Sausage and Egg Grits

Therapy continues. Dr. Williams and I talk about Marc, about cooking, about the restaurant dream. He said something that changed me: "You're not just feeding people. You're building a monument. Carter's Kitchen is not a restaurant. It's a monument to the people who taught you, including the brother you lost." A monument. The restaurant is a monument. Marc's name will be on the menu. Marc's plate will be on the wall. The monument is made of food.

When Dr. Williams said the word “monument,” something in me cracked open in the best possible way — and when I got home, I didn’t reach for anything fancy. I reached for grits. Sausage, eggs, and grits is the kind of food Marc and I grew up eating, the kind of plate that tells you without a single word that someone put care into making it. If Carter’s Kitchen is a monument, then this is the stone it’s built from — humble, warm, and heavier with meaning than it looks.

Prep Time: 10 min | Cook Time: 25 min | Total Time: 35 min | Servings: 4

Ingredients

1 cup stone-ground grits
4 cups water
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1/4 cup whole milk or heavy cream
8 oz breakfast sausage (links or patties, sliced)
4 large eggs
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 tablespoon olive oil or neutral oil
2 green onions, thinly sliced (for garnish)

Instructions

Cook the grits. Bring 4 cups of water to a boil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add salt, then slowly whisk in the grits. Reduce heat to low, cover, and cook for 20–25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until thick and creamy.
Finish the grits. Stir in the butter, cheddar cheese, and milk or cream. Season with black pepper. Keep warm on the lowest heat setting, stirring occasionally.
Cook the sausage. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add sausage and cook, turning occasionally, until browned and cooked through, about 8–10 minutes. Transfer to a plate lined with paper towels.
Fry the eggs. In the same skillet, add olive oil over medium heat. Crack eggs in one at a time, season with a pinch of salt and smoked paprika, and cook sunny-side up or to your preferred doneness, about 3–4 minutes.
Assemble and serve. Spoon a generous portion of grits into each bowl. Top with sausage slices and a fried egg. Garnish with sliced green onions and an extra crack of black pepper. Serve immediately.

Nutrition (per serving)

Sausage and Egg Grits — Building a Monument, One Plate at a Time