Grits and Sausage Casserole
Enjoy a hearty Southern breakfast casserole with grits and sausage.
If you are not familiar with grits, then you do not live in the South. The bulk of all grits are sold from North Carolina southward.
Grits are ground corn, kind of like cornmeal but coarser. They are rehydrated with hot water and served typically as a side dish with breakfast. For anyone familiar with Cream of Wheat, grits are similar but corn based rather than wheat based.
Grits are sold in bags like flour or sugar. In some cases, the name may be hominy grits. That means the grits are made from hominy or puffed corn. Hominy, a type of wet puffed corn, is sold in cans. Hominy and grits are not the same thing, and hominy can’t be substituted in recipes calling for grits.
For special occasions like pot luck dinners or holiday breakfast meals, grits are used in casseroles. Generally, the grits are boiled up and then mixed with other ingredients like cheese or breakfast meat to make a dish that is served with a spoon.
For a hearty or special breakfast, a grits casserole is a delicious dish that will stick to the ribs. It’s a favorite breakfast casserole on holiday mornings when the main meal will be mid-afternoon or to serve before the guys head out hunting.
Southern Grits and Sausage Casserole Recipe
Ingredients:
- 1 pound bulk sausage (fried and fat drained off)
- 3 cups hot cooked grits
- 2 ½ cups shredded cheddar cheese
- 3 TBS butter (or margarine)
- 3 eggs (lightly beaten)
- 1 ½ cups whole milk
Directions:
- Fry a pound package of sausage. Use a fork to break the sausage into small crumbles as it is frying. Use mild or hot sausage. Hot is especially good. A better grade of sausage will mean a better casserole. Look for sausage wrapped in waxed paper in a block shape rather than the bulk sausage squeezed into a tube.
- Sprinkle the cooked sausage (fat drained off) in a 9 x 13 inch casserole dish greased lightly or sprayed with Pam.
- Cook the grits and measure out 3 cups. While hot, stir in cheese and butter. The heat of the grits will melt the cheese and butter. Stir until the mixture is smooth.
- Stir together the eggs and milk. The milk should be whole milk. Lower fat milk will make the casserole runny.
- Mix the milk mixture in with the grits mixture.
- Pour milk and grits mixture slowly over the sausage in the casserole dish.
- Bake uncovered for an hour at 350 degrees F.
Southern Grits and Sausage Casserole can be a meal, but it’s usually served along with eggs, bacon, toast and other breakfast foods for a banquet style breakfast.
If you’re looking at making a breakfast casserole for a holiday meal, this is a great one. Also consider Night Before Holiday Casserole. It’s nice, because you can literally make it up the night before and just stick it in the oven when you get up.
Breakfast casseroles are fabulous served with Skillet Fried Apples.
If you're going all out for breakfast, whip up some homemade pancakes too.
