Some things are like clockwork. For Crystal, her weekly routine during her high school years consisted of getting up and making herself grits and toast for breakfast. Oh, how she loved her grits! Some mornings she had them with sugar and butter; other days she simply salt-and-peppered them. It didn’t really matter how they were prepared. You can imagine, then, how sad she was when she couldn’t find grits while at college in Boston (that and her sweet tea). Determined to get her college friends on track, Crystal had her mother ship her care packages loaded with containers of grits. She served them at every opportunity and explored different ways of preparing them in order to impress her guests. One of the most popular recipes was this delicious take, which adds the right amount of garlic and cheese. Forget cold cereal—mornings should be all about grits.

　　

Ingredients

makes 6 to 8 servings

　　Cooking spray

　　Salt and freshly ground black pepper

　　4 garlic cloves, minced

　　2 cups quick-cooking grits

　　8 ounces sharp Cheddar cheese, grated (2 cups)

　　4 large eggs, beaten

　　20 dashes Tabasco sauce

　　

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Coat a 9 x 13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.

　　

Step 2

Bring 8 cups of water, 2 teaspoons salt, and garlic to a boil in a medium saucepan set over high heat. Once boiling, gradually add the grits, whisking constantly to break up any lumps. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes, until the grits are thick.

　　

Step 3

Remove the pan from the heat and stir in 1 1/2 cups of the cheese and the eggs. Add the Tabasco (less if you are not a fan of heat) and salt and pepper to taste. Pour the grits into the prepared baking dish. Bake for 45 minutes.

　　

Step 4

Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup cheese over the top, and bake for 15 more minutes, or until the grits are set and the cheese on top is melted. Let rest for 10 minutes before serving.

　　

note

Step 5

Vegetarian friendly!

　　From The Casserole Queens Cookbook by Crystal Cook & Sandy Pollock. Copyright © 2011 by Crystal Cook and Sandy Pollock; Food photographs copyright © 2011 by Ben Fink. Published by Clarkson Potter/Publishers.Crystal Cook and Sandy Pollock, the Casserole Queens, have been delivering casseroles in Austin, Texas, since 2006; they also teach cooking classes at Whole Foods stores in the area. They have been featured on Food Network's Throwdown! with Bobby Flay and Bobby Flay Radio on Sirius XM, as well as on television news and radio talk shows.