Updated 07.06.26
The creaminess comes from the cooking liquid, not from cream; stone-ground grits cooked in a mixture of milk and water absorb both and turn into something smooth and rich that no amount of butter on its own would produce. The cheese stirred in at the end adds saltiness and depth. The halloumi is grilled separately until golden on both sides, salty and firm, and goes atop the dish alongside tomatoes and basil.
This is a summer dinner that does not feel like it is trying too hard to be light. Creamy, comforting, and quick. The grits take about twenty minutes, the halloumi takes five, and dinner for two is on the table without either person having spent much time at the stove.
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Key Ingredients in This Recipe
- Stone-ground cornmeal – a healthier and more flavorful cornmeal option with more texture.
- Fresh corn
- Tomatoes
- Basil
- Butter
- Milk
- Halloumi
- Parmigiano Reggiano Cheese
- Onion – I used sweet Vidalia onions
How to Make Creamy Grits with Halloumi and Tomatoes
Step 1 – Grill the Halloumi cheese. Use a grilling pan and add the cubes Halloumi cheese. No need to add any oil or butter. This cheese grills beautifully and fast; don’t walk away from it. You can decide whether you like the cubes brown or blackened, without burning them. For this particular dish, I have a mix of brown and blackened; I like that combination on the creamy grits.
Step 2 – Melt butter in a heavy saucepan, and saute the chopped onion until translucent or until brown and caramelized. Cooking the onions until caramelized will create a browner grits and adds more flavor.
Add the milk, water and a dash of salt and bring to a boil. Add corn meal and stir. Slowly cook the grits according to directions on the packaging (20-40 minutes). Stir every now and then during cooking, to prevent the grits from sticking to the bottom of the pan. Half way through the cooking time, add the corn kernels.
When the cooking is done, add the grated cheese and butter and mix until melted.
Step 3 – Do you like thick grits, you’ll all done. Do you like your grits thinner? Now is the time to add water and/or milk to get your desired thickness. Taste and add salt and pepper to taste.
Step 4 – The last step is putting the dish together. Transfer the grits into a dish or onto 2 plates. Top the grits with Halloumi cheese, tomatoes, and basil.
Creamy Grits with Halloumi & Tomatoes
Pin Recipe FacebookIngredients
- 1/2 onion, chopped
- 1/2 tablespoon butter
- 1 ear of corn, kernels cut from husk
- 1 1/4 cup milk
- 1 cup water
- 1/2 cup white cornmeal, stone-ground
- 8 ounces Halloumi cheese, cubed
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 cup Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, grated
- salt and pepper
- 1 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon basil leaves, torn
Instructions
- In a heavy saucepan, melt 1/2 tablespoon of butter over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and saute until translucent or until brown and caramelized.
- Add the milk, water and a dash of salt and bring to a boil. Add corn meal and stir. Slowly cook the grits according to directions on the packaging. Stir every now and then during cooking, to prevent the grits from sticking to the bottom of the pan. Half way through the cooking time, add the corn kernels.
- While the corn meal is cooking, grill the cubes of Halloumi. Heat a grill pan and add the Halloumi. Grill on medium high heat, no oil required and cook until you have grill marks. Set aside
- When the grits is done, add grated cheese and butter and mix. Warm until cheese is melted. At this point you can decide the thickness of the grits. If you like it rather thick, no need to add anything, if you prefer it thinner, add water and/or milk. Add salt and pepper to taste.
- Transfer creamy grits onto plates or serving dish. Top the grits with Halloumi cheese, tomatoes, and basil.
Notes
- Cooking the onions until caramelized will create a browner grits and in my opinion more flavorful. If you prefer a nice creamy color, cook until translucent.
- Check the cooking time of your grits. There are big differences depending on the type of grits you’re using. It can be from 20-40 minutes or sometimes even longer.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.