If at the beginning of this quarantine you stress-bought cans of Spam like I did, and now you’re having trouble thinking up of ways to use it, have no fear because I’m here to help. Sure you can just slice it, fry it and serve it with eggs for breakfast, but Spam is actually quite versatile and you’d be surprised by how much you can actually cook with it. This Spam Hash and Grits that I’m sharing today is the perfect recipe to keep on hand, especially during this difficult time, because it’s easy and because it’s completely versatile. Use whatever vegetables or produce you have on hand. A hash is just a mixture of vegetables and protein that you can switch up a thousand different ways. There are no set rules. Use this more as a guideline instead of a set of rules. This Spam Musubi is also a great snack to make with Spam, just in case you’re looking for some more inspiration.
Let’s start by making the grits. Place the milk, water and 1 teaspoon salt in a large saucepan and bring to a simmer. Slowly whisk in the cornmeal until evenly combined. Lower the flame and cook, stirring often, until the grits are thick and softened, about 18 to 20 minutes.
**Note: I like making my grits with a bit of milk and water because I like how smooth and silky the milk makes them, but if you don’t have any whole milk on hand, all water will work just fine! Also, grits are basically polenta, it’s all just made with coarse (or fine) cornmeal. I like coarse cornmeal because of the texture, but fine cornmeal is good too!**
In the meantime, set a large skillet over moderate heat with 2 tablespoons oil. Once hot, add the diced Spam and cook until crispy. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the Spam to a platter or bowl and set aside.
**Note: If you don’t have Spam on hand, or quite frankly you just don’t like it, you can make this with diced ham, Italian sausage, or even smoked sausage will also work in this recipe as well! Use whatever you have on hand.**
Drizzle the remaining tablespoon of oil into the skillet and add the sweet potato. Cook for about 5 minutes to slightly brown and begin to soften. Stir in the red onion and cook for another minute or so to soften the onion.
**Note: The best part of a breakfast hash is that you can literally use whatever veggies or produce you have on hand in the fridge. Regular potatoes are great instead of sweet potatoes, use white or brown onion if that’s all you have! Canned beans from the pantry work as a nice hearty replacement to potatoes.**
Add the shredded kale, a handful at a time, and cook until wilted each addition has wilted somewhat. Season with a pinch of salt, black pepper and crushed red pepper. Cook for a minute or two longer until the kale is bright green. You don’t want to overcook the kale or else it’ll turn brown.
**Tip: Again, if you don’t have kale or you do but would like to add more veggies you can add just about anything at this stage. Bell peppers, mushrooms, squash, eggplant, etc. all would be great in this dish!**
Return the Spam to the skillet, give it a big stir and turn off the heat. You can keep it warm by placing a lid over it or loosely covering with a piece of foil.
By now the grits should be done, so let’s finish them up with a just one more step. We want to make them even creamier. Add the cheese and butter to the grits and stir until melted through. Give it a taste and adjust seasoning accordingly, adding more salt and pepper as needed.
**Note: You can omit the cheese if you don’t have any on hand, but you can also swap it out for whatever cheese you have. A spicy pepper jack would be great in this as well. Or adding diced up jalapeño (pickled or fresh) would add a nice kick to the grits! Also, if you find your grits to be too thick, you can always thin them out slightly with a splash or two of hot water. Just make sure you season accordingly with the addition of the water.**
To serve portion out the grits into shallow bowls and spoon over the Spam hash mixture. Top each bowl with a fried egg and sliced scallions.
**Note: I just fry up some eggs in a bit of oil, sunny side up, until the whites are set and the yolks are bright yellow. I season them with a pinch of salt and pepper and serve on top of the whole dish.**
Of course, the eggs are totally optional to the dish, but if you do have some in your fridge I highly recommend them because they add a great flavor and the yolk blended in with the hash and grits just really is great.
If you like things spicy, I recommend serving this dish with a few dashes of hot sauce or salsa because it cuts through the heaviness of the grits and the saltiness from the spam hash. I find that it’s all about flavor balance whenever you eat!
I hope you’ll give this recipe a try soon, whether it’s for breakfast, brunch or my favorite, breakfast for dinner. The best part, aside from the flavor and taste, is the versatility of this recipe and I hope you’ll find it easy to customize it as you see fit or with whatever you have on hand at the moment. If you have any questions about substitutions, please don’t hesitate to ask below! Stay safe out there my friends, and stay home as much as possible. We’re all in this together!
- 2 cups whole milk
- 2 cups water
- Kosher salt and coarse black pepper
- 1 cup coarse cornmeal or polenta
- 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 1 (12-ounce) can low-sodium Spam, diced
- 1 medium sweet potato, peeled and diced
- 1 small red onion, diced
- 2 cups loosely packed shredded kale
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- ½ cup shredded Cheddar, Monterey Jack or Mozzarella cheese
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 6 large fried eggs
- 2 scallions, thinly sliced
- Hot sauce, for serving
- Place the milk, water and 1 teaspoon salt in a large saucepan and bring to a simmer. Slowly whisk in the cornmeal until evenly combined. Lower the flame and cook, stirring often, until the grits are thick and softened, about 18 to 20 minutes.
- In the meantime, set a large skillet over moderate heat with 2 tablespoons oil. Once hot, add the diced Spam and cook until crispy. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the Spam to a platter or bowl and set aside. Drizzle the remaining tablespoon of oil into the skillet and add the sweet potato. Cook for about 5 minutes to slightly brown and begin to soften. Stir in the red onion and cook for another minute or so to soften the onion. Add the shredded kale, a handful at a time, and cook until wilted each addition has wilted somewhat. Season with a pinch of salt, black pepper and crushed red pepper. Cook for a minute or two longer until the kale is bright green. You don't want to overcook the kale or else it'll turn brown. Return the Spam to the skillet and turn off the heat.
- Add the cheese and butter to the grits and stir until melted through. Give it a taste and adjust seasoning accordingly, adding more salt and pepper as needed.
- To serve portion out the grits into shallow bowls and spoon over the Spam hash mixture. Top each bowl with a fried egg and sliced scallions. Serve with hot sauce and enjoy!
Great recipe! Love the versatility of this recipe! May have to make without grits as I seem to have no cornmeal in my pantry. Thanks for all you do-you stay safe too!