Southern Breakfast Bowl with Goat Cheese Grits and Biscuits

I’m going to start this post off with a big old hey ya’ll, because the recipe I’m about to share is full of southern flavor and comfort. I’ll preface by saying this is not your typical breakfast bowl. It’s nowhere near healthy and absolutely full of carbs, bacon grease and cheesy goodness, but it’s worth every calorie. Here’s the rundown: creamy goat cheese grits, slightly smashed black eyed peas, thick-cut bacon and spicy salsa all topped with a fried egg. And on the side, my recipe for cream cheese biscuits because every southern meal needs them. This bowl will bring your taste buds on a trip to Tennessee and back in just one forkful.

My husband, bless his heart, definitely had his fill when I made this for dinner last night. He’s a southern food junky and just couldn’t help himself. Oh, and our daughter is definitely his because after gobbling down a bunch of grits, she started scooping it with bacon. I just can’t. The two of them are so alike sometimes it scares me.

My inspiration behind this bowl comes from a dish I had at Tupelo Honey during our visit to Charlotte, North Carolina last fall. It was one of the best breakfasts I’ve ever had and I’ve been dying to make it at home ever since (I can’t believe it took me this long!). Tupelo Honey has multiple locations in a few different states and if you’re ever near one, I’d highly recommend visiting for brunch.

Because there are so many elements, it does take a little more time to make when compared to other breakfast dishes; but if you sneak bites as you go along, it’ll motivate you to keep going. In all seriousness, it doesn’t take that long, just some organization and a little bit of prep beforehand.

Think about how delicious this bowl would be this weekend for brunch. If you end up making it, don’t forget to tag your photos with #marinamakeseats!

Southern Breakfast Bowl with Goat Cheese Grits and Biscuits

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 8 slices of bacon
• 2 cups of dried corn grits
• 4 tablespoons of butter
• 8 oz of goat cheese, crumbled
• Salt
• Olive oil
• 15 oz can of black eyed peas, drained and rinsed
• 2 cups of your favorite mild or spicy salsa
• 4 eggs

Cream Cheese Biscuits (will make four large biscuits)

• 1 1/2 cups of flour
• 1/2 tablespoon of baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon of baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon of salt
• 6 tablespoons of cold unsalted butter (cut into small cubes and kept in the fridge until ready to use; it’s super important butter is very cold when you mix everything, plus more for brushing
• 1 cup of buttermilk
• 4 oz of cream cheese

Directions

First, start by making the biscuits.  Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

In a medium bowl, stir to combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl. Using a pastry cutter (fork or potato masher will do the trick too), cut the butter into the dry flour mixture, until butter is the size of peas.

Next, gradually add the buttermilk, stirring until ingredients are just combined (don’t over stir!). Using teaspoon portions, add the cream cheese to the bowl, stirring until just combined.

On a floured surface, knead the dough a couple of times, and then pat it into a rectangle, about 1-2 inches thick. Using a biscuit cutter (large glass or round cookie cutter will also work), cut each biscuit and place on a baking sheet. Once all of the biscuits are cut, melt 2-3 tablespoons of butter and heavily brush the tops of each biscuit.

Place biscuits in the oven to cook for 20-25 minutes, or until golden brown on the top. When done, remove from the oven and set aside.

While the biscuits are cooking, set a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Cook slices of bacon until crisp and set aside. Remove most of the grease from the pan, leaving a small amount for cooking the eggs.

Next, begin cooking the grits. Bring six cups of water to a boil. Lower the heat to a simmer and slowly add the grits and a teaspoon of salt. Whisk the grits until thickened (it will usually start bubbling when it’s ready) and remove from the heat. You don’t want to overcook the grits because you’ll want them to be creamy, but if you do overcook them, just add water and remove from the heat. Add four tablespoons of butter, an additional teaspoon of salt and crumbled goat cheese. Stir to combine and set aside.

While the grits are cooking, place the black eyed peas in a medium frying pan with one to two tablespoons of olive oil and a couple of pinches of salt. As the beans start to cook, smash some of the them with the back of a spoon or fork to mash them up a bit.

Lastly, set the pan used to cook the bacon over medium-high heat to cook the eggs sunny side up.

To assemble the bowl, place creamy, warm grits, black eyed peas and a few tablespoons of your favorite salsa on the bottom. Top each bowl with an egg, two slices of bacon and a biscuit.