Cheese Grits Casserole

Cheese Grits Casserole is an easy breakfast recipe sure to please the whole family. This recipe has a touch of garlic flavor and can be made ahead and refrigerated. Simply bake in the morning and easily feed a crowd with this light and airy, melt in your mouth recipe. These grits come together easily and is delicious served with eggs, bacon or sausage, and fresh fruit.

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Grits are a great way to start your day! This hearty casserole goes great with any style eggs and your favorite breakfast meats like sausage and bacon.

Ingredients

• Whipping Cream- Substitute with whole or 2% milk if desired. Casserole will not be quite as rich, but will still taste delicious.
• Salt
• Quick-Cooking Grits - Using this version of grits will speed the cooking process. If you prefer to make this with heirloom, stone ground grits, see my recipe here.
• Eggs
• Sharp Cheddar Cheese- Substitute with another cheese if desired. Pepper Jack or gouda would be delicious!
• Butter
• Garlic Powder

Instructions

Please see recipe card below for complete and printable instructions

• Bring 1 ½ cups water, whipping cream, and salt to a boil in a large saucepan. Gradually stir in grits.
• Cover the pot, reduce heat, and simmer for 5 minutes-stirring occasionally
• Lightly beat 3 eggs in a medium bowl. Stir in about ¼ cup cooked grits to the bowl of eggs. This step will help temper the eggs and keep them from cooking in the hot grits.
• Add cheese, butter, garlic powder, and tempered eggs to grits. Stir to combine.
• Stir until smooth

• Pour grits mixture into a 7 x 11 inch pan that's been coated with cooking spray. If you are making the dish ahead, cover and refrigerate for 8 hours or overnight. When ready, preheat your oven to 350 degrees F and remove the casserole from the fridge. Let it stand for 30 minutes before baking.
• Bake in a 350 degrees F oven for 40 minutes.

Serving suggestions

• Cut casserole into squares and serve with eggs of any style, breakfast sausage or bacon, fresh fruit and orange juice. Also great with sliced or diced avocado.
• You can also serve this at lunch with a salad.
• Serve in a bowl and pour chili or your favorite stew over the top.
• Serve as a side dish with pot roast, brisket, bbq-just let your imagination run wild!

Variations

This recipe is basic and can be changed up in many ways-all depending on your taste! Try the following ideas:

• Add one chopped jalepeño to the batter.
• Add canned, frozen (thawed out) or freshly roasted and chopped green chili to the batter.
• Add a dash of pepper sauce
• Add a pinch of cayenne pepper
• Use Old Bay seasoning instead of or in addition to garlic powder
• Add caramelized onion to the batter.
• Add 1 teaspoon of marjoram, sage, and thyme to the batter

Equipment

This recipe makes about 6 cups batter so any casserole dish that can accommodate that amount will work. I use an 11 x 7 inch dish, but an 8 x 8 inch dish will also work as well as any round 2 quart dish.

More Breakfast recipes

• Banana Pumpkin Bread with Streusel Topping
• Grits Recipe (Stone Ground) 
• Homemade Granola Recipe
• Lemony Blueberry Muffins

📖 Recipe

Cheese Grits Casserole

Recipe by Nikole Berg

These grits come together easily and are delicious served with eggs, bacon or sausage, and fresh fruit.

5 from 2 votes

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 40 minutes mins

Total Time 55 minutes mins

Course Breakfast

Cuisine American

Servings 6 Servings

Calories 510 kcal

Equipment

7 inch by 11 inch baking dish

Ingredients

 

US CustomaryMetric

 

1x2x3x

• ▢ 1 ½ cups whipping cream half and half or whole milk
• ▢ ½ tsp. salt
• ▢ 1 cup uncooked quick-cooking grits
• ▢ 3 large eggs lightly beaten
• ▢ 2 cups sharp Cheddar cheese shredded
• ▢ 2 Tbsp. butter
• ▢ ⅛ tsp. garlic powder granulated

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

 

• If baking casserole immediately, preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.
• Bring 1 ½ cups water, whipping cream, and salt to a boil in a large saucepan. Gradually stir in grits. Cover the pot, reduce heat, and simmer for 5 minutes-stirring occasionally. Remove from heat.
• Lightly beat 3 eggs in a medium bowl. Stir in about ¼ cup cooked grits to the bowl of eggs. This step will help temper the eggs and keep them from scrambling when added to the hot grits.
• Add cheese, butter, garlic powder, and tempered eggs to grits. Stir to combine.
• Pour grits mixture into 11 x 7 inch baking dish that has been lightly coated with cooking spray.
• If making the recipe ahead: cover and chill for at least 8 hours. When ready to bake, pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F. Remove the casserole from refrigerator and let stand for 30 minutes. Bake for 40 minutes.
• If using the casserole immediately, bake in preheated oven for 35-40 minutes.

Notes

I made this recipe with Quaker Oats brand quick cooking grits. It used to come in a canister, but the last time I bought it, it came in a box. These are the 5 minutes grits, not the instant grits that come in individual packets.

Nutritional information is an estimate.

You can bake this in a different sized pan, such as an 8 x 8 or a 2 quart round casserole. Cooking times may need to be adjusted slightly. 

 

 

Nutrition

Serving: 6gCalories: 510kcalCarbohydrates: 22gProtein: 16gFat: 41gSaturated Fat: 25gCholesterol: 213mgSodium: 483mgPotassium: 148mgFiber: 1gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 1494IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 323mgIron: 2mg

Keyword southern grits, cheesy grits, baked grits

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