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 Cheesy Ham and Grits Breakfast Casserole a try.
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.
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.
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!
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!
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!
Cheesy Ham and Grits Breakfast Casserole Recipe
Cheesy Ham and Grits Breakfast Casserole
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.
More Egg Recipes for Breakfast or Brunch
- Bacon, Potato, & Cheese Mini Frittatas {Egg Muffins}
- Green Chile Cheddar Egg Bake
- Ground Beef, Egg, & Cheese Breakfast Casserole
Holly says
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!
Samantha at Five Heart Home says
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!
Holly says
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!
Samantha at Five Heart Home says
Ha, Holly…that sounds like a very smart plan! I can’t wait to hear how it goes…you’ve got me really curious! 🙂
Dawn Deems says
I am definitely going to try this recipe over the holidays. Does it matter what type of grits you use (Instant, quick-cooking, regular)??
Samantha at Five Heart Home says
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! 🙂
Dawn says
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.
Samantha at Five Heart Home says
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!
Liz says
Thank you for the lovely breakfast casserole.
Samantha at Five Heart Home says
You’re very welcome, Liz…I hope you enjoy it! 🙂
Kristen says
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 🙂
Samantha at Five Heart Home says
You’re so welcome, Kristen…I hope you love it! 🙂 Have a great Thanksgiving!
Persiasblossom says
I have Hemp Milk, would this still work?