| Level: | Intermediate |
| Total: | 45 min |
| Active: | 45 min |
| Yield: | 10 to 12 servings |
Ingredients
- Canola oil, for frying
- 1/2 cup diced country ham
- 2 1/2 cups leftover cooked grits
- 1 cup grated smoked Gruyere cheese
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 3 large eggs, lightly beaten
- 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
- Kosher salt
Instructions
- Fill a large Dutch oven two-thirds full with oil and heat over medium-high heat to 360 degrees F.
- Add 2 tablespoons oil to a large heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ham and cook just until browned, 4 to 5 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon to a large bowl. Add the grits and cheese to the bowl and stir until combined. Using wet hands, scoop 1/4 cup of the grit mixture, roll it into a ball and place on a platter or large plate. Repeat until all the grit mixture is used.
- Whisk together the flour, paprika and cayenne in a shallow bowl. In a separate shallow bowl, add the eggs. Add the panko to another separate shallow bowl. Dip each grit ball into the flour mixture and shake to remove any excess before dipping into the eggs and then into the panko, spinning to coat completely.
- Add the grit balls to the Dutch oven in batches, frying until brown on all sides, about 5 minutes. Remove to a sheet pan lined with a wire rack and immediately sprinkle with salt.
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 12 servings |
| Calories | 274 |
| Total Fat | 20 g |
| Saturated Fat | 4 g |
| Carbohydrates | 16 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 1 g |
| Sugar | 0 g |
| Protein | 8 g |
| Cholesterol | 63 mg |
| Sodium | 380 mg |
| Serving Size | 1 of 12 servings |
| Calories | 274 |
| Total Fat | 20 g |
| Saturated Fat | 4 g |
| Carbohydrates | 16 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 1 g |
| Sugar | 0 g |
| Protein | 8 g |
| Cholesterol | 63 mg |
| Sodium | 380 mg |
Reviews
So good; you have to try them!
Lord have mercy Miss Brown when we saw you fix this on Food Network we couldn’t wait to try it. It’s so Awesome and it has now become one of the Prime tailgate appetizers for the Georgia Bulldog games at our house. Please keep sharing your wonderful recipes with all of us. May have to run up to Charleston to see you!! God Bless You and keep on cooking
Rick & MaryAnn GO DAWGS!!!!
Rick & MaryAnn GO DAWGS!!!!
Kardea…this recipe…OMG! It was absolutely delicious!!! It is great!!! I can’t say enough about it!!
It was very good. We had no ham so we used shrimp it was awesome
I don’t like deep frying. I’ll try patties!
I dont like deep frying (what do I do with the oil after frying and the mess in the kitchen), but I love this recipe idea. I’m thinking of making small patties and frying in a skillet in a small amount of oil. Has anyone tried this?
I’m from the south and love grits!
What a great idea, can’t wait to try it.
What a great idea, can’t wait to try it.
The minute I saw you making these on your show I had to have them! I made a huge batch and used ham and andouille since I had it in the fridge. They are amazing, we ate them with eggs over easy on top. Then portioned them in food saver bags and froze the rest for another time. They were even better than expected. Mmmmm. I wanted to post pictures but I guess I can’t.
I made these over the holidays and they were a hit! I used pepper jack cheese because that’s what I had available. I made them ahead and refrigerated until I was ready to fry them…delicious! Definitely will make again. They aren’t great for leftovers because they no longer have the crunch so it’s best to eat right when they are made.