Andouille sausage and grits is an easy to make dish that is perfect for breakfast or dinner. The creamy grits are topped with andouille sausage sautéed with bell peppers and onions. Top it with an egg or two for a quick and easy Southern meal.
Grits are an easy to make dish that is perfect for any meal. They make a wonderful base for many different other recipes. In this case it is topped with sautéed andouille sausage, bell peppers, and onions. The best part about this recipe is that it is ready in about 30 minutes so you can get to eating and not spend a lot of time in the kitchen cooking away. This is a great recipe to make for a group since it is easily scalable and is a perfect savory dish for a potluck brunch.
Table of Contents
In this recipe
One of the great things about andouille sausage and grits is that it can be made with things that are already in your pantry and refrigerator. What also makes it great is you can swap out many of the ingredients for something else.
Sausage: while this recipe uses andouille sausage you can use your favorite link sausage for this recipe.
Bell peppers: these will add a slight sweetness to the dish as well as some color.
Grits: stone ground grits are the best for this recipe however any form of grits will work and that includes polenta.
How do I cook grits?
There are quite a few different ways to cook grits, and this will even vary by region and family traditions. However, this is my favorite method of preparing them. You will want a ratio of 4:1 liquid to grits. This can be water, milk, half and half or cream. If you want to really lean into the savory flavors, you can use chicken broth as well. When you bring your chosen liquid to boil, in my case half milk and half water, add an extra ¼ cup of water before boiling. Then when it starts to boil measure out 4 cups, add it back to the pot, and start stirring the water before adding the grits.
Continue to stir while slowly pouring in the grits. This will help prevent them from clumping together. Once they start boiling again, you should have been continuously stirring, you will reduce the heat to low and cover. You will want to stir every few minutes until the grits absorb the liquid. This will also help prevent clumping. Then to finish the grits add the ½ cup of half and half and butter and stir until combined.
Why are my grits too dry or runny?
There can be a couple of reasons for this. If they are too dry one of the reasons is due to not having enough water. This can happen if you measure the water and milk before boiling. If you do this, it is completely ok, and you will just need to stir in up to ½ cup of water or milk. Add a couple of tablespoons at a time until they start to loosen up. If they are too runny then add up to 2 tablespoons of grits and stir. Cook until they start to thicken.
Looking for other Southern recipes?
Southern Andouille Sausage and Grits
Equipment
- Sauté pan
- Saucepan
- Wooden spoon
- Spatula
Ingredients
Grits
- 2 cups whole milk
- 2 cups water
- 1 cup grits
- ½ cup half-and-half
- ½ tablespoon salt
- 2 tablespoons butter unsalted
Andouille sausage
- 1 pound andouille sausage sliced
- ½ cup red bell pepper chopped
- ½ cup yellow bell pepper chopped
- ½ cup onion chopped
- 2 tablespoons butter unsalted
- 1 tablespoon garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon green onions chopped
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 4 eggs optional
Instructions
- In a saucepan over medium-high heat bring the water and milk to a boil. While stirring add the salt and grits, reduce to a simmer, cover and cook for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally.2 cups whole milk, 2 cups water, 1 cup grits, ½ tablespoon salt
- While the grits are cooking in a sauté pan, over medium-high heat, melt the butter and sauté the onions, paprika, pepper, and bell peppers. Cook for 5 minutes until they are softened.2 tablespoons butter, ½ cup red bell pepper, ½ cup yellow bell pepper, ½ cup onion, ½ teaspoon paprika, ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- Add the sausage and cook for another 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another minute and remove from the heat.1 pound andouille sausage, 1 tablespoon garlic
- Once the grits are cooked pour in the half-and-half and butter and stir until the butter is melted and the grits are smooth and creamy.½ cup half-and-half, 2 tablespoons butter
- Place the grits in a bowl and top with the andouille sausage mixture. Add a fried egg if desired and garnish with green onions.1 tablespoon green onions
Nutrition
This was the perfect breakfast for my Texas friends that’s came to visit. They loved it.