Baked Cheese Grits

 

Recipe from Lakeside Yellow Grits (serves 8)

Ingredients:

4 cups water

1 cup grits 

1 tsp. salt

1/2 cup unsalted butter (= 4 oz. stick of butter)

8 oz. Cracker Barrel Sharp White Cheddar Cheese 

2 large eggs

Cooking spray

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You'll need:

8 inch square Pyrex baking pan

Utensils needed:  Large pot (about 4 quarts), small mixing bowl, box grater, whisk, spoon, spatula

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Directions:

1.  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees, adjusting the oven rack to the center of the oven.

2.  On a large plate or in a large bowl, using the largest shredding size of the box grater, grate the cheese.  Set aside.

3.  In the small mixing bowl, beat the eggs.  Set aside.

4.  In the large pot, bring the water and salt to a boil.

5.  Slowly pour the grits in the boiling water while whisking continously to avoid clumping.  

6.  Reduce heat to a very low simmer and continue cooking for 10 minutes, whisking and stirring around the bottom edges to avoid sticking.

7.  Turn off the burner when done cooking and place the stick of butter in the cooked grits.  When the butter is melted, stir/whisk until thoroughly mixed.

8.  Slowly mix in the grated cheddar cheese with the whisk until fully combined and evenly mixed in.

9.  Add one cup of the hot cheese grits to the beaten eggs in the small mixing bowl and whisk to blend thoroughly.

10.  With the spatula, add the egg/grits mixture from the small bowl into the rest of the large pot of hot grits mixture and whisk until blended thoroughly.  Use the spoon around the bottom edges of the pot to make sure all is blended in.

11.  Spray the bottom and sides of the 8 inch baking pan with cooking spray.

12.  Pour the cooked grits from the large pot into the baking pan using the spatula to scrape the pot.

13.  Put the baking pan in the preheated oven and bake for 30 minutes.

14.  When done, remove from the oven and place on a pot holder to set for at least 10 minutes.  Then it is ready to serve!