Aunt Donna's Tomato Grits

From Donna Wilson:

Casey asked me to share this recipe with the group. I made some for him and he loved it. It is called "Tomato grits " it is an old staple made with basic ingredients but the flavor is amazing...it is suppose to be very chunky vegetables but a very soupy texture,,kind of like a runny chilli..The key ingredient is the datil pepper, it makes it spicy and flavorful....I don't measure but I tried to figure it out for you... so good luck...lol.........

Tomato Grits

about 10 slices of good bacon ( I use Casey's ) cut in 1 inch pieces
2 large onions chopped in about 1 inch pieces
1 large bell pepper chopped in about 3/4 inch pieces
about 8 stalks of celery sliced in about 1/4 to 1/2 inch slices
4 cloves fresh garlic....chopped medium to fine
1 or 2 datil peppers...chopped very fine ( according to size and how hot ..........you want it )
I use 2 quart jars of home canned tomatoes with all the juice but you can ........easily use store bought diced..you could also use fresh peeled .........tomatoes
black pepper
about 3 /4 cup of Mr Jesse's grits that Casey sells

brown your bacon in a heavy bottomed pan. ,I use cast iron, Brown over medium heat until it is crispy, drain off grease leaving about 1/2 cup in the pan,,,add onions, celery and bell peppers to the bacon & grease and let cook over medium heat until the onions are almost clear,,,this will take about 10-15 minutes...,scrape the bottom of the pan while cooking because this is your flavor....then add the garlic and the datil pepper, let cook about a minute,,,add the tomatoes and the juice from them, add about a cup of water add the black pepper to taste,,,let cook over high heat about a minute,,taste,,,IF it needs salt & more pepper add it now,,,(,just remember that when you add the grits they will absorb some of the salt and datil heat.... THE BACON IS SALTY so be careful with the salt.) now sprinkle the grits over the top and stir them in,,,reduce the heat to low and stir again,,lay a lid halfway on the pot and let cook on low about 20 minutes.stirring every so often..these are not store bought grits...they take a while...after about 10 minutes of cooking put the lid all the way on it.....taste them after 20 minutes and the grits should be done...they have a slight chew to them because they are real....

I also added about a cup of Casey's sausage with the bacon because I had it,,,,,you could also add raw shrimp at the end and let them cook another 3 or 4 minutes...but please try the basic bacon version first...
They go good with bar b q...or fried fish....or as a meal by itself served with cornbread (Jesse has cornmeal also!)