Creamy Grits Casserole (with Ham + Cheese)
Grits Casserole is a savory, delicious dish featuring creamy grits, scrambled eggs, shredded cheese, and diced ham for a special breakfast that's hearty, comforting, and perfect for making ahead!
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If you enjoy high-protein breakfast options, you'll also love Turkey Breakfast Sausage, No-Bake Protein Bars, or High Protein Granola!
School mornings around here are hectic, so I generally try to whip up big batches of breakfast foods on the weekend for quick reheating on weekday mornings. This typically results a stockpile of things like waffles, pancakes, muffins, granola, granola bars, and baked oatmeal. But it's all too easy to get stuck in a rut, so sometimes, I like to shake things up with a breakfast that's slightly out of the ordinary...like this creamy, hearty, delicious Grits Casserole!
Grits may be a stereotypically southern staple, but this eggy, cheesy, ham-studded Grits Casserole transcends regional differences.
This dish is comparable to a regular egg-based breakfast casserole, but the inclusion of cooked grits gives it a heartiness and bite that would otherwise be lacking. In simple terms, it's comforting and filling and just plain good!
Ingredients
Making this Grits Casserole requires just a handful of basic ingredients:
- Milk + salt. For cooking the grits. If using whole or 2% milk, you can opt to substitute water for up to 1 cup of the milk. If using skim milk, use all milk.
- Quick-cooking grits. Uncooked. If you have regular grits instead of quick-cooking grits, their cooking time will be a bit longer. Instant grits are not recommended.
- Unsalted butter. To add richness and creaminess to the grits.
- Eggs. To bind all of the ingredients.
- Cheese. Shredded. I typically use sharp cheddar, but feel free to swap in your favorite. Monterey jack, Swiss, or even pepper jack (for some kick!) would also be tasty.
- Ham. Diced. This Grits Casserole is a great way to use up leftover holiday ham! Alternatively, you may substitute chopped cooked bacon or cooked crumbled sausage for the ham.
How to Make Grits Casserole
(The below photos are intended to be helpful, but please refer to the recipe card at the bottom of this post for FULL DIRECTIONS.)
Making this Grits Casserole recipe is both simple and straightforward!
- Preheat the oven and generously grease or spray a 9- by 13-inch baking dish.
- In a medium pot set over medium heat, combine milk and salt. Bring to a boil, then pour in grits while stirring constantly. Return to a boil and then lower the heat. Continue stirring for several minutes until the grits thicken.
- Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the butter until fully melted. Set aside to cool.
- In a large bowl, scramble the eggs.
- Stir in the grated cheese, diced ham, and cooled-down, cooked grits.
- Pour the egg/grits mixture into the prepared baking dish.
- Bake the Grits Casserole in preheated oven for 45 minutes or until puffy and golden brown.
- Serve warm and enjoy!
Make-Ahead Options
This breakfast casserole is fantastic for our aforementioned hectic mornings. At some point during the weekend, I simply bake it up, allow it to cool, cut it into squares, and store those in a container in the refrigerator. Then when each family member is ready for breakfast later in the week, all I have to do is pop their serving into the microwave or toaster oven for a quick reheating. Side of fruit, glass of milk, and breakfast is served!
However, this cheesy Grits Casserole also makes a perfect breakfast or brunch dish to serve to guests, and it would be wonderful on a holiday morning when you want a special breakfast that doesn't require you to get bogged down in the kitchen!
To prep this recipe ahead of time, assemble the casserole as directed but do not bake. Cover tightly and refrigerate overnight. Bring to room temperature and uncover before baking as directed in preheated oven.
Or you can actually prepare and bake the whole casserole the night before, then refrigerate it overnight. In the morning, simply cover your dish with foil and stick it in a 350°F oven for 15 minutes. Voilà...a fresh, hot breakfast in a flash!
You may also bake this Grits Casserole, cool, cover tightly, and then freeze it for up to 1 month. Defrost your casserole overnight in the refrigerator, bring it to room temperature, and then reheat it in the oven as indicated above (350°F for 15 minutes).
So the next time you're thinking about making a yummy, eggy breakfast casserole, consider enhancing it with grits instead of predictable ol' hunks of bread or hash browns! Even my pickiest child -- who refuses to eat grits when I drown them with butter and honey -- loves this Grits Casserole. It's hearty, it's comforting, it's perfect for any season, and it's always well-received by family or guests.
I hope you enjoy this one, friends!
More Savory Recipes for Breakfast or Brunch
- Frittata Muffins
- Easy Egg Bake with Cheddar & (Optional) Green Chiles
- Ground Beef, Egg, & Cheese Breakfast Casserole
- Asparagus Tart with Ham + Mushrooms
Creamy Grits Casserole (with Ham + Cheese)
Video
Ingredients
- 3 cups milk
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup (uncooked) quick-cooking grits
- ¼ cup (½ stick) unsalted butter
- 8 large eggs
- 2 cups (8 ounces) shredded cheese, such as sharp cheddar
- 2 cups diced ham
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Generously grease a 9-inch by 13-inch baking dish with butter or coat it with nonstick cooking spray.
- In a medium pot, mix the milk and salt and bring to a boil. Stirring constantly, slowly pour in the grits, bringing to a boil and then lowering the heat to a simmer. Continue stirring until the grits have thickened (the total cooking time will be around 5 minutes). Remove from the heat and stir in the butter until melted. Set aside to slightly cool.
- In a large bowl, scramble the eggs. Mix in the cheese, ham, and cooked grits. Pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish.
- Bake in preheated oven for 40 to 45 minutes or until puffy and golden brown. Serve warm.
Notes
- If you have regular grits instead of quick-cooking grits, they will need to be cooked closer to 10 minutes. Instant grits are not recommended.
- If using whole milk or 2% milk, you may substitute water for 1 cup of the milk, if desired. If using skim milk, use all milk and no water.
- You may use your favorite type of cheese, such as cheddar, Monterey Jack, pepper jack, or Swiss.
- You may substitute chopped cooked bacon or cooked crumbled sausage for the ham.
- To prep this Grits Casserole ahead of time, assemble the casserole as directed but do not bake. Cover tightly and refrigerate overnight. Bring to room temperature and uncover before baking in preheated oven.
- As another make-ahead option, you can bake your Grits Casserole as directed, allow it to cool, cover, and refrigerate overnight. In the morning, bring the casserole to room temperature, cover it with foil, and bake at 350°F for 15 minutes or until reheated.
- Finally, you may freeze your baked, cooled, and tightly-covered Grits Casserole for up to 1 month. Defrost the casserole overnight in the refrigerator, bring it to room temperature, and then reheat it in the oven as indicated above (350°F for 15 minutes).
Nutrition
Adapted from Perfect Party Food. Post originally published on September 25, 2013, and updated on April 1, 2020, and March 11, 2024.
This grits casserole is my new favorite! I added extra cheese and it turned out soooo good! A perfect weekend breakfast. My family asked if I could make it again for Easter!
This is a new family favorite. Such a nice change from regular breakfast casseroles. My kids had seconds!