What’s more Southern than sausage and grits? If you have a love for Southern cooking, you’re going to enjoy this hearty sausage and grits casserole. It’s simple to prepare and will delight the whole family.
The Beauty of a Casserole
If you’re a Southerner, you know we love a good casserole. They’re easy to make and they yield multiple servings to feed a whole family. They’re comforting and filling. The prep is often pretty quick, and then you can cook up some sides or even just go read a book while the casserole is baking.
There are also so many creative ways a casserole can be prepared. We have more casserole ideas for you to check out right here!
Mealtime Versatility
The great thing about this dish is that it can be enjoyed for any meal. Breakfast time? Serve it up with your coffee, bacon, and a side of fruit; it’s the perfect breakfast casserole. Fixing up a spread for a brunch? This casserole is an excellent addition. Need an easy lunch or supper? Serve it alongside some biscuits and collard greens, and you’ve got yourself a full dinner!
Oh, you’re inviting me to your potluck? I’ll bring the grits and sausage casserole!
Making the Sausage and Grits Casserole
As noted in the recipe, you’ll want to use the quick-cooking grits. If you use regular grits and follow these instructions, your casserole may come out a little…errr…gritty.
Regular grits will require about 20 minutes of boiling in step #4 of the Instructions, as well as frequent whisking to prevent clumping, so adjust that step accordingly if that’s what you’ll be using. Your grits should be fully cooked prior to stirring them into the other ingredients.
Once all the ingredients are mixed and poured into your casserole baking dish, the consistency of your sausage and grits mixture will look like the next photo below. You’ll top it with a half cup of cheddar cheese and then you’re all set to bake it into the oven!
After about 1 hour at 350 degrees (or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean) your casserole will be ready to come out.
Ingredients You Can Add to the Recipe
Here are a few suggestions of tasty ingredients that work well with this recipe. Try some or all of these where the flavors appeal to you!
- Chop, cook, and drain bell pepper, onion, and/or mushrooms
- Add some minced garlic (or garlic powder or paste)
- Garnish with chopped green onion
- Sprinkle in some Cajun seasoning for a kick of spicy!
And if you don’t eat pork — turkey sausage or meat substitutes like Beyond are quite tasty for this recipe too (especially the breakfast sausage varieties)!
We hope you’ll enjoy our Sausage and Grits Casserole!
Sausage and Grits Casserole
Equipment
- Casserole dish
Ingredients
- 3 cups water
- 1 cup quick grits
- 2 pounds ground pork sausage or your choice of ground or chopped up breakfast sausage
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
- 3 eggs
- 1 1/2 cups milk
- 2 tbsp butter melted
- 3/4 tsp salt
- black pepper to taste
Instructions
- In your skillet, cook and drain your sausage.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Prepare a 9×13 inch casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray.
- Pour the water and ½ teaspoon salt in a saucepan and bring to a boil over medium high heat. Slowly whisk in the quick grits. Reduce the heat to low; cover and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Beat the eggs and milk together; set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the cooked grits and cooked sausage together with 1 ½ cups cheese. Stir in the eggs mixture. Add the butter, black pepper, and remaining salt. Pour into the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle with remaining cheese.
- Bake uncovered for about 1 hour or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Let stand for 5 minutes before cutting.
