I saute onions, garlic, celery, and peppers before adding grits to the pan, and then I cook it in vegetable or chicken broth and add herbs - basil, thyme, oregano, and sometimes sage. However, generally, I also add sausage, eggs, and cheese, but it is not necessary.

For lower cholestrol, try switching to steel cut oats. To cook these, soak 1 cut of oats in three cups of water overnight. Then add 1/8 tsp salt, bring to a boil, and simmer covered for 20 minutes, stirring every 4-5 minutes. I add butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon to them, but you can omit the butter. I find this to be a good substitute for grits, but they do take longer to cook and do require soaking overnight.

Lars

I cook steel cut oats in my crock pot for about 4 hours on low heat.

How much total cholesterol are you restricted to for the day - 200 mg or so? The recipe below has 16 mg per serving (recipe makes 2-servings). If you want to reduce the cholesterol even more, just eat a smaller portion.

Use cholesterol-free Egg Beaters if you are avoiding whole eggs entirely, rather than counting them as part of your total cholesterol intake for the day.

I made cholesterol-free "sausage" crumbles with "wheat meat" (aka seitan, gluten), and there are cholesterol-free vegetarian "sausage" available. There are also low-cholesterol sausage recipes made with ground turkey. It's all about finding options and amounts and frequency consumed.

I've only eaten grits once in my life, and I thought it was a total waste of space on my plate, so I guess you had to be raised on them to enjoy it so much. -Grainlady

CHEESE GRITS

http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/cheese_grits.html
From EatingWell: September/October 1996
Cheesy grits are a wonderful accompaniment to roast meats and vegetables; or try them with poached eggs for breakfast.

2 servings, about 1 cup each : Active Time: 20 minutes : Total Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients
â¢1 cup nonfat or low-fat milk
â¢1 cup water
â¢Pinch of salt
â¢1/3 cup quick grits
â¢1/4 cup grated extra-sharp Cheddar cheese, divided

Preparation
1.Combine milk, water and salt in a saucepan over medium heat; heat until almost boiling. Reduce the heat to low, whisk in grits and cook, whisking constantly, until they start to thicken, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and whisk in 2 tablespoons cheese. Cover and let stand until most of the liquid has been absorbed and the grits are creamy, 2 to 3 minutes. Divide between 2 bowls, sprinkle with the remaining 2 tablespoons of cheese and serve.

-Grainlady

Nutrition

Per serving : 183 Calories; 5 g Fat; 3 g Sat; 0 g Mono; 16 mg Cholesterol; 26 g Carbohydrates; 9 g Protein; 1 g Fiber; 217 mg Sodium; 223 mg Potassium

2 Carbohydrate Serving

Exchanges: 1/2 starch, 1/2 low-fat milk, 1/2 high fat meat

Grits are cholesterol-free. They also happen to be lower in fat than oats. One cup of cooked grits contains just 1 gram of fat, while one cup of cooked oatmeal contains 3.5 grams.

-Grainlady

You can make grits with olive oil and use a strong cheese like asiago so you don't need much of it for flavor.

I just made for myself today. I did sub asiago for Parmesan and with some already mentioned subs, would prolly work. It's Yummy.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchens/lemon-garlic-shrimp-and-grits-recipe.html

See, the problem isn't the grits...it's the cheese! I don't know of anything that's a really, truly good substitute for cheese. There are all kinds of pretend cheeses, the best of which are made from nuts, but while they're okay on sandwiches, they're not going to give you the mouthfeel of cheese grits. The closest might be cashew cream rather than fake cheese, but that's not something you'd want to be eating in large quantities, either.

Giving things up is really hard and your best bet if you're really used to eating them is to stay away from anything like it for a whole month. That way, you lose the conditioned desire for it.

If you like plain ol' grits, then there are all kinds of good breakfasts you can make with them once you've lost your desire for cheese grits. If you start with them, though, rather than changing to toast or something for awhile, you might be disappointed.

Example: Start with a saute like Lars, and make your grits. You can chop your ingredients fine ahead of time, and they should last pretty well in airtight containers or plastic bags in the fridge. Or you can cut just the amount you need off an onion, a pepper, etc., seal them, and throw them in a bowl together to make the morning effort easier. Add a spoon (not too much unless you like runny grits) hot sauce or salsa picante or pasta sauce, and serve with pan grilled tomatoes and mushrooms. Or add a little barbecue sauce and some diced chicken and serve with pan grilled melon. That is, find some mix-ins that amp up the flavor and nutrition that aren't cheese. :)

One of the big things that cheese contributes to grits is salt. So do a lot of the sauces I described above. If you're also trying to cut your salt, use homemade, and use the flavorings that make you miss salt the least. "Salty" vegetables like celery and onion help, as do lots of fresh herbs. They help because they have a salt content, but shouldn't be a big source of actual sodium. Reducing salt cravings is harder than reducing cheese because everything tastes bland until your tastebuds adjust. Most foods are way over salted so your tastebuds "wear out", but they will get used to it and start thinking a little salt is the norm, and tasty.

I thought I posted this earlier, but maybe not?

Cook the grits with just a little salt, while warm, pour into a loaf pan and let cool; chill then turn out the loaf of grits onto a plate or sheet pan, slice into 1/4 to 1/2-inch slices and grill or pan saute. Top the hot slices with sauteed mushrooms, ratatouille, or any other cooked veggies that you like. Or, top with turkey bacon, sliced fresh tomatoes, s&p, and a little cheese, then run under the broiler to melt the cheese.

Teresa

Cook the grits with salt, pepper and serve em up with a paper napkin. Throw away the grits and eat the napkin.

Anson Mills has the best grits. But they require overnight soaking as they definitely aren't quick grits...which gives grits a bad name.

Mxyplx, I have been waiting for an answer like yours. I thought the same thing when I read your recipe for "sludge fudge".