Southern Grits Are 10x More Flavorful When You Make Them Greek Style

Grits may be a southern staple, but realistically, their mild corn flavor is neutral enough that you can pair all sorts of non-Southern flavors with them. If you're looking for a brighter, herbier, and slightly tangy alternative to the often creamy standard method of cooking grits, think about incorporating some Greek touches.

At the most basic level, there's the cooking liquid: Instead of water or milk, go for chicken stock to channel a classic Greek chicken soup. Then, instead of finishing them up with a creamy fat like butter, consider olive oil. This is just the minimum, though: To get a more distinct Greek flavor, toss some herbs in as they cook. Oregano is most classically Greek option, but parsley, thyme, and dill can all go in alongside it if you want to add a bright, rounded herbal base. A touch of cinnamon and cumin might add some warmth; garlic and onion are also staples in Greece. You can add powder, or the real deal (consider red onion for a particularly Greek approach).

You can finish the grits off with some feta for another bright note — we're borrowing this tip from Coral Springs, Florida, restaurant Hellenic Republic, which was featured on "Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives." In the episode, the restaurant also recommend stirring in some cream and Parmesan for a porridge-like dish, although if you want to keep things as Greek as possible, consider kefalotyri, a hard sheep milk cheese that has a similar umami hit.

So far, these grits would work well as a side, but we can keep building them up into a full meal. A gyro plate is one handy inspiration, although strictly speaking, few people will be willing and able to make gyros properly at home since they're cooked on a large rotisserie for hours at a time and then sliced off. You can find premade versions: Trader Joe's has one that's seasoned and pre-cooked, and just requires a little time in a hot pan.

Otherwise, consider marinating some chicken in lemon, garlic, and Greek spices and then roasting or pan-frying them. These aren't gyros, strictly speaking, but it's a straightforward way to cover the meat part of your gyro bowl. Add some sliced cherry tomatoes and kalamata olives on the side, and perhaps some fresh red onion and more feta to channel a Greek salad (we're leaving cucumbers out here, as they don't usually appear in hot Greek dishes). Top it all off with some sauce in the form of tzatziki (not to be confused with tahini): There are plenty of store-bought versions, but it's also easy to whip up at home with yogurt, garlic, cucumber, and fresh herbs like dill. 

And just like with any bowl meal, this is all flexible. There's no need to force any of these ingredients in if you don't like them or don't have them on hand, it's just a rough template for turning simple grits into a full-blown Greek-inspired meal.