Food Friday: Grits Casserole

Calling all Southerners!

INGREDIENTS:
6 cups water
2 cups uncooked grits
3 cups shredded Cheddar cheese, divided*
1 pound ground pork sausage
12 eggs
1/2 cup milk
Green onions to taste (optional)
salt and pepper to taste


DIRECTIONS:
1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a large baking dish.
2) In a skillet over medium-high heat, cook the sausage until evenly browned. Set
aside and drain grease.
3) Beat together the eggs and milk in a bowl, and pour into the skillet. Lightly
scramble
4) Bring water to a boil in a large saucepan, and stir in grits. Reduce heat,
cover, and simmer about 3-4 minutes, stirring occassionally, until liquid has
been absorbed. Mix in 2 cups cheese until melted.
5) Mix together grits, eggs, and sausage.
6) Pour the grits mixture into the prepared baking dish. Top with remaining cheese
and season with salt and pepper.
7) Bake 30 minutes in the preheated oven, until lightly browned.

*most of the time I mix 2 cups of cheese into the mixture and do not top it with the remaining cup of cheese. This recipe also called for the use of a stick of butter which I have eliminated b/c it is not needed. I use 2% cheese all the time and the Jimmy Dean lowfat sausage so that I don't even have to drain the sausage. No one can tell the difference between the original and the lower fat version.

For more recipe ideas, check out Gayle's recipe swap.