Grit casserole meets soufflé! It’s a breezy, cheesy dining table favorite. Serve with ham for Easter, as part of a spread for brunch, or as an accompaniment to any meal. Unlike most soufflés, this one is EASY.
I love grits and that’s how I like to eat them. It’s like a cross between baked polenta and macaroni and cheese – but with puff power!
Grit casserole was something my mom used to make when I was growing up. Coming from Ohio, it’s not prime grits territory, but my parents were big grits fans and always brought some back from summer vacations in South Carolina.
What is grits casserole?
Grit casseroles have been around for ages. There are three versions of the 1950 Community Cookbook Charleston receipts alone! (Yes, the title is really written that way.)
They almost always have eggs and many also have cheese. In Charleston receipts, the authors theorize that grits casseroles were developed to use the warm grits left over from the pot after breakfast. Such a casserole goes great with ham for dinner, but I also like it for brunch.
I’m probably not the first person to do this, but one day I figured if you want to make a grits casserole, you might as well beat the egg whites and make a soufflé out of it. Now I don’t do it any differently.
How to bake this grits soufflé
First, cook the groats on the stove. I like using yellow grits in this recipe because the color lets people at the table know there’s cheese involved before they even take a bite.
While cooking, prepare the remaining ingredients: grate the cheese and separate the eggs. Then beat the egg whites until pillow-like and dramatically increased in volume.
Next comes the hard part: folding the egg whites into the hot groats. Trust me it’s no big deal. Push the egg white to the edge of the bowl, pour the hot grits next to it and carefully work in with a spatula. The larger the spatula, the less folding is required and the less the white will deflate.
If the whites dump something, who cares – it’s just a casserole, right?
What are grits?
Groats are ground dried corn. Easy right? If you’re familiar with polenta, grits are the same. (Arrowhead Mills grits are a good choice.) Grits are slightly coarser than cornmeal and can be made from white or yellow corn.
Do not use quick-cooking grits in this recipe, as they don’t work that well. You can use stone-ground grits, but know that they can take a lot longer to cook on the stovetop, and they often need more liquid. Sometimes you’ll see grits that say “Hominy grits.” These are grains ground from corn that has been treated with lye (like pozole or masa harina), and they work well in this recipe.
How to advance this casserole
This casserole puffs as it bakes, but the draw isn’t dramatic. You can make the casserole ahead of time, let it cool, cover and store in the fridge, and bake the next day. It won’t be as puffy, but it will make timing the rest of your meal a breeze! You’ll need to add a little baking time, about 20 minutes.
I like to eat it leftovers, cold and straight from the pan. Store leftovers in the fridge for up to 4 days. I don’t recommend freezing.
More cheese casseroles to fall in love with!
- Baked ziti
- Pasta casserole with ham and cheese
- Cheesy funeral potatoes from scratch
- Bagel breakfast casserole with sausage, egg and cheese
- Cheesy Baked Zucchini Noodle Casserole
Cheese Grit Soufflé Casserole
Use regular grocery store grits, like Arrowhead Mills brand. Don’t use quick shots or artisan shots. Quick groats don’t have a good texture, and artisan groats or stale groats can take hours to cook.
ingredients
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2 cups of water
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2 cups whole milk or 2% milk
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1 teaspoon kosher salt
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1 cup grits (I prefer yellow, but white grits are fine)
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2 to 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
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2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
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1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
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1/8 teaspoon black pepper
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1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions or chives, optional
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3 large eggs
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1/2 cup sour cream
method
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Fire up the oven:
Set the oven rack to the middle position. Preheat oven to 350°F.
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Cook groats:
In a medium-sized saucepan, bring the water and milk to a boil. Add the salt, then gradually stir in the grits (this will prevent them from clumping). Cook over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until creamy and thick, about 20 minutes.
Remove from stove. Add butter, cheese, cayenne, black pepper, and scallions or chives if using. Switch to a spatula and stir until the butter and cheese have melted. Cover and keep warm and set aside.
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separate eggs:
Separate the egg yolk from the egg white. Place the egg whites in a large, grease-free bowl.
In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and sour cream until well combined.
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beat egg whites:
Using electric beaters or the largest whisk you have, beat the egg whites until fluffy and pillowy, like clouds. They should mostly hold their shape but not be completely stiff.
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Stir the yolks into the grits:
Using a large spatula, quickly stir the sour cream and egg yolk mixture into the grits.
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Lift the egg white under the groats:
Push the egg whites to the side of the bowl and tip the hot grits mixture onto the empty side. Using the spatula, fold the egg whites into the groats until no (or very few) streaks of egg white are visible.
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Bake the casserole:
Scrape the mixture into the casserole dish. Bake until top is puffy and golden brown, 35 to 45 minutes. Let rest 5 minutes before serving. Leftovers will keep, covered and refrigerated, for up to 4 days.
