Pressure Cooker Southern Style Cheesy Grits are delicious any time of the day. How about in less than 15 minutes, without standing over a hot stove?
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Pressure Cooker Southern Style Cheesy Grits
Pressure Cooker Southern Style Cheesy Grits
I grew up in Miami and developed a love for grits at an early age. Most places serve plain grits with eggs for breakfast. Usually, a bagel with cream cheese came with the meal. We frequently ate breakfast at a Jewish deli, so bagels were always available.
I use to dunk my bagel in the yolk of my egg and then my Grits and developed a love of eggs over grits.
As the years went on, I started cooking my Grits with cheddar cheese. First, I would toast the Grits in a heavy sauce pan and then add the rest of the ingredients and stand at the stove for 45 minutes, stirring and stirring.
Enter Instant Pot or Pressure Cooker. Just a few minutes and you are done! No more standing over the pot on the stove. I will show you how to make the Grits, right in the Pressure Cooker cooking pot using White Stone Ground Grits and using the “Pot In Pot” Method, using Yellow Stone Ground Grits.
My favorite grits these days are Palmetto Farms Stone Ground Grits and I use both the white and the yellow, depending on my mood. I like to make Shrimp & Grits, which I learned from living in Charleston, South Carolina for a few years.
Directions using the toasting method for cooking the Pressure Cooker Southern Style Cheesy Grits directly in the Pressure Cooker.
Allow Pressure Cooker to Fully Heat
Allowing a stainless steel cooking pot to heat before adding the oil/grease, makes the pot non stick. After your Pressure Cooker is Hot, add the Bacon Grease or oil.
Toast Grits in Bacon Grease
Add in the Stone Ground Grits and mix them around to toast for a few minutes. This adds another layer of flavor.
Add the rest of the ingredients
Dump in the rest of the ingredients and you are good to go. This recipe makes a lot and it is so nice to set the time and relax. No more standing over a hot stove and stirring and stirring and stirring.
Sauté to thicken, if desired
If you want thicker Grits, hit the Sauté or Browning button, adjust to low and simmer until you get the thickness that you prefer. Remember, the Grits will continue to absorb the liquid just by sitting in the pot.
Pressure Cooker Southern Style Cheesy Grits
Easy, right?
These Retainers Extreme Freezer Containers are quite convenient. I also use them when I give away food to my neighbors, since they are so cheap.
Reditainer Extreme Freezer Container
Pot In Pot Method
Add everything to your PIP Bowl
I’ve been doing a lot of Pot In Pot in my Pressure Cooker lately, so I figured it would be perfect to try out the grits that way. Add all ingredients to your 1.5 Quart Stainless Steel “Pot in Pot” Bowl.
This time, I grabbed a Stainless Steel Mixing Bowl and dumped all the ingredients into the bowl. If you are using a glass bowl, add five minutes to the cook time.
Add some water to the bottom of your Pressure Cooker, place a trivet and carefully set the Bowl on top.
That is it! Close the lid and go about your business.
Pressure Cooker Southern Style Cheesy Grits
Ta da!
Pressure Cooker Southern Style Cheesy Grits and Fried Eggs
Toasted Grits in the Pressure Cooker cooking pot is my favorite way of cooking Grits. However, it sure is nice to quickly make a single serving of grits using the Pot in Pot method. I hope you enjoy!
Kitchen Equipment and Essentials
- Instant Pot DUO 6 Quart
- J.A. Henckels Classic 7-inch Hollow Edge Santoku Knife
- Amco Advanced Performance 18/10 Stainless Steel Measuring Spoons
- Simply Gourmet (Dry) Stainless Steel Measuring Cups
- Anchor Hocking Glass (Liquid) Measuring Cups
- Cilio Olivewood Spatula
- Porcelain & Bamboo Salt Box with Spoon
- OXO Good Grips Cutting Board
- Stainless Steel Trivet
- 1.5 Quart Stainless Steel “Pot in Pot” Bowl
- Microplane Artisan Course Grater
- Palmetto Farms Stone Ground Grits – The Best!!
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Here is your handy printable recipe:
Pressure Cooker Southern Style Cheesy Grits
Ingredients
In Pressure Cooker Cooking Pot
- 2 Tablespoons Bacon Grease Coconut or other oil
- 1 cup Stone Ground Grits (not Instant)
- 3 cups Fresh Water
- 1 1/2 cup Heavy Cream Half and Half or Milk
- 4 ounces Cheddar Cheese
- 2-3 Tablespoons Butter
- 2 teaspoons Sea Salt
- Butter to garnish
Pot in Pot
- 1/4 cup Stone Ground Grits (not Instant)
- 1/2 cup Water
- 1/2 cup Heavy Cream Half and Half or Milk
- 2 teaspoons Butter and/or Bacon Grease
- 1/2-1 ounce Cheddar Cheese or to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon Sea Salt
- 1 cup Water for Pressure Cooker cooking pot
- Butter to garnish
Instructions
In Pressure Cooker Cooking Pot
- Using the Sauté or Browning function, allow pot to heat and then add Bacon Grease, Butter or Oil.
- Add Grits and toast for three minutes, stirring constantly.
- Turn off Pressure Cooker. Add the rest of the ingredients.
- Cook at High Pressure for 10 minutes. Allow a 15 minute natural release and then open pressure valve to release remaining pressure.
Single Serving Pot in Pot
- Add all ingredients to an oven safe cooking bowl.
- Add one cup of water to Pressure Cooker cooking pot.
- Place low footed trivet in bottom of cooking pot. Place oven safe bowl with ingredients on top of trivet.
- Cook at High Pressure for 10 minutes. When Beep sounds, allow a 10 minute Natural Pressure Release.
Notes
PIN this Pressure Cooker Southern Style Cheesy Grits!
Pressure Cooker Southern Style Cheesy Grits
Perfect! I made these for my shrimp and grits! I’ve been cooking Southern food for roughly 40 years ( I’m from KY ), and am new to the Insta Pot. It sure does feel like cheating, but I’m not going to complain. ?. I ran across your website, and made these right away. Very yummy! I’ll be trying lots of your recipes. Thank you! Anne
Thanks, Anne, I am so glad you are here and enjoyed the grits! Jill
I make this recipe at least once a month. Have tried others but this is the absolute best! I use pepper jack cheese and add sweet hot jalapenos. Also use garlic pepper salt. The grits never burn or get soupy using this recipe! Thanks for improving one of my favorite dishes… No babysitting on the stove!!!!
Thanks, Dorothy! Jill
I love how this turns out, taste wise, but I have never been able to make this that I didn’t get the burn signal.
Followed instructions exactly as written. I did end up with creamy and delicious grits but being new to IP, I was thrown a curve when the “burn food” warning came on just as it got up to pressure. I turned it off, vented, then opened and stirred. There was a little stuck to the bottom but not “scorched”. I replaced the lid and continued starting over at 10 minutes but this time on low pressure since cooking of grits began the first time. Turned out great. Any tips on how to avoid the burn warning!
It is very important to deglaze the pot thoroughly. Jill
I make them pip they come out delicious when I make in pot I get “burn” . I have 6qt ultra and I’m wondering if the ultra cooks differently. Any input is appreciated I follow many of your recipes and they are delicious.
I just made these grits for dinner and we ate the whole pot!
I am so glad you enjoyed them so much. Jill
Disappointed in recipe. Used the instant pot method. Heated the pot first, then added bacon grease, followed the recipe exactly. They burned on the bottom, were soupy and undercooked. Big waste of ingredients.
Please retrace your steps and perhaps the other 80 comments of success with the recipe might help you to see where you might have missed a step. Jill
mine turned out DELICIOUS and i followed directions to the letter
I made these a couple of months ago and I’m pretty sure i added the cheese after cooking them and they came out wonderful. Today I made them again and put the cheese in with everything as the recipe calls for and got the burn error. I ended up having to finish them on the stove top in a pot. I think if you leave the cheese out and stir in after it cooks there shouldn’t be a problem. I’m almost positive I did it that way a few months ago. I’ll make them again next week with leaving the cheese out till the end and I’m pretty sure the burn won’t happen.
Being a Southern gal I have been eating & cooking grits my entire life. This is absolutely the best way to cook them. Some argue the IP takes just as long so why not cook on the stovetop. Well, that may be true but with the IP you don’t have to sit & babysit them, worry about them boiling over or scorching. I followed your recipe exactly except for the cheese. Hubby prefers plain grits. They were some of the best grits I have ever made.
Thank you, Delilah. I imagine those who questions stove v IP, have never actually cooked them on the stove. Jill
I have both the 8 and 3 qt IP. The 3 QT IP fits beautifully into the 8 QT for the PIP method using the included trivet. I increased the recipe by 50% (1.5 cups grits, everything else proportional) with good results. Thanks for posting the recipe Jill, cheers!
Sounds great, Patty! Jill
I’m a Yankee – a NY’er to be exact and I’ve never been a fan of grits. Until now. Now I know why southerners enjoy them so much. You’re probably wondering why I even attempted to make them when I don’t like them and it’s because I always like to try different variations of things I don’t like until I’ve exhausted every possible way before I can truly exclaim that I don’t like it! I made the PIP recipe and they were creamy and tasty. Usually, diners just dump a bland spoonful on your plate and that has been my basis for my dislike of grits. Thank your for your recipe and for making this Yankee taste what she’d been missing all these years.
Thank you. Jill
I am super picky about my grits, and these were amazing! I used pot in pot and increased ingredients by 1/2. Used 1/4 cup plus 2 TBSP grits, 1/2 cup half and half and 1 cup water. Left out cheese for hubby’s preference. Was just the right amount for the two of us. Loved them! He even commented that they were the best grits we have had in a long time, and he rarely comments. Will try with cheese next time…for me!
Excellent!! I loved how moist these grits turned out! All the yum with none of the mess!! This is my new go-to!
Thank you!
Thank you, Cyndi! Jill
OMG! Perfect! Thank you so much!
I need to make a full pot of this for a gathering…any thoughts on how many times to multiply the recipe and how much extra cook time to add?