Grits are a delicious part of a meal, good for any time of the day. However, sometimes you want to be able to have leftovers. Can grits be reheated? And what is the best way to do so?
Yes, grits can be reheated quite easily. The best way is on the stove, but they can also be heated via microwave or oven. If you know you want to meal prep grits for another day, making a grit casserole is a great way to make easy-to-heat leftovers.
Keep reading below to learn how to reheat grits on the stove, in the microwave, or the oven.
How to Reheat Cooked Grits
When you’ve got leftover grits, don’t toss them out. They can be reheated and, if done properly, taste just as good as when you first made them. Just follow the steps below.
On the Stove
This is the easiest, and best way to reheat your grits. It gives them back their soft, creamy texture and flavor with only a little bit of work.
- Put the grits into a pot
- Add small amounts of a liquid such as milk, broth, or water.
- At a low temperature, reheat the grits
- Stir constantly
- Add more liquid as needed, to prevent thick or lumpy grits
- Try and break up any lumps you see
- When warm, serve and enjoy
Adding more water will allow you to keep the original flavor profile, with no added flavors like those that come with broth or milk. If you used a broth previously, or are serving it with a protein, using a broth is a good idea. For a creamier meal, I prefer to use milk. Texture-wise, it doesn’t matter which you use.
If you accidentally added too much liquid, just cook down the grits more. They will eventually cook down until they are the same thickness as they were previously. Don’t be afraid to add more liquid. It might take longer to cook down, but unlike most grain, grits don’t get mushy. Instead, the more time they cook, the creamier they get.
In the Microwave
This is the quickest way to reheat your grits, though they may become tough and lumpy if you aren’t careful.
- Add a little liquid to your grits and mix as well as possible
- Place mixture in the microwave
- Heat for thirty seconds at medium temperature.
- Remove and stir, adding more liquid if necessary.
- Repeat until the dish is heated throughout.
- Enjoy
Make sure to stir thoroughly to avoid any lumps or tough parts.
In the Oven
Reheating grits in the oven can be easy, but may lead to dried out or too-thick of a texture, so be sure to add enough liquid.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (177 Celsius)
- Pour in some liquid and try to mix in with the grits
- Cover with a lid or aluminum foil
- Pull out after five minutes
- Stir
- Add more liquid if necessary
- Repeat until the dish is heated through
- Enjoy
Can Grits Be Made Ahead and Reheated
Yes, grits can easily be made ahead and reheated. The stove is the best option, but there are other methods as well. This is useful for meal prepping, or if you know you aren’t going to have a lot of time the next day.
While there are instant grits to make life easier, they don’t have the same flavor or texture. If you prefer traditional grits, but don’t have a lot of time, making a big batch of grits and reheating them later would be a great option.
Additionally, if you are planning to make grits as a part of a meal planning process, or just know you are going to have leftovers, making a grit bake or grit casserole is another option. This is easy to make in an oven, can be a full meal prepped all at once, and is easy to reheat.
How to Keep Grits From Getting Hard
Adding enough liquid is key to preventing your grits from getting hard when reheating. If there are parts that don’t get enough liquid due to lack of stirring or too much heat, they will quickly turn hard.
To prevent this, keep a constant eye on your grits and stir frequently, no matter which reheating method you use, and if you feel the grits are getting too thick, add a little liquid.
How to Keep Grits From Getting Lumpy
Even when you are first cooking grits, they can be lumpy. Lumpy grits occur when parts of your grits don’t get the right amount of liquid and start to clump together with wetter areas of your grits.
To prevent this from happening, as you are pouring grits into hot water, stir. Frequent and immediate stirring is the best way to prevent grits from getting lumpy.
This is also true when reheating grits. If you start to feel lumps, try and stir more often. Break up the lumps as soon as you notice them as well, to allow them to reintegrate into the rest of the grits.
How Long Will Cooked Grits Last in the Fridge?
If you store your grits in an airtight container, they should easily last three to four days in the fridge before losing flavor and quality.
Can I Freeze Grits?
Freezing uncooked grits can prevent weevils from hatching during long storage periods. So if you bought bulk grits and know you aren’t going to use them, you can freeze them. Just put them in an airtight container and throw them in the freezer. They should last for quite a while this way.
Freezing cooked grits works out better if they are creamy, such as by adding milk or cheese. This helps them keep a good consistency even after freezing. Also, baked grits work well frozen, and can last a month or two in the freezer.
Conclusion
Grits are a grain that is very easy to prep in advance and reheat. As long as you are willing to stand over them and keep stirring, they are hard to mess up, even the second time. However, if you don’t want to stand over them, it is also possible to make a grit bake.
With something so easy to make, and reheat, why not add these to your meal? They work for any meal of the day, and can even be frozen for later.
