Southern Grits And Greens Casserole

Course brunch, Main Course, Side Dish

Cuisine American, Southern

Keyword grits-and-greens-casserole, southern-grits-and-greens-casserole

Prep Time 25

Cook Time 40

Stand time 5

Total Time 1 10

Servings servings

Calories 440kcal

Greens: In a medium-size pot, cook collard greens in water (amount called for on package) and 1 tsp salt. Cook for 15 minutes, then drain and squeeze out excess moisture.
Fry bacon strips in a large skillet over medium-high heat until crispy. Remove from the pan using a slotted spoon to paper towels to drain grease, then chop.
Add diced onion to the bacon drippings. Cook over medium-high heat until softened, about 2 minutes.
Grits: Meanwhile, in a large heavy bottomed pot bring chicken broth, half and half and garlic salt to a boil. Whisking constantly add grits in a single stream. Lower heat to medium-low and cover. Cook, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking, for 20-25 minutes or until creamy and tender. Add more broth or half and half to thin, if needed.
Remove grits from heat, add the cream cheese and 2 Tbsp butter. Stir until fully melted. Next, add greens, 1 cup shredded cheese, 1/2 Parmesan cheese, 1/2 cooked bacon, hot sauce and black pepper. Mix until fully combined.
Bake: Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter a 13x9-inch baking dish using 1 Tbsp butter or spray with nonstick cooking spray. Pour grits and greens into the dish. Top with remaining shredded cheese, Parmesan cheese and bacon. Bake for 20 minutes or until bubbly and cheese is lightly golden. May broil to brown further, if desired.
Let stand 5 minutes, garnish with green onion and serve with additional hot sauce on the side, if desired.

Leftover Greens: Frozen collard greens work like a charm in this recipe, but you could of course, use greens cooked from scratch. You'll need about 2 cups of cooked, chopped greens.

Greens: Collard greens, turnip greens and mustard greens will all work in this casserole. You could even adapt using kale in a pinch.

Cheese: You can use colby jack cheese, gruyere cheese or monterey jack cheese.

Spice: We love this casserole with a few dashes of hot sauce. You canomit, if preferred.

Seasoning Packet: The frozen greens used in this recipe came with a seasoning packet. It's not necessary to use it in this dish. Season the water with salt as directed in the recipe.