Grits & Grillades

Just in time for Mardi Gras, I happened upon a really tasty Cajun dish in Southern Living that is super easy! I love anything in the slow cooker & this recipe has easily won me over. Cary said it was delicious & wants me to fix it again soon.

Grillades

1.5 lbs. top round steak, trimmed
3 T. all-purpose flour
2 t. Creole seasoning
2 T. olive oil
1-14.5 oz. can fire roasted diced tomatoes
1-10 oz. pkg. frozen diced onion, red & green bell pepper & celery, thawed
3 garlic cloves, minced

Flatten meat to ¼” thickness using the flat end of a meat mallet. Cut into 2” squares. Combine flour & Creole seasoning in a large zip lock bag. Add meat, seal bag & shake to coat. Heat 1 T. oil in a large skillet over med-high heat. Add half of meat & cook 2 to 3 minutes on each side or until browned. Transfer meat to a lightly greased slow cooker. Repeat procedure with remaining oil & meat. Add tomatoes & next 2 ingredients to slow cooker & stir. Cover & cook on high for 3 hours or until steak is tender.

I could not find a frozen mix that included celery, so I just chopped a few fresh stalks and added it to the onion/bell pepper mix. The recipe in the magazine called for Asiago Cheese Grits that sounded wonderful, but I already had frozen cheese grits in the freezer, so I just used them and it was great. This grits recipe is as easy as it gets and is a favorite in the family that I often bring to get togethers.

Granny’s Cheese Grits

1 c. Quaker Quick Grits
4 c. water
1 stick butter, melted
4 oz. velveeta, cubed
2 eggs, slightly beaten
Salt and/or garlic powder to taste
Paprika for color

Boil water & add grits, cooking for 5 to 7 minutes until thickened; stir as needed. Remove from heat. Add butter, cheese & eggs; combine until blended and cheese is melted. Season to taste with salt & garlic powder. Transfer to a buttered casserole dish & sprinkle with paprika. Bake at 350º for 45 to 60 minutes until browned.

Bon appetit!