Garlic Grits Casserole

 

This week I've been sharing the details from our Father's Day lunch last Sunday, which I themed...Gone Fishin'. Above is a little peak at my decorations. You can see the entire tablescape here and learn how to make bookmarks from fishing lures here. 

Today, I'll show you what we had to eat and share the first of four recipes with you.

As I mentioned, Gerald and my daddy have been doing a lot of fishing lately, so I started with striped bass for the main dish and went from there. Garlic grits, broccoli and apple slaw, and crab corn muffins rounded out the meal. I'll save dessert as a surprise for later!

Cheese grits are a Southern staple alongside fish and shrimp. I usually just throw a handful of sharp cheddar in my grits or make Paula Deen's grits casserole recipe, but I wanted to mix it up a little. I found a recipe in our church cookbook by Lucy Clifton, and I knew it would be delicious. Brother and Sister Clifton are expert cooks and entertainers, and I love all their recipes. (I have adopted Miss Lucy's sour cream poundcake recipe and it has really become my signature dessert.) I was confident in making her grits recipe.

Garlic Grits

1/2 cup quick grits

1 1/2 cups water

1/2 stick oleo*

1 egg

3/4 c milk (about)

1/2 (6 oz) roll garlic cheese**

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Cook grits in water with salt until thick, stirring often. Melt oleo and cheese over low heat. Beat egg and put in measuring cup; add milk to make one cup. Combine grits, cheese mixture and egg; mix well and pour into 1 quart casserole dish. Bake 35-45 minutes or until center comes out clean. 

*I used real, unsalted butter. I just don't cook with margarine.

**As I was typing this, I realized that I didn't read the recipe right! I just saw 6 oz roll garlic cheese. I believe that it is actually calling for half a six ounce roll. I used an entire 6.5 oz tub. Oops! 

It was delicious, but not as thick as I might have liked.

I think next time,

I'll use the entire tub of garlic cheese, but add an extra egg.

As you melt your butter and garlic cheese, be sure to do it over low heat.

If you get it too hot, it could break.
It should look like the mixture above.

Yum. I could have stopped right here and just eaten it with a spoon...

Because I just can't leave well enough alone,

I added some grated sharp white cheddar to the top.

Enough said.

This was really good and very simple.

I think I'll be making this again.

Another winner. Thanks, Miss Lucy!

Check back tomorrow for the broccoli apple slaw recipe!

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I'm so glad you stopped by my neck of the woods!

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