Cheese Grits Casserole is a simple, crowd-pleasing breakfast bake with a subtle garlic note. It can be prepared the night before and refrigerated, then baked in the morning for an easy, comforting meal. The casserole is light, airy, and melts in your mouth. Serve it with eggs, bacon, sausage, fresh fruit, or enjoy as a side with lunch or dinner.
Grits make a hearty start to the day. This cheesy casserole pairs well with eggs prepared any way you like and all kinds of breakfast meats.
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups whipping cream (or substitute whole or 2% milk; the casserole will be slightly less rich)
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 cup quick-cooking grits (speeds the process; use stone-ground grits if you prefer)
- 3 large eggs, lightly beaten
- 2 cups sharp Cheddar cheese, shredded (other cheeses like pepper jack or gouda also work)
- 2 Tbsp butter
- ⅛ tsp garlic powder
Instructions
See recipe card below for the ingredient amounts, nutrition, and equipment.
- If baking right away, preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
- In a large saucepan, bring 1 ½ cups water, the whipping cream, and salt to a boil. Gradually stir in the grits. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat.
- Lightly beat the eggs in a medium bowl. Stir about ¼ cup of the hot cooked grits into the eggs to temper them, which prevents scrambling when combined with the hot mixture.
- Add the shredded cheese, butter, garlic powder, and tempered eggs to the grits. Stir until smooth and well combined.
- Pour the grits mixture into a 7 x 11 inch (11 x 7 inch) baking dish lightly coated with cooking spray.
- If making ahead: cover and refrigerate for at least 8 hours or overnight. When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350°F, remove the casserole from the fridge, and let it stand 30 minutes before baking. Bake for 40 minutes.
- If baking immediately: bake in the preheated 350°F oven for 35–40 minutes, until set and lightly golden.
Serving suggestions
- Cut into squares and serve with eggs, breakfast sausage or bacon, and fresh fruit. Avocado is a nice addition.
- Serve at lunch with a crisp salad.
- Ladle chili or a hearty stew over a bowl of casserole for a comforting meal.
- Use as a side for pot roast, brisket, or barbecue.
Variations
This base recipe adapts well to many flavors. Try any of these additions:
- One chopped jalapeño for heat.
- Chopped green chiles—canned, thawed frozen, or freshly roasted.
- A dash of your favorite hot sauce or a pinch of cayenne for spice.
- Old Bay seasoning in place of or alongside the garlic powder.
- Caramelized onions folded into the batter.
- A teaspoon each of marjoram, sage, and thyme for herb-forward flavor.
Equipment
The recipe yields about 6 cups of batter. Use a 7 x 11 inch (11 x 7) baking dish, an 8 x 8 square dish, or a 2-quart round casserole; you may need to slightly adjust bake time for different sizes.
More Breakfast recipes
- Banana Pumpkin Bread with Streusel Topping
- Grits Recipe (Stone Ground)
- Homemade Granola
- Lemony Blueberry Muffins
📖 Recipe
Cheese Grits Casserole
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups whipping cream (or 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
Instructions
- If baking immediately, preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).
- Bring 1 ½ cups water, whipping cream, and salt to a boil in a large saucepan. Gradually stir in the grits, cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat.
- Lightly beat the eggs in a medium bowl. Stir in about ¼ cup of the hot grits to temper the eggs so they won’t scramble.
- Add cheese, butter, garlic powder, and the tempered eggs to the grits. Stir until smooth.
- Pour the mixture into an 11 x 7 inch baking dish coated with cooking spray.
- To make ahead: cover and chill at least 8 hours or overnight. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350°F, remove casserole from fridge, let stand 30 minutes, then bake for 40 minutes.
- If baking immediately, bake in the preheated oven for 35–40 minutes until set and lightly golden.
Notes
I used quick-cooking grits (5-minute variety). Nutritional information is an estimate. You can bake this in different sized pans (8 x 8 or 2-quart round); adjust baking time as needed.
Nutrition
Calories: 510 kcal
Carbohydrates: 22 g
Protein: 16 g
Fat: 41 g
Saturated Fat: 25 g
Cholesterol: 213 mg
Sodium: 483 mg
Potassium: 148 mg
Fiber: 1 g
Sugar: 1 g
Vitamin A: 1494 IU
Vitamin C: 1 mg
Calcium: 323 mg
Iron: 2 mg
Keyword
southern grits, cheesy grits, baked grits