Sweet potatoes are one of my favorite ingredients. They’re inexpensive, packed full of nutrients, and, most importantly, DELICIOUS. So, when my coworker told me about seeing someone make sweet potato grits on a chef reality TV show, I was all like, “Yes ma’am, I will be making those IMMEDIATELY.”
I tasted these grits throughout the cooking process and I have to say, there are about a million different ways they could be prepared. I ended up adding a little cinnamon and nutmeg, but leaving the sweetener out because they were so rich and delicious already. You can serve it with brown sugar or maple syrup if you’d like, but they’re also good without. Even before adding the spices, these grits were so delicious that I could have eaten a whole bowl. You could even take them the savory route and add a little cheese and savory spice, which would also be awesome. The sky’s the limit.
And the cherry on top? I got a 2 lb. bag of grits for $1.53. That’s a lot of breakfast for a little money!
Sweet Potato Grits
Sweet Potato Grits
Servings 6Ingredients
- 1 to 1 1/4 lb sweet potato ($0.78)
- 4 cups water ($0.00)
- 1 tsp salt ($0.05)
- 1 cup uncooked yellow grits ($0.27)
- 1 cup milk ($0.25)
- 2 Tbsp butter ($0.24)
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon ($0.02)
- 1/8 tsp nutmeg ($0.02)
Instructions
- Rinse the sweet potato to remove any dirt and then prick with a fork. Loosely wrap the sweet potato in a paper towel, place on a microwave safe plate, and then microwave for 5 minutes on high. Squeeze the sweet potato to see if it is soft all the way through, and microwave for a few minutes longer if it isn’t. Allow the sweet potato to cool slightly, and then scoop out the cooked flesh.
- Cook the grits according to the package directions. (Add four cups of water and one teaspoon of salt to a medium sauce pot and bring to a boil over high heat. Once it reaches a rolling boil, pour in the uncooked grits. Stir the mixture until it comes back up to a boil, then reduce the heat to the lowest setting, place a lid on top, and let simmer for ten minutes.)
- Meanwhile, add the cooked sweet potato flesh to a blender and add just enough milk to allow the sweet potato to blend into a puree. I used about one cup of milk. It’s okay if there are a few sweet potato chunks.
- After the grits have cooked, remove the lid and give them a good stir to help them finish absorbing the water. Add the sweet potatoes and stir until well mixed. Next add the butter, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Stir again until smooth. Taste and adjust salt, butter, or other seasonings to your liking. Serve hot.
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Nutrition
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Step By Step Photos
Rinse off the sweet potato and prick it with a fork. Wrap it loosely in a paper towel, place on a microwave safe plate, and the microwave on high for 5 minutes. Squeeze the sweet potato to make sure it is soft all the way through, and microwave longer if needed.
Allow the sweet potato to cool slightly, then cut it open and scoop out the flesh.
Cook the grits according to the package directions (instant grits will have different instructions than regular grits, etc. You can use either). Mine said to bring 4 cups of water to a boil along with 1 teaspoon of salt. Someone once asked what type of salt I use, so here it is :)
Once the water reaches a rolling boil, pour in the grits…
Stir the grits into the boiling water and then allow it to come back up to a full boil (this happened almost instantly for me). Then turn the burner down to its lowest setting, place a lid on top, and let it simmer for ten minutes.
While the grits are simmering, puree the sweet potato with some milk. Only use enough milk to allow the sweet potato to blend… it’s okay if there are a few chunks, you’re just trying to get rid of the slightly stringy texture and make them easy to stir into the grits.
Once the grits have simmered for ten minutes, give them a good stir. They may seem watery at first, but as you stir they’ll thicken up nicely.
Add the sweet potato puree and stir to combine.
Next add the butter, cinnamon, and nutmeg (or whatever spices you’d like). Stir to combine. The sweet potatoes are already so creamy that you barely need any butter at all. I tasted the mixture before the butter and spices and it was already deeeelish.
I left mine unsweetened, but you could certainly add some brown sugar or maple syrup if you’d like.
Enjoy!
First time making grits (I’m from the Midwest). I followed the recipe and added brown sugar and it was amazing. I had problems blending the sweet potato in my shake blender, it was too big and exploded out… I’ll use my large food processor next time.
I’m envisioning these savory as a different take on shrimp and grits. Can’t wait to try them
I never make my grits with plain ol water anymore! I use half milk( or 1/2 n 1/2 or heavy cream) and half chicken or vegetable stock. The difference is amazing!
Game changer!
I am also a native Mississippi gal. I would never have considered mixing anything sweetish like the cinnamon and nutmeg or milk or sweetner ( those are for my oatmeal). My Yankee cousins are opposite with both oatmeal and grits. I love sweet potato. That is what my tummy wanted tonight as I struggled to fix a simple water spice broth to try to flush my appendix which is killing me. I also love grits. I am adopting more and more oatmeal as my health is not good. I will not try this recipe though as a sweet spice version, the thought makes me feel ill. But I am open to trying it as a savory served with a broiled chicken breast or salmon with some grilled veggies.
I’m from Mississippi so grits are a staple breakfast item for me. I would have never thought of adding a sweet potato to grits. I added some brown sugar, sausage, and bacon and my God was it good! Thanks for this unique and yummy recipe.
sweet potato grits. wow… perfect. why didn’t I think of this!!! Thank you.
Will it work if I skip milk. I’m lactose intolerant.
Yep, it just won’t be as creamy.
I’m also a southern girl, New Orleans, LOUISIANA! If tolerable try coconut or almond milk instead. I make my grits with coconut milk all the time, I top with greens sauteed with onions, garlic, sometimes add goat or feta cheese! Delicious! I’ve made several recipes using sweet potatoes, but never grits, must try.😍
I just made these with unsweetened almond milk and butter (skipped the nutmeg/cinnamon) and served them under a couple poached eggs – delicious! I’ll likely eat the rest like hot cereal butter/spices.
What would you serve with this? I’m hosting a brunch for 10 -12 people this weekend and would like to serve this up with something that’s easy to prep before guests arrive and easy to serve whenever guests are ready to eat.
I just ate them by themselves, like you would cream of wheat or oatmeal. :)
I’m hosting brunch for about 10 people this weekend and would like to include these on the menu. What would you serve with this for company?
Great, simple and filling recipe! I used sweet potatoes, not yams, so mine maintained just a slight golden color and I used half & half for an even creamier base! I cooked them in a Dutch Oven while camping and they were a huge hit with everybody, even the kids came back for more! Thank you for sharing!
This was my first time ever cooking or trying grits, so take this for what it’s worth. My grits were bought in the bulk bin at a natural food store so they had no cooking directions. I followed your cooking directions and they tasted very salty. I use sea salt. Did I buy some junky grits? Final product also stayed very soupy even after additional simmering and the texture was strange with lots of little bit of what seemed like the hull of the corn kernels that are hard to chew and get stuck in your teeth like when you eat popcorn. Is that normal and I just don’t know the first thing about grits? thanks setting me straight and for all your great recipes!
Hmmm. I’m not an expert on grits either, but I’m wondering if mine were “quick cooking” grits and yours were just regular milled corn (kind of like the difference between rolled oats and steel cut oats, they cook very differently). I just followed the instructions on my bag of grits, so I’m thinking they may have been different!
Being from the South and having eaten grits my whole life, it sounds like you didn’t cook them long enough. They shouldn’t be watery, and the hard pieces mean that those parts didn’t cook. It should be soft and creamy. Not watery and hard. :)
Hey Beth I mentioned this to u and haven’t tried it yet, but my next off day I will make me sum sweet potato grits:):):):):)
Hahaha, You’ve GOT to try it Lynelle!
Sounds great! Thanks. That definitely makes sense on why there isn’t a tag.
Has anyone tried freezing these in single portions?
I’m starting grad school next month so I’m in search of a bunch of good freezable/thawable/reheatable meals that I can stock my fridge with so that I hopefully do not have to cook much during the quarter, yet do not spend a ton of money on take out and prepared food items. Is there a tag somewhere around here for recipes that are especially freezer friendly?
Thanks!
This should freeze pretty well :) I haven’t made a tag for freezable because it’s not always a definite line between what does and what doesn’t freeze well. It’s subjective most of the time.
ahh..these look so good.Wish I had a blender
Not a breakfast person, but I do love grits! Made these and LOVE them. Thanks :)
I’m from the south and one thing you never do is make grits w water. That’s the reason most people don’t like them. Always make them w milk..always!
Kelly – Yep, white should work fine too :D
I can’t find yellow grits, only white.. will those be ok?
the grits I grew up eating were white. Hominy grits maybe?
I’m from Georgia, and I have to say that these are the best grits I’ve ever made. I used some fat free half and half to puree the sweet potato (I needed to use it up because it was on the last day before expiration), and I went light on the cinnamon and nutmeg so there was just a hint of spice. We ate them with shrimp I marinated in chipotles in adobo and brown sugar. So amazing and so cost effective. Thank you!
wow…I have mailed this recipe to my mom, she will make this once i am at home!
window grills
Looks amazing. Think I’ll try it with polenta!
I <3 <3 <3 sweet potatoes! And grits are comfort food. What a combination!
when I’m in a hurry I do the quick grits and add a jar of pureed sweet potatoes (Beechnut baby food) and grated cheese.
In the depths of my southern girl heart, grits should always be cheesy. Can you suggest a type of cheese to add to this? I’m thinking maybe a little slab of goat’s cheese on top? Or would cheese and sweet potato just be totally wrong?
Made these this morning for breakfast. Yummy, easy, and cheap? You’ve discovered the trifecta of good food. Cant wait to try more of your recipes!
This looks absolutely gourmet. I can’t wait to serve these at my next brunch.
Those grits look amazing! It’s times like these I actually wish we owned a microwave. Oh well–looks like I’ll be baking some sweet potatoes alongside whatever else is in the oven sometime this week!
Looks amazing. I’ve never had grits before, but if there are sweet potatoes involved I’m willing to give them a shot ;) I only wish that the prices here in Alaska were as budget friendly as they are wherever you are located!
I grew up in Mississippi where grits are white and made from dried ground hominy kernals. I live in Utah now and most people will tell you they don’t eat “grits” but they do eat polenta, which is yellow, made from finely ground cornmeal and cooked the exact same way. I guess it just depends on where you live…
Warm n Wonderful – I’m not too familiar with what is gluten free and what is not, but grits are just ground up corn (no other ingredients), so if corn is gluten free, then grits are as well :)
I too am in Ontario and have never seen grits. Do you know if they are gluten free? I make my vegetarian shepherds pie with sweet potato mixed with butter milk cinnamon and nutmeg. So much better than regular mashed potatoes.
Being half Southern, yes we have grits even here in ‘Southern’ Oregon! I just bought some sweet potatoes, so will make this today! Looks awesome. For your readers, if you go to amazon.com they have an extensive supply of different types of grits for sale.
Oh. My. Gosh.
Yummo – what a great version of grits. I can taste them now!
Yum! I love sweet potatoes too, so I must try this recipe. Thanks for sharing!
Yes, Beth. I would concur to you, on your description of grits vs cornmeal. I compared it to rice, because I would somewhat consider it a starch when preparing/planning meals. Thanks for the feedback.
StudioÉLAN – I’m from Ontario too and you can get grits here. Bob’s Red Mill. http://www.bobsredmill.com/corn-grits_polenta.html
Lisa – I’d just fry it, leave the yolk runny, and set it on top… but that’s just me :)
SudioELAN – Grits is corn, but a coarser grind than regular “cornmeal”… although any ground corn product can technically be called “cornmeal”. Here is a great article I found a while back describing Cornmeal vs. Grits vs. Polenta. Enjoy!
Hi-if we wanted to serve an egg with the grits, how would the egg be prepared? Studio-i do not believe they are similar to cornmeal. grits would be more in the rice family.
Hi there, I’m from Ontario, Canada. Grits aren’t a regular food around here. What you show in the picture looks like cornmeal to me but I can’t tell how fine it is. Do you know if grits are the same as cornmeal?
This looks easy and delicious.. but I have seriously never heard of grits before.. interesting! More sweet potato recipes, please! :)