Ingredients

• 1 cup 1 cup grits
• ¾ cup 3/4 cup finely shredded Cheddar cheese
• Cajun-Style Beef Sausage:
• 1 lb Ground Beef (93% or leaner)
• 1 tbsp Liquid smoke
• ½ tsp Garlic powder
• ½ tsp Onion powder
• ½ tsp Salt
• ½ tsp Smoked paprika
• ½ tsp Ground red pepper
• ¼ tsp Ground black pepper
• ¼ tsp Dried thyme leaves

Directions

1. Prepare Cajun-Style Beef Sausage. Remove from skillet; keep warm. Cajun-Style Beef Sausage: Combine 1 pound Ground Beef (93% or leaner), 1 tablespoon liquid smoke, 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, 1/2 teaspoon onion powder, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika, 1/2 teaspoon ground red pepper, 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper and 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme leaves in large bowl, mixing lightly but thoroughly. Heat large nonstick skillet over medium heat until hot. Add sausage mixture; cook 8 to 10 minutes, breaking into 1/2-inch crumbles, stirring occasionally.
2. Prepare grits according to package instructions.
3. Stir cheese and sausage crumbles into grits. Heat mixture 6 to 8 minutes. Serve in bowl and garnish with additional cheese, green onions or pepper, if desired. Cook's Tip: Cooking times are for fresh or thoroughly thawed ground beef. Ground beef should be cooked to an internal temperature of 160°F. Color is not a reliable indicator of ground beef doneness.

Recipe and photo courtesy of the Beef Checkoff and BeefItsWhatsForDinner.com