! -Shay