Walt Disney World 50 for 50 - Taste of the Florida Keys

They’ve had multiple names, Olivia’s Creamy Grits or Olivia’s Famous Grits, but it doesn’t really matter if you call them creamy or famous, because what they really are is delicious. More than a decade ago, our good friend Tony Caggiano shared his love of the grits from Olivia’s Cafe and even provided us with the kitchen’s recipe for making them at home. While grits are a staple around our house, and I know they are not common in every kitchen, we never actually took the time to try and whip up a batch of Olivia’s for ourselves. Let’s rectify that.

 

It’s worth noting that we halved the size from the recipe Tony provided and still have more than enough to make at least 12 servings. We ended up eating a lot of grits for a couple of days…

OLIVIA’S CREAMY GRITS

 

Ingredients:

 

1 1/2 Quarts Heavy Cream

1 1/2 Quarts Water

2 3/4 Cups Grits

1 Stick Butter

Salt and Pepper (to taste)

 

Directions:

 

Add all ingredients to a heavy bottomed sauce pan or pot

Bring to a boil

Reduce to a low simmer

Allow to cook for 45 minutes, stirring often

 

It’s a really easy preparation, and it may not take the full 45 minutes, you’ll have to keep your eye on the grits and stop when they reach your preferred consistency. We typically like to use a coarser stone ground grits when we make our own, but this batch was a bit finer than we’re used to. Either way, it made a very smooth, buttery batch of grits.

 

If this is your first-time making grits, this is a great starter recipe. They paired excellently with the andouille sausage we had for dinner the first night we prepared these. However, I would, and did, add crushed garlic and cheese (cheddar, gouda, and/or parmesan are favorites here), and top off with some hot sauce if I were to make them again.

 

Olivia’s Cafe is a storied restaurant, an off the beaten path darling of those in the know, and it is situated in the original Disney Vacation Club Resort, Old Key West. If you’re missing your home away from home, or just looking for something hearty to add to your breakfast, lunch, or dinner rotation, Olivia’s Famous Creamy Grits will do the trick.