Mountain Cat
Guru
- Joined
- 12 Apr 2019
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- Messages
- 3,132
- Location
- Hilltowns of Massachusetts
- Website
- goatsandgreens.wordpress.com
Cheesy Grits Casserole
In the spirit of, although not the actuality (I'll never have her true recipe) Grandmother T's southern grits casserole.
My paternal grandmother passed away late winter of 1983, and Dad hated grits, oatmeal, cream of wheat, so we never had these at home. Okay, sometimes Mom made oatmeal for my and my brother's breakfast - but grits was a dinner side. (He swallowed his pride and had a small serving when we visited the grandparents.) Besides by the time I was old enough to look at a kitchen, we'd moved to New York and were out of the South. Can't find grits in stores up here, easily.
The dish I remember most of this Grandmother's oeuvre (and she had several old South recipes) was her cheesy grits casserole.
So, my effort here is made from memory (and we know how fickle that is) and expediency and a search for authenticity which is probably only a pseudo-authenticity -- but right now I just want it to taste close to my memories, and to work for tasting good to me TODAY. Oh, i did add bacon. And peppers. Grandmother did neither. But it may well be she could have used chicken stock, which I didn't. But adding bacon and/or peppers was something I found when surfing possibilities. There is really no fully standard recipe.
I used Palmetto Farms Stone Ground Grits - Mixed (yellow and white) grits, obtained via Amazon. They take longer to cook in the stove pot (20-25 minutes). Quick grits are probably easier to find. Maybe. Avoid "Instant Grits".
.
Prep Time: 15 minutes maybe, but some can be done during the first cooking stage.
Cook Time: 20-25 minutes on the cooktop, 30 minutes in the oven, if using a 10 inch skillet.
Rest Time: 5 minutes.
Serves: 4, as a side.
Cuisine: American south.
Leftovers: Yes.
Cheesy Grits Casserole
Pre-heat oven to 350 F.
Heat the water and milk together in a pan on the stove, noting that if un-watched, the pan WILL froth over. Avoid this, and as soon as the liquids start to rise, immediately reduce heat and add the grits.
For the stone ground, simmer lightly for 20-25 minutes, stirring frequently. Quick grits will take less time, and you may have to adjust liquid to solid ratios accordingly - read your package!
Add the cheese, stir, and reduce heat to just "warm". Add the soy/Worcestershire sauce now. Stir.
Cook the bacon in a skillet. (To reduce pots and pans I was going to have to clean, I chose an oven safe skillet - as you will see. Use a 10 inch skillet.) Add the diced pepper while this cooks. Let the pepper cook in the fat from the bacon. You can start cooking this while the grits are cooking. Note that these will cook further in the oven, so take that into account here.
When bacon and peppers are done to your liking, remove them to a plate. Add most of the diced peppers to the grits, mixing well, reserving some for topping. Break up the bacon into small chunks, and set aside with the pepper topping.
Take the grits mixture from the cooking pan, and lay that into the skillet, smoothing it to the edges. Top with bits of the bacon, the leftover diced poblano or other pepper, and a sprinkling of smoked paprika. (You can transfer to an actual casserole pan, but in the interest of saving on dish clean-up....)
Cook in the oven for 30 minutes.
Remove, allow to rest for about 5 minutes, then serve.
Scale up as needed for more, and bake longer as indicated by how the grits casserole will look. Grandmother cooked for 6 or more after all, and leftovers were something to be proud of. Re-heat in the oven, serve.
In the spirit of, although not the actuality (I'll never have her true recipe) Grandmother T's southern grits casserole.
My paternal grandmother passed away late winter of 1983, and Dad hated grits, oatmeal, cream of wheat, so we never had these at home. Okay, sometimes Mom made oatmeal for my and my brother's breakfast - but grits was a dinner side. (He swallowed his pride and had a small serving when we visited the grandparents.) Besides by the time I was old enough to look at a kitchen, we'd moved to New York and were out of the South. Can't find grits in stores up here, easily.
The dish I remember most of this Grandmother's oeuvre (and she had several old South recipes) was her cheesy grits casserole.
So, my effort here is made from memory (and we know how fickle that is) and expediency and a search for authenticity which is probably only a pseudo-authenticity -- but right now I just want it to taste close to my memories, and to work for tasting good to me TODAY. Oh, i did add bacon. And peppers. Grandmother did neither. But it may well be she could have used chicken stock, which I didn't. But adding bacon and/or peppers was something I found when surfing possibilities. There is really no fully standard recipe.
I used Palmetto Farms Stone Ground Grits - Mixed (yellow and white) grits, obtained via Amazon. They take longer to cook in the stove pot (20-25 minutes). Quick grits are probably easier to find. Maybe. Avoid "Instant Grits".
Prep Time: 15 minutes maybe, but some can be done during the first cooking stage.
Cook Time: 20-25 minutes on the cooktop, 30 minutes in the oven, if using a 10 inch skillet.
Rest Time: 5 minutes.
Serves: 4, as a side.
Cuisine: American south.
Leftovers: Yes.
Cheesy Grits Casserole
- 0.75 cups of stone ground grits.
- 1.5 cups water. (Feel free to substitute chicken broth.)
- 1.5 cups whole milk.
- 1/4 teaspoon salt.
- 1 cup shredded cheddar, sharp preferred but medium is fine. (You are welcome to experiment with a variety of melt-able cheeses.)
- 1 tablespoon low sodium gluten-free tamari or soy sauce. (Sub with Worcestershire sauce if preferred, and desiring more authenticity. Note this will add in both gluten and seafood, if this is of concern.)
- 1 slice of bacon. (Grandmother didn't add the bacon, but I am not certain what fat she used - probably butter. You can omit bacon, and use a half tablespoon of butter should you be wanting the bell or poblano pepper.)
- 1 poblano pepper, seeds removed, and diced. (You can use a small bell pepper if desired. Grandmother didn't add the pepper, either. I doubt she knew what a poblano was.)
- 1/2 teaspoon or so of smoked ground paprika.
Pre-heat oven to 350 F.
Heat the water and milk together in a pan on the stove, noting that if un-watched, the pan WILL froth over. Avoid this, and as soon as the liquids start to rise, immediately reduce heat and add the grits.
For the stone ground, simmer lightly for 20-25 minutes, stirring frequently. Quick grits will take less time, and you may have to adjust liquid to solid ratios accordingly - read your package!
Add the cheese, stir, and reduce heat to just "warm". Add the soy/Worcestershire sauce now. Stir.
Cook the bacon in a skillet. (To reduce pots and pans I was going to have to clean, I chose an oven safe skillet - as you will see. Use a 10 inch skillet.) Add the diced pepper while this cooks. Let the pepper cook in the fat from the bacon. You can start cooking this while the grits are cooking. Note that these will cook further in the oven, so take that into account here.
When bacon and peppers are done to your liking, remove them to a plate. Add most of the diced peppers to the grits, mixing well, reserving some for topping. Break up the bacon into small chunks, and set aside with the pepper topping.
Take the grits mixture from the cooking pan, and lay that into the skillet, smoothing it to the edges. Top with bits of the bacon, the leftover diced poblano or other pepper, and a sprinkling of smoked paprika. (You can transfer to an actual casserole pan, but in the interest of saving on dish clean-up....)
Cook in the oven for 30 minutes.
Remove, allow to rest for about 5 minutes, then serve.
Scale up as needed for more, and bake longer as indicated by how the grits casserole will look. Grandmother cooked for 6 or more after all, and leftovers were something to be proud of. Re-heat in the oven, serve.
