This post is part of “The Art of Cheese”, a partnership between Honest Cooking and Castello Cheese.
A classic Creole dish topped with fork tender meat and creamy grits made with buttery Havarti cheese.
By Susan Benton
For many years I would visit the French Quarter on Sunday’s and eat at a bistro called Petunia’s for brunch. The restaurant was filled with colorful people, had an over the top decor and served delicious comfort food, but sadly is know longer in existence. Petunia’s was well known for their enormous crepes, but one of my favorite items on the menu was their Grillades & Grits. This recipe is adapted from Leon E. Soniat, Jr, and his cookbook La Bouche Creole. Make sure to let the meat simmer long enough to be fork tender. I think you will enjoy this Creole classic dish made with Aged Havarti from Castello. 
Castello® Aged Havarti combines the rich buttery aroma and taste of a Creamy Havarti with a slightly crunchy texture. It was perfect with a glass of red wine and sliced pears for an appetizer and paired well with local honey touched with fresh thyme, caramelized onion chutney, and was delicious at Thanksgiving when shaved thin on top of grilled asparagus. I just could not resist melting it in local stone ground grits.
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The Art of Cheese — Beef Grillades and Aged Havarti Grits
- Total Time: 2 hours 40 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
Description
A classic Creole dish topped with fork tender meat and creamy grits made with buttery Havarti cheese. Adapted from Leon E. Soniat, Jr.
Ingredients
Grillades
- 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 lb (680-790 g) beef top round, or veal top round cut into 2-inch pieces, about 1/8-inch thick
- 2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting work surface
- 1/4 cup (60 ml) vegetable oil
- 2 cups (480 ml) chopped onions
- 1 cup (240 ml) chopped bell peppers
- 1 cup (240 ml) chopped celery
- 1/4 tsp cayenne
- 2 cups (480 ml) peeled, seeded, and chopped tomatoes (if canned use San Marzano tomatoes)
- 4-5 cloves chopped garlic
- 5 bay leaves
- 1/4 tsp dried thyme
- 1/4 tsp dried oregano
- 1/4 tsp dried basil
Baked Havarti Aged Cheese Grits
- 2 tbsp (30 ml) butter
- 6 cups (1.4 L) whole milk
- 1 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
- 2 cups (480 ml) stone ground grits
- 1 1/2 cup (360 ml) grated Castello Aged Havarti, 1/2 cup reserved for later topping
Instructions
Grillades
- Combine the beef or veal in a large mixing bowl. Season the meat, 1 tsp of the salt, and 1/4 tsp of the pepper, tossing to coat well. Add the flour and toss to coat the meat completely. Turn the meat out onto a well-floured surface and lightly lb the meat with a meat mallet. Turn the meat over and lightly lb the other sides of the meat.
- Heat 1/4 cup of the oil in a large cast iron pot over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, add the meat, in batches, if necessary and brown evenly on both sides, for 5 to 6 minutes. Drain the meat on paper towel-lined plates. (Add the remaining half of the oil to the pan, as needed between batches, waiting for the oil to heat before adding the meat.)
- Add the onions, bell peppers, and celery to the oil. Season with 1/2 tsp of the salt and the cayenne. Continue stirring, scraping the bottom and sides of the pot to loosen any browned particles. Cook for 5 to 6 minutes, or until the vegetables are wilted. Add the tomatoes and garlic. Cook, stirring often and scraping the bottom and sides of the pot for 3 to 4 minutes. Add the bay leaves, thyme, oregano, basil, stock, and wine. Return the browned meat to the pot and season with the remaining 1/2 tsp of salt, and 1/4 tsp of black pepper.
- Bring the liquid to a simmer, cover partially, and reduce the heat to low. Cook for about 1 3/4 to 2 hours, stirring occasionally, or until the meat is very tender. Remove the bay leaves and stir in the chopped parsley.
- Place a portion of the Baked Cheese Grits into a shallow serving bowl and spoon the grillades and some of the gravy over the grits. Garnish with some chopped green onions and serve immediately.
Baked Havarti Aged Cheese Grits
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Lightly grease a 9 by 9-inch baking dish with 1 tbsp of the butter.
- Heat a saucepan over medium heat and add the milk, salt, cayenne and remaining tbsp of butter.
- Bring to a boil, stir in the grits, and reduce the heat to medium. Stir for 30 seconds, then add 1 cup of the cheese and stir until the cheese melts. Cook, uncovered, for 6 to 8 minutes, stirring constantly, until the grits are tender and creamy. Pour the grits into the prepared pan and sprinkle the remaining cheese over the grits. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and slightly golden.
- Serve hot topped with Grillades.
Notes
- The best grits will always be fresh milled stone ground grits, white or yellow, but they do take time and patience.
- I always recommend that you use them, unless you are pressed for time.
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 2 hours 15 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Cuisine: Southern
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 620
If You Liked This Recipe, You’ll Love These
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- Ploughman’s Grilled Cheese with Apple Chile Chutney
- Homemade Dill Cheese Crackers
- Vietnamese Shaking Beef (Bo Luc Lac)
Frequently Asked Questions
How long should the grillades actually simmer, and how do I know when they’re done?
The recipe calls for 1¾ to 2 hours of low, partially covered simmering. The article stresses that the meat must be fork-tender — meaning a fork should slide in and pull through with no resistance. Cutting the cooking time short will leave the beef or veal chewy.
What type of grits work best for the baked Havarti grits?
The notes are clear: fresh-milled stone-ground grits (white or yellow) are best and always recommended when time allows. The recipe uses 2 cups (480 ml) cooked in 6 cups (1.4 L) whole milk with cayenne and salt before the Havarti goes in — stone-ground varieties need patient, constant stirring for 6–8 minutes to reach a creamy texture.
Why is the Havarti added to the grits in two stages?
The recipe adds 1 cup of grated Havarti into the stovetop grits as they cook for creaminess, then reserves the remaining ½ cup to sprinkle on top of the baking dish before it goes into a 350°F oven for 20–25 minutes, producing a melted, slightly golden cheesy crust on the surface.
