Description
This casserole is very similar to one of the quiches I make for parties and special breakfasts. Tonight I wanted to make something different but really did not want to deal with making dough. Instead of a pastry crust, the egg layer is placed above cooked grits. The ingredients inside the egg layer can be customized to suit your tastes. Try spicy sausage, sautéed vegetable, or other—there are endless opportunities.
Ingredients
- 1 Tablespoon Butter
- 2 cups Water
- ½ cups Quick Cook Grits
- 8 ounces, weight Ground Breakfast Sausage
- 2 Tablespoons Finely Chopped Yellow Onion
- 6 Eggs
- ¼ cups Milk
- 1 pinch Salt And Pepper, to taste
- ¼ cups Shredded Cheddar Cheese
Preparation
Preheat oven to 350 F.
1. Use 1 tablespoon of butter to grease the inside of a 5×9 baking dish. Make sure to get the bottom, sides, and corners well.
2. In a medium saucepan, bring 2 cups of water to a rapid boil. Slowly add the quick cooking grits to the water while whisking. Reduce heat and cover the pan. Cook for 3-5 minutes or until creamy. Pour the cooked grits into the prepared baking dish and allow them to cool while getting the rest of the recipe together.
3. Heat a small skillet over medium heat and cook the sausage. Using a spatula, break the sausage apart as it cooks until you have small crumbles. Cook for 5 minutes or until browned. Using a slotted spoon, remove the sausage and place it into a bowl to cool.
4. Place the finely chopped onion into the pan to cook in the remaining sausage drippings. Cook for 3 minutes while stirring. Pour the softened onion into the bowl with the sausage and stir to combine. Sprinkle the sausage and onion mixture evenly over the grits.
5. In a medium sized bowl whisk together the eggs, milk, and desired amount of salt and pepper. Pour over the sausage layer.
6. Top with grated cheddar.
7. Bake until cooked through and the egg layer is set, approximately 35-40 minutes. You do not want it to become brown, just cooked through and thoroughly set in the middle.
8. Remove pan from the oven and allow the casserole to sit for 2 minutes. Then slice and serve!
Note: If you want an extra layer of flavor, add butter and/or cheese to the grits before adding them to the baking dish.
