The Nerdy Gourmet

Bacon Bit Grits

nerdygourmet

Creamy Cheesy Grits Inside a Crispy Shell

After conquering my fear of making grits, I wanted to make something bite sized and party friendly. While making chicken tenders for the kids one night it hit me- why couldn’t I bread and bake grits? So tada! Crunchy, cheesy, bacon-y grits in a bite. Of course, you could make these without bacon, but in my humble opinion, bacon makes everything better……

This appetizer/breakfast enhancer/dinner side is easy to make ahead and bake when ready.  

makes 24 grit bites

Down to the Nitty Gritty….

Cut the bacon into 1/2″ slices. Cook over medium heat until crispy. Remove from pan with a slotted spatula. Save the bacon grease.

Bring 4 cups of water to a boil.  Whisk in the grits. Lower heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes, adding water when the grits get too thick. You want a creamy not mushy consistency. See picture below. 

Take off the heat and add salt, garlic powder, bacon (reserving 1/4 of the bacon for toppings), butter and cheese. Stir until cheese is melted. Pour into a 13×9 pan and let cool to room temperature, then put in refrigerator. Let the grits harden at least an hour.

Once they are hard, pull out of the refrigerate and preheat oven to 350. 

Cut the grits into 2″ circles. Add flour, salt and pepper to a bowl. Add eggs and water to a second bowl. Whisk until mixed. Add breadcrumbs to the third bowl. 

Coat a baking sheet with the bacon grease. Dredge each grit bite in the flour. Dip into the egg mixture and finally dredge into the breadcrumbs, making sure it is completely coated in each step. Place on the baking sheet.

Bake for 20 minutes, flipping them over halfway through. Let cool and top with my Creamy Sour Cream and Chive dip (recipe below), saved bacon bits and green onions. 

Nerdy Tips

  • cutting the bacon into bits before cooking it makes is easier and quicker to cook all at once in uniform pieces. 
  • I stored my bacon grease in a mason jar and when it was time to 
  • if you’re in a hurry to harden the grits, you can put them into the freezer for 20 minutes. 
  • There are two ways to make these the day before you serve: complete the steps all the way up to baking. Store the coated grit bites in the refrigerator until ready to make. Add 5 minutes to the baking time. Secondly, bake as directed and store in the refrigerator. When ready to serve, reheat for 8 minutes in a 350 degree oven. 

Creamy Sour Cream and Chive Dip

Mix all ingredients and chill for one hour before serving. 

  2. thenerdygourmet – Hi friends!! I'm Jenni, The Nerdy Gourmet. I love books and I love food. Combining the two with a splash of travel has become my passion. I am a self taught cook/baker and I believe that everyone can cook from scratch! I'm here with recipes and Nerdy Tips to help along the way. I review books, mostly 'read' via audio, and I create recipes inspired by the story lines. Sometimes if I am deeply moved by a story, I will travel and try my best to experience the book- and bring you along via my blog! I provide all the photographs and content for the Nerdy Gourmet (unless otherwise noted).

    Hi Claudia! I’m so happy that you’ve reached out. Thank you so much fir the kind words and the recommendation!…

  3. Hi Jenni, I heard your husband Greg talking about your new blog and so I thought I would check it…

  4. thenerdygourmet – Hi friends!! I'm Jenni, The Nerdy Gourmet. I love books and I love food. Combining the two with a splash of travel has become my passion. I am a self taught cook/baker and I believe that everyone can cook from scratch! I'm here with recipes and Nerdy Tips to help along the way. I review books, mostly 'read' via audio, and I create recipes inspired by the story lines. Sometimes if I am deeply moved by a story, I will travel and try my best to experience the book- and bring you along via my blog! I provide all the photographs and content for the Nerdy Gourmet (unless otherwise noted).
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