8 Foods To Pair With Grits Besides Shrimp

For many eaters, especially those from the South, grits are a food that evokes the same cozy, homey feeling as waking up to a plate of cinnamon rolls on Christmas morning or sipping a warming, sweet cup of hot chocolate on a snowy day. They're not just a bowl full of cooked dried corn, flavored with butter, cream, and seasonings; they're a symbol of hospitality, deep love, and care.

Grits' best friend is, very obviously, shrimp. The duo just works together because the buttery and nutty flavor of the corn plays off the salty, crisp exterior of the shrimp. They do not overpower one another, nor does either one compete for your palate's attention.

But it's about time that we look at other alternatives to this de facto pairing. Whether you're cooking for someone with a seafood allergy, looking to switch up your breakfast routine, or can foresee a better match for a food as iconic as grits, you've come to the right place. We've surveyed two of the experts — recipe developer Joanne Gallagher from Inspired Taste and cookbook author and chef Kent Rollins — to curate a list of some of the best shrimp alternatives for pairing with grits and what to keep in mind when playing matchmaker.

Pork chops are a versatile and somewhat old-school dish. While you may not see them as much on restaurant menus nowadays as you would steak or chicken, they do offer a delectable middle ground between white meat and red meat, along with a succulent juiciness that pairs really well with grits. 

When we asked recipe developer Joanne Gallagher how to prepare pork for this recipe, her answer was simple. "I season the chops with salt, pepper, fresh thyme, and lemon. Then, I sear them on the stove before they head into the oven." This sear helps lock in the moisture and cook the fat just enough, while the seasoning provides a complementary pairing for the grits. Gallagher recommends adding a bit of fresh black pepper, which plays off the existing seasoning on the pork. She also offers another ingredient suggestion that would pair well with both the pork and the grits: apple butter. "It adds a cozy spice and a caramelized fruit flavor that pairs wonderfully with the natural sweetness of the grits," she says.

Chef Kent Rollins also recommends searing the pork chops for this pairing, but adds an extra layer of richness with the pan drippings. "Sear the pork chops after a dry brine, saving the drippings, then top those grits with the pork and drizzle the drippings," he says. If you have some extra time, you may also want to try adding the drippings to a homemade gravy and drizzling it over the grits to serve. Who needs mashed potatoes anyway? 

Scallops balance the perfect amount of chew with fresh-from-the-sea flavor, making them an excellent match for the corny, subtly nutty grits. "I make my scallops dry, searing them over high heat with butter and olive oil and a squeeze of lemon," says Kent Rollins. "Simple but so good."

Joanne Gallagher is also a fan of the dry cook method for scallops. She prefers to dry hers well with a paper towel before adding flour and searing them in a hot pan for about two minutes on each side. "That dryness and high heat are what give you that golden crust and juicy center, which is exactly what you want against creamy grits," she says. 

For serving, she suggests a basic sauce with butter, garlic, fresh herbs, and lemon, which can be spooned over both the grits and the scallops. The sauce is really what makes this dish, as the acidity from the lemons and the freshness of the herbs cut through the richness of the grits and the brininess of the scallops.

Instead of opting for a meat topping for your grits, turn to saut´ed greens. A lot of the foods paired with grits are heavy on the palate, but this option is not — and if you go for vegan butter, you could potentially have a plant-based grits dish that's filling, inexpensive, and not at all time-consuming to prepare. 

"Grits are super versatile and work nicely alongside veggies like collard greens, sauteed spinach, fried cabbage, or a corn salad," Joanne Gallagher says. "A quick saute in butter or olive oil with a pinch of salt is usually all you need." She recommends cooking the greens until they're lightly caramelized and soft. Texturally, this combination just works. "Grits are already filling, so I like to pair them with something that adds contrast, like crispy vegetables," says Kent Rollins. You'll get an added dose of nutrients and fiber from the veggies, and the vegetal flavor will cut through the nutty richness of the grits with ease. "Creamy grits and something with texture or freshness almost always works," Rollins adds.

That said, you don't have to stick to pairing greens and grits; you can also accentuate the flavors and build on them with ingredients like cheese. If you are a fan of the savory undercurrents in a spinach-artichoke dip, for example, you may want to add Parmesan cheese to your spinach and grits for the same salty, umami flavor. The cheese shouldn't overwhelm the veggies' flavor but rather accentuate the richness of the pairing.

No trip to the South is complete without catfish ... or grits. So why not feed two birds with one scone and team them up? This fish is mild-tasting and slightly sweet, making it an excellent match for the nutty grits. "I think frying is the best way to go, and my favorite is smoked catfish, with capers and a little dill," says Kent Rollins. "Layer a bed of grits on the plate and top with that whisker fish for some great eating." The crunchy fried catfish juxtaposes the creaminess of the grits, while the tangy capers and fresh dill drive the entire bite home and balance out its heaviness. 

Joanne Gallagher offers another cooking technique that's especially common in Creole-Cajun cooking: blackening. She suggests cooking the catfish in a cast-iron skillet with spices and butter. "The combo works well because catfish has a mild, slightly sweet flavor and a flaky texture that soaks up grits without disappearing into them. You get crispy, savory, and creamy all in one bite, which is pretty much the dream," she says.

Who doesn't love bacon? This flavorful breakfast staple is loaded with salt and porky goodness, making it a compelling match for a bowl of grits. When we asked Kent Rollins which breakfast meats went well with grits, his answer was clear. "There are two: bacon and more bacon!" Joanne Gallagher agrees: "[Its] savory, salty flavors play off the mildness of the grits and add a bit of textural contrast."

You don't just have to serve a couple of strips of bacon on top of your bowl of grits, either. You can join forces with another pairing on this list, scallops, to give your bowl of grits a gourmet touch. Wrap the scallops up in bacon and serve them on top of your bowl of grits for an elevated bite. You could also wrap jalapeños in bacon and top your grits with them; the spicy peppers will cut through the richness of the grits and the saltiness of the bacon, creating a perfectly harmonious bite. 

Another way to leverage this pairing is to amp up the porky flavor and cook your grits in the reused bacon grease. Add a little bit of brown sugar to the equation for a simple two-ingredient upgrade that'll make your taste buds sing. You can use reserved bacon fat or simply cook your grits in the same pan as the bacon to soak up all of that flavor and those little crispy, salty morsels that break off the strips.

Sausage is a very beautiful, highly underutilized protein. It comes in so many shapes and flavors, from spicy andouille to sweet Italian, and can be made with pork, chicken, turkey, and more. As such, it's one that our experts recommended pairing with grits. 

Like with the bacon, Kent Rollins recommends combining the grits with the sausage fat for flavor. He specifically suggests spicy sausage for this rendition, though it's reasonable to assume any variety can be used. Spicy sausage will give you not only fat, but also a burst of heat, which will be complemented by the mildness and nutty undertones of the grits. Andouille sausage, a Cajun staple seasoned with paprika, cayenne, garlic, and thyme, would be a great place to start. Brown the sausage in a pan, cook the grits with the drippings, and serve for a savory, Louisiana-style meal. 

If you prefer mild breakfast sausage, which is set apart from other varieties by its shape and seasoning (like sage), you're in luck; it's also in good company with the grits. You can make your own with sweet seasonings or opt for store-bought links or patties, and serve it atop a bowl of grits for a simple yet hearty breakfast. 

When you think "poached eggs," your mind might immediately go to eggs Benedict. Thinking about the way that the runny yolk cascades down the Canadian bacon and the English muffin is especially tantalizing, and it can be easy to see how that same experience could be replicated atop a hearty base like grits. 

"I would do a bed of grits with a splash of hot sauce topped with a poached or [over-easy] egg," says Kent Rollins. The hot sauce would add dimension to the pairing, cutting through the richness of the yolk and the egg; select a sauce based on your spice preferences and to complement any seasoning on the eggs and in the grits. 

Another beautiful thing about this pairing is that you don't have to add any additional sauce. "Once you break the yolk, it becomes its own silky sauce. If you're making a savory bowl, especially, a runny yolk is hard to beat," says Joanne Gallagher. Besides the poached egg and grits, you can add other ingredients to your breakfast bowl to make it a whole meal; think sauteed mushrooms, cheese (Rollins recommends combining pepper Jack and cheddar to add sharpness to the grits), and a fresh chive garnish. 

If you haven't read up on the best tips for preparing fresh lobster now would be the time to do so. Fresh lobster and grits pair remarkably well together, as the fresh, neutral flavor of the lobster meshes well with the equally buttery grits. "This works beautifully with grits because buttery lobster juices melt right into the grits and make them taste luxurious," says Joanne Gallagher. Kent Rollins is equally enthusiastic about this pairing. "Just boil or [grill] lobster, toss it in lots of butter and fill up the bowl and I will be there!" he says. 

You can also add extras to this pairing to make it taste even more decadent. "I'd warm cooked lobster meat in melted butter, then finish with a little mayo or herbs if you want extra richness, similar to how you'd make a lobster roll," Gallagher says. If you want to make this dish even more steakhouse-worthy, consider serving a surf-and-turf duo of lobster tails and seared steak atop the grits. The juices from both proteins will soak down into the grits, adding an extra layer of flavor and depth to this upscale, Southern-inspired delicacy.