Grits and Eggs with Mushrooms, Smoked Gouda, and Bacon

I’m pretty sure that I’ve shared here before that I am not a huge fan of a lot of breakfast foods. I love my biscuits and gravy, pancakes, waffles, or French toast on Saturdays, but the rest of the week is pretty much a bust. Mornings before work I scrounge around, often fruitlessly, for something that sounds appetizing. On Sundays, we usually eat steel-cut (Irish) oats, but that just gets old after a while. This past Sunday we had a little extra time before church, which meant that I had time to cook breakfast as opposed to heating up the overnight-soaked oats as usual. These grits were a great quicker-than-Saturday but still delicious cooked breakfast.

This recipe makes two servings but can easily be doubled.

Start by chopping half of an onion and sauteeing it in butter or olive oil. While the onions are sauteeing, wipe clean and slice four ounces of cremini (baby portobello) mushrooms, then add them to the onions and saute until tender, then remove from the heat.

While the vegetables are sauteeing, cook a few strips of bacon (I cooked three in the microwave) and grate about two ounces of smoked gouda (I think this is more like three….I didn’t see the point in leaving one ounce, and if two ounces is good, three ounces is better, right?). Set two cups of water and 1/2 teaspoon of salt to boil over medium-high heat.

When the water is boiling, whisk in 1/2 cup quick-cooking grits. Bring to a boil and reduce the heat to medium-low. Partially cover and cook for about five minutes, whisking frequently. When the grits have thickened, stir in the mushrooms, onions, and cheese. Beat two eggs and whisk into the grits until completely incorporated. Crumble in the bacon and divide between two bowls.

Grits are a southern staple…but I know lots of people in the South who don’t care for them. I’m convinced that if people in the North or the South tried these grits they’d be sold. Smoked gouda is….gouda (ba-dum-bum), It really is delicious, though. The mushrooms give a slight meaty texture to the grits, and the smoky flavor of the cheese coupled with the smokiness of the bacon puts this over the top. These grits are fabulous!