Recipe: Grits for Breakfast, Lunch or Dinner (3 variations) (crock pot)

GRITS FOR BREAKFAST, LUNCH OR DINNER

FOR THE BASIC GRITS:
2 quarts water
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 tablespoon butter
1 1/2 cups stone-ground grits, yellow or white

FOR PEACHY-PECAN GRITS:
1/2 cup half-and-half
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 peach, peeled, pitted and finely chopped
1/2 cup chopped toasted pecans*

FOR BACON-CHEDDAR GRITS:
2 slices bacon, cooked until crisp and crumbled
2/3 cup shredded sharp Cheddar cheese

FOR SPINACH GRITS WITH WILD MUSHROOM RAGOUT:
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1/2 medium onion, chopped
8 ounces wild mushrooms, such as crimini, oyster or shiitake, cut into slices
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup canned diced tomatoes, drained
1/2 cup chicken or vegetable broth
Kosher salt
Coarsely ground black pepper
2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley
1 bag (about 6 ounces) baby spinach, finely chopped
1/4 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

TO MAKE THE BASIC GRITS:
Bring water to a boil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add salt, pepper and butter, and stir until the butter melts. Add the grits in a slow, steady steam as you stir constantly with a whisk. Continue stirring until the grits come to a boil. Scrape into a 3- to 4-quart slow cooker.

Cover the cooker and cook for 3 to 4 hours on high, or 5 to 6 hours on low, until creamy and thick.

TO MAKE THE PEACHY-PECAN GRITS FOR BREAKFAST:
Heat the half-and-half and brown sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat until the sugar dissolves. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla. Stir sweetened cream into the cooked grits, along with the peach and pecans.

TO MAKE THE BACON-CHEDDAR GRITS FOR LUNCH:
Stir the bacon and cheese into the cooked grits, and continue stirring until the cheese is half-melted.

To make spinach grits with wild-mushroom ragout for dinner:
Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and saute until barely tender, about 2 minutes. Add mushrooms, and saute until browned, about 3 minutes. Add garlic and cook another minute. Add tomatoes, broth, salt, pepper and parsley, and simmer until the mushrooms are tender, about 3 minutes.

Stir spinach, remaining tablespoon of olive oil, and the cheese into the cooked grits and continue stirring until the spinach wilts. Serve the grits topped with the sauteed mushroom ragout.

*To toast nuts, heat a heavy skillet over medium-high heat for 3 minutes. Add the pecans, stir for 30 seconds, and remove from the heat. Continue stirring until the nuts are lightly toasted and very aromatic, about 1 minute.

Source: Art of the Slow Cooker by Andrew Schloss