Breakfast Poppers with Grits and Bacon
Breakfast Poppers with Grits and Bacon
Breakfast Poppers with Grits and Bacon
Breakfast Poppers with Grits and Bacon

Breakfast Poppers with Grits and Bacon

David Venable

No bowl required! Thanks to this recipe, you can enjoy your grits (and bacon!) in the form of crispy, delicious, bite-sized snacks.

Ingredients

  • 8 slices thick-cut bacon
  • 3 cups whole milk
  • 3/4 tsp kosher salt
  • 3/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 cup instant grits
  • 2 cups (8 oz) shredded cheddar
  • 2/3 cup chopped scallions
  • 1/3 cup cream cheese, at room temperature
  • 4–6 cups canola oil, for frying
  • 2 cups panko breadcrumbs
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 4 large eggs

Directions

Cook the bacon in a skillet over medium heat until crisp, 4–5 minutes on each side. Drain the bacon on paper towels. Reserve 3 tablespoons bacon fat in the skillet. When the bacon is cool enough to handle, chop it into small pieces.
Combine the milk, the reserved bacon fat, salt, and pepper in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer, add the grits, and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove the grits from the heat and stir in the chopped bacon, the cheddar, scallions, and cream cheese. Spread the mixture into a 9" x 13" baking dish. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
Preheat a deep fryer to 350°F. Or, clip a deep-frying thermometer to the side of a heavy deep pot. Add the canola oil to the pot and slowly heat the oil to 350°F.
Place the breadcrumbs in a food processor and process until finely ground. Pour the breadcrumbs into a shallow bowl. Put the flour in another shallow bowl. Put the eggs in a third shallow bowl and beat lightly. Remove the grits from the refrigerator. Using your hands, take 2 tablespoons of the mixture and shape it into a ball. Repeat with the remaining grits. There should be 40 balls.
Roll the balls in the flour, then dip them into the eggs, followed by the breadcrumbs. Using a slotted spoon, add 6–8 poppers to the hot oil and fry for 4 minutes, or until golden brown on all sides. Drain on paper towels and repeat with the remaining poppers. Serve immediately.

Cook's Notes

If for some reason you don’t like bacon, you can substitute 1 cup uncooked sausage. Just cook it in margarine instead of bacon fat.|Extra Suggestion: For a delicious spin on this recipe, try forming the grit-mixture into patties (about 3" in diameter) instead of balls. Coat as directed, but sauté the patties over medium heat until golden brown, approximately 3 minutes on each side. Serve with over-easy eggs and toast.