The next time you’re in the mood for a breakfast that’s a little bit different and a whole lot delicious, I’d recommend giving this comforting casserole — stuffed chock full of eggs, grits, cheese, and ham — a try.
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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, and hard boiled eggs. 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.
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Grits may be a stereotypically southern staple, but this cheesy, ham-studded casserole of grits and eggs transcends regional differences. This dish is comparable to a regular egg-based breakfast casserole, but the inclusion of the grits gives it a heartiness and bite that would otherwise be lacking. In simple terms, it’s comforting and filling and just plain good.
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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!
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This cheesy casserole o’ grits 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. 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!
[pinit image_url=”https://fivehearthome.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/Cheesy-Ham-and-Grits-Casserole-by-Five-Heart-Home_700pxHoriz.jpg” description=”Cheesy Ham and Grits Breakfast Casserole | {Five Heart Home}”]
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 3-year-old, who refuses to eat grits when I drown them with butter and honey, loves this breakfast. It’s hearty, it’s comforting, it’s perfect for fall (or winter, or spring, or summer). I hope you enjoy this one, friends!
This savory casserole features eggs, grits, cheese, and ham for a special breakfast that's hearty and comforting.
Ingredients
- 3 cups milk
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup corn grits
- 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
- 8 large eggs
- 2 cups (8 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese
- 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 milk and salt and bring to a boil. Stirring constantly, pour in grits, bring to a boil, and turn down heat. Continue stirring until grits begin to thicken. Remove from heat and stir in butter until melted.
- In a large bowl, scramble eggs. Mix in cheese, ham, and grits. Pour into prepared baking dish and bake in preheated oven for 45 minutes or until puffy and golden brown. Serve warm.
Notes
If using whole or 2% milk, you may substitute water for 1 cup of the milk, if desired. If using skim milk, go ahead and use all milk.
To prepare this casserole ahead of time, bake it, allow it to cool, cover, and refrigerate overnight. In the morning, bring casserole to room temperature, cover it with foil, and bake at 350°F for 15 minutes to reheat.
You may also bake this casserole, cool, cover tightly, and then freeze it for up to 1 month. Defrost 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).
Adapted from Perfect Party Food.
This post may be linked up to Live Laugh Rowe, House of Rose, 4 Little Fergusons, Mandy’s Recipe Box, Lamberts Lately, Gingerly Made, Made from Pinterest, and these fabulous parties!
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This sounds really good!!! Thanks for sharing!
I hope you enjoy it, Amberly! Thanks for stopping by!
Mmmmmm! This looks delicious! We always get stuck in the same boring rut for breakfast, and this would be great for switching it up. Thanks for sharing, Samantha!
~Abby =)
I tend to make the same things for breakfast over and over as well, Abby. This was a nice change for us! Hope your family enjoys it as much as mine has, and hope you’re having a great week! 🙂
This looks great Samantha! I love that you can freeze it! Pinning!
This looks so delicious Samantha! Right up my alley – I LOVE it!! Thanks so much for linking up to our Best Of The Weekend party! Pinning this and will be sharing on FB and Twitter this eve or tomorrow!!
Have a great weekend!!
xo
Thank you, Claire! I hope you enjoy it. I enjoy fixing something a little bit different for breakfast every now and then! Hope your weekend is great as well… 🙂
Samantha,
I’m pinning this! I’m always looking for new breakfast casseroles to take to MOPS for our weekly potluck breakfasts. I have to say I’m a little nervous about the grits part since I’ve never actually made it before, but I think I will give it a try. Thanks for sharing!
You can do it, Kimberly! If you’ve ever made oatmeal or Cream of Wheat, you can make grits. 🙂 Hope this is a hit with your MOPS crew! Thanks for the comment and the pin! 🙂
This looks so yummy! My husband is a grits guy so we are going to have to try this!
I hope you and your hubby enjoy it, Kelsey! This recipe seems to be appealing to grits lovers and non-grits lovers alike. 😉 Thanks so much for stopping by!
This looks great! My step-dad loves grits, I’ll have to pass this on to my mom. I am not really a grits type of person, however this looks fantastic (I might have to re-try grits with this recipe). Lovely!
(new follower here!)
Morgaine @ Madcap Frenzy
P.S. I would love if you would link up any of your awesome posts at my September Totally Tuesday Link Party
Hugs!
I’m glad you’ll be able to pass this recipe on to your mom and step-dad, Morgaine! Even my 3-year-old, who won’t usually eats grits, loves this casserole, so you may find that all of the ham and cheese and eggs disguises the grits enough for your liking as well! 😉 Thanks for the follow and the invite to your party…I just linked up. 🙂 Hope you’re having a great weekend!
I certainly will try it! Cheese makes everything better. 😉
Thanks again for sharing this with the Totally Tuesday Link Party! It was featured! Come check it out and get your Featured button. 😉
What a great surprise, Morgaine…thanks so much for the feature, and thanks for coming back to let me know! Hope you have a wonderful day… 🙂
WOW yum! I just tried grits for the first time this Summer so was very excited to see this recipe on a link up 🙂 Pinning now and can’t wait to try it! Thanks for sharing.
Hannah ♫
Sew Lah Tea Dough `
Thanks so much for the comment and the pin, Hannah! I usually make grits with butter and honey, but my whole family really loved this cheesy variation. Hope you enjoy it, too! 🙂
Hi there! This looks amazing. I never thought to make a casserole with grits! I love hot breakfast food 🙂 Thanks for sharing!
Thanks, Kelly! I’d never put grits into an egg casserole before this recipe either, but it’s a fun alternative to bread or potatoes. Hope you enjoy!
Stopping by from Totally Tasty Tuesdays. This looks so good. Another grits recipe to add to my collection!
Thank you, Deauna…can’t go wrong with a collection of grits recipes! I appreciate you stopping by! 🙂
my husband LOVES grits. I cannot wait to make this for him. it looks incredible
Thanks so much, Heather! I hope you all enjoy it when you make it!
I need so save this recipe for my next brunch party. YUM! This would be great to link-up to Create It Thursday #22…it’s live now! Hope to see you there!
Thanks for the invite, Leslie…I’ll check it out! 🙂
Ham and grits. Just what a southern girl wants for breakfast. 🙂 I’m stopping by from Monday Funday.
If you’re interested, I’d love if you shared your casserole over at Gingerly Made’s Show & Tell party going on right now.
You’re so right, Ginger…this is what a southerner’s breakfast dreams are made of. 😉 And I appreciate the invitation to your link party…I’ll stop by later this evening!
I thought I wouldn’t like grits, and then I tasted them in a recipe like this. I fell in love. I was never able to get the recipe, so I am thrilled to find this one now!
We would love to have you share with us at our weekly Super Saturday Link Party. Your recipes and ideas would be a hit with our crowd. It would be our honor to have you join us!
I totally agree, Sherri…this is a different way to eat grits that I think many people who don’t usually like grits would enjoy! And thanks so much for the invitation to link up to your party…I’ll definitely check it out! 🙂
I have never had grits, but if I were to have some, this sounds like the way to do it!!!
Thanks, Amber…everything is better with cheese, right?! 😉 Even people who have never had or don’t usually like grits tend to enjoy this recipe. I appreciate you stopping by!
Can this be made in a crockpot, if you cook grits and then add the items. Just wondering if it would work, so it can cook overnight and already be piping hot when you get up in the morning!
Hi, Holly…great question! I have never tried this recipe in the crock pot, and I’m honestly not sure if it would work well because of the grits. I know that you can cook grits in a crock pot, and I know that you can cook eggs in a crock pot. But if you put the already-cooked grits in the crock pot with the rest of the ingredients, I’m afraid the grits might become really rubbery as the eggs cooked. I don’t know for sure, so if you decide to try it, please come back and let me know how it worked out! However, if it were me, I would probably choose an egg casserole that uses bread or hash browns instead of grits to cook in the crock pot.
As I mentioned in the tips and tricks section at the bottom of the recipe, this recipe can be cooked ahead of time and reheated in the morning. It takes a bit of time to reheat, but saves the time it would take to bake and cook the recipe from the beginning.
Hope this helps…have a great Sunday!
I will give it a try on a night when we have breakfast for supper, and let you know how it turns out! That way, if it isn’t a success I can always throw some bread in the toaster and scramble some eggs to go with fresh fruit & bacon!
Ha, Holly…that sounds like a very smart plan! I can’t wait to hear how it goes…you’ve got me really curious! 🙂
I am definitely going to try this recipe over the holidays. Does it matter what type of grits you use (Instant, quick-cooking, regular)??
Hi Dawn! I just use regular grits but I think any kind should work fine. Thanks for the question…hope you enjoy this dish over the holidays! 🙂
Well, I bought the quick-cooking grits; that’s all they had. I made the recipe this morning. It was delicious!! Definitely a keeper! Thank you so much.
Yay, Dawn…I’m so glad to hear it! Thanks so much for coming back to let me know. Hope you had a wonderful Christmas!
Thank you for the lovely breakfast casserole.
You’re very welcome, Liz…I hope you enjoy it! 🙂
This Southern girl can’t wait to try this grits casserole! Planning to have enough leftover ham from Thanksgiving and will be making this weekend. YUM! Thanks for sharing 🙂
You’re so welcome, Kristen…I hope you love it! 🙂 Have a great Thanksgiving!