“I’m always sketchy of people who don’t like grits.” -Jaycee Ford
Baked Garlic Cheese Grits
This is one of my favorite sides and any leftovers make for a great breakfast the next day. I make this recipe at least once a month to take to our church’s Sunday luncheon potluck buffet. A Paula Deen recipe was an inspiration as well as one from our good friend, Suzanne Carter, who specializes in gluten-free dishes. I typically serve this as a side or an appetizer and I often top it with shrimp or crawfish in some kind of sauce; this was how I first first introduced to the dish at the Cambridge Club in Shreveport, Louisiana, many years ago. This recipe also can be the ideal 'care meal' either as a side or as the entrée for breakfast.
This recipe can be presented and utilized in so many ways that I'm not sure I can list them all but here's a few. I first had it as a 'starter dish' topped with several shrimp and an alfredo sauce. I've enjoyed it as a game day appetizer. It is a great breakfast as is or topped with a melted butter pat or several tablespoons of Hollandaise sauce. It is served as a side dish in many of New Orleans' finest restaurants. Before I tried to eat healthier, I would add bacon or sausage crumbles to the batter before cooking. You can also top it with a roasted tomato slice and top that with an avocado slice. The list goes on and on....
Ingredients
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 350-degrees. Assemble the ingredients. Grease a 9” x 13” casserole baking dish (I typically use an 8 ¼” x 12 ¼” disposable aluminum pan for potluck dinners and some other functions).
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Bring the broth to a boil in a 2-qt saucepan.
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Stir in the grits, salt, pepper, and garlic powder and whisk until completely combined.
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Reduce the heat to low and simmer (stirring frequently) until the grits are thick, about 5 to 7 minutes.
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Add the grated (or shredded) cheese and half & half and stir. Gradually stir in the eggs and butter and continue stirring until all are well combined.
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Pour the mixture into the prepared casserole dish.
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Sprinkle with the remaining 4 ounces of white cheddar and bake for 40 to 45 minutes or until set.
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After cooling for 5 minutes, I cut mine into approx. 3"x 3" squares. Serve while warm as is or top with some of the suggestions I made earlier.
Serving Size 3.2 oz. (see note)
Servings 15
- Amount Per Serving
- Calories 165kcal
- % Daily Value *
- Total Fat 11g17%
- Saturated Fat 7g35%
- Cholesterol 59mg20%
- Sodium 285mg12%
- Potassium 15mg1%
- Total Carbohydrate 9g3%
- Dietary Fiber 1g4%
- Protein 8g16%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily value may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
Note
About serving size - When baked in a 9"x 13" baking dish or aluminum pan, this recipe will provide 15 servings of approx. 3"x 3" squares, each being 3.2 ounces.
Be sure to use Quick 5-Minute grits ... I prefer Quaker brand. If you use regular grits, it will take much longer and the results will likely have a thick consistency; if you use instant grits the results will be runny because they don't setup like Quick grits.
About cheese - Almost any cheese will work for this recipe. I like the looks of a white cheese and my favorite is Vermont Extra Sharp White Cheddar.
Refrigerate the leftovers in a sealed container and warm them for breakfast the next day!
For many years I made this recipe using an 8oz. log of processed garlic cheese. Kraft stopped making the product but other brands still sold it during the Thanksgiving/Christmas holiday season. Then, it became scarce even during the holidays so I finally deleted those ingredients from the recipe and replaced them with regular grated cheese and garlic powder.