Twice a year, four of my buddies and I head for Cliff View Inn in Alleghany county where we fish, play golf, tell old war stories, harass each other unmercifully and have a great time. Probably too good of a time. For this biannual gathering, I serve as the cook – every meal. The prime reason for this personal sacrifice is that if I didn’t do it, and didn’t buy the groceries, we’d likely eat Cheetos and Beanie Weanies every meal. Plus, I like to cook, especially for a group.
For breakfast this year, I tried an experiment, nothing radical, but it was an experiment and I didn’t use a recipe. I winged it and made a sausage & grits casserole. It was damned good if I say so myself. Here’s how.
First, I cooked up a batch of grits. I used 1½ cups of quick grits and 6 cups of water. They say they’re quick grits, but they’re really not. It takes quick grits about 15-20 minutes to get firm and set. So after boiling the water, I stirred in the grits and covered them for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Earlier, I had crumbled up 2 pounds of Gunnoe’s Hot Sausage and cooked until done. I like Gunnoe’s because it has very little fat (you really don’t want much fat in a casserole), has a great flavor, and it’s made right here in Virginia. In a disposable aluminum pan (who wants to have to wash a casserole dish on a fishing trip?), I put the sausage, grits, 16-ounces of shredded sharp cheddar cheese and one pint of Egg Beaters. I stirred up the concoction, added lots of salt and pepper, covered the dish with aluminum foil and baked 45 minutes at 350. It made enough for two breakfasts for 5 hungry guys, so you could probably cut the recipe in half – but you’ll eat it every day as long as there’s some left. It really was good – and easy. Try it.
Sausage & Grits Casserole
6 cups water
1 ½ cups quick grits
2 pounds Gunnoe Hot Sausage
16 ounces shredded sharp cedar cheese
1 pint Egg Beaters
½ stick butter
Salt & pepper to taste
