Cheddar Grits Cakes with Pimento Cheese Tapas

Ingredients

Grit Cakes:
1 large egg
½ cup half-and-half or milk
3 cups water
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups “instant” grits
4 ounces Cabot Sharp Cheddar, grated (about 1 cup)
Vegetable oil (about ½ cup)
Pimento Cheese (see recipe below)

Pimento Cheese:
16 ounces Cabot Sharp Cheddar, grated (about 4 cups)
1 cup mayonnaise
1 (4-ounce) jar chopped pimentos, drained
¼ teaspoon sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

Directions

To make Grit Cakes:
WHISK egg in a small bowl until combined; whisk in half-and-half or milk and set aside.

BRING water to boil in heavy-bottomed pot or saucepan. Add salt; whisking constantly, stir in grits. Remove from heat.

WHISK about 1 tablespoon of hot grits into reserved egg-milk mixture until well combined. Slowly whisk this mixture back into grits until well blended. Stir in cheese.

SPOON grits into greased 13-by-9-inch dish, smoothing with spatula. Let cool to room temperature.

COVER with plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, several hours or overnight.

CUT grits into squares or use cookie cutter. Heat ¼ inch of oil in large cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add grit cakes and cook until golden on both sides, about 4 minutes per side. (Alternatively, brush cakes with oil or melted butter and broil or bake until browned and crispy.) To serve, place warm cakes on serving platter and top each with tablespoon of Pimento Cheese.

To make Pimento Cheese:
Mix all ingredients in large bowl until well blended.