This pie is not only a Southern classic because it’s good, basic comfort food, it’s inexpensive and got a lot of people through the Great Depression (especially around Thanksgiving.) It also got Roberta Michaels, originally from Albany, through a depression of her own when she was fired from her job in Manhattan, could barely cover the rent, and had no money for a house gift for her most judgmental college friend, who had just moved into a mini-manse in Ossining, NY with her lawyer husband. About to give up and make some excuse not to go, Roberta remembered that Jeffrey was from Atlanta. That and an episode on the Food Channel gave her an idea. She went all out on the pie plate because even a great one was do-able, made a grits pie and headed for Grand Central Station. Claire was a little taken back with the gift but Jeffrey was just charmed. He was really a regular guy whose grandparents had been through the bad times in the nineteen thirties. Maybe his wife had become a little full of herself lately, but he never forgot where he came from. He could see Roberta wasn’t the type to, either. All in all, it turned out to be a pretty wonderful evening.

Down Home Grits Pie

Penelope’s Ultimate Pie Crust or your own favorite. Or better yet, buy one frozen. Paula Deen did on her Food Channel segment.

Make the pie crust or defrost a frozen one

If you’re making one from scratch, place the crust in a 9 inch pie pan

Preheat the oven to 325°

  1. 1 cup water
  2. ¼ cup quick cooking grits –
    (not instant, but not the long cooking kind either)
  3. 1 stick butter
  4. ¾ cup sugar
  5. 2 tbs flour
  6. 1 tsp vanilla
  7. 3 eggs, lightly beaten
  8. ¼ cup buttermilk
  9. whipped heavy cream

Boil the water; add the grits and stir constantly, about 4 to 5 minutes

When it’s totally smooth, take it off the heat and add the butter

When the butter is all melted in, put the pan back on the heat and stir again until the mixture is creamy.

The Custard

In a separate bowl, combine the sugar, flour, vanilla, eggs and buttermilk

Using the empty buttermilk cup, in three or four sessions, slowly pour one cup at a time into the custard mixture so that the eggs in it don’t heat up and scramble

Once the mixtures are combined, pour the filling into the pie crust

Be careful to keep the pie pan level as you’re putting it into the oven so it will bake evenly

Bake about 40 minutes, depending on the heat of your oven; cool completely

Top with whipped cream in dollops around the center

From Paula Deen’s recipe on the Food Channel.