James Villas

Cheese Grits

Preparation info

  • Difficulty

    Easy

  • Makes

    6

    servings

Appears in

The Glory of Southern Cooking

The Glory of Southern Cooking

By James Villas

Published 2007

  • About

I’ve always said that the best way to convert non-Southerners to our sacred grits tradition is to serve them a casserole of cheese grits. And, to be honest, since grits by themselves can be pretty bland unless you’re using the stone-ground variety, a little cheese does wonders to perk them up. To give the dish even more character, you can also add a clove of minced garlic to the mixture before baking, and I know at least one fellow Rebel who thinks nothing of stirring a few chopped herbs into his cheese grits. Do allow this casserole to “tighten up” for about 10 minutes outside the oven before serving.

Ingredients

  • 3 cups water
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup quick-cooking grits
  • 4 tablespoons (½ stick) butter, cut into pieces
  • ½ cup whole sour cream
  • 1 large egg, beaten
  • 6 ounces Swiss cheese, shredded
  • ¾ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
  • Freshly ground black pepper to taste
  • Paprika to taste
  • 2 tablespoons butter, melted

Method

Preheat the oven to 325°F.

In a large saucepan, combine the water and salt and bring to a boil. Add the grits, reduce the heat to moderately low, and cook, stirring, till the grits are thick and creamy, about 5 minutes.

Remove the pan from the heat, add the butter, and stir till the butter has melted. Add the sour cream, egg, Swiss cheese, ¼ cup of the Parmesan, pepper, and paprika and stir till the ingredients are well blended and the mixture is smooth. Scrape into a 1½-quart buttered baking dish or casserole, sprinkle the remaining ½ cup Parmesan over the top, drizzle the melted butter over the Parmesan, and bake till golden brown, 45 to 50 minutes. Let cool slightly before serving.

© 2007 All rights reserved. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.