Garlic & Cheese Grits

Cheese grits are a Southern brunch table staple, and baking them turns the creamy stovetop version into something with structure: a crusty top, a custardy interior, and bigger flavor since the cheese gets a chance to brown and concentrate.

Use aged sharp cheddar here, the kind that crumbles slightly when you grate it. Mild yellow cheddar melts pretty but tastes like nothing once it’s stirred into hot grits. Old sharp gives you that nutty, almost-pungent depth that holds its own against half a stick of butter and a generous hit of garlic.

The trick to the texture is cooking the grits down hard before the eggs and cheese go in. Loose grits make a soupy casserole; really thick grits set up into something you can cut into squares.

Pro Tips

• Use stone-ground grits if you can find them. Quick-cooking instant grits will work but lose the slight grainy chew that makes this dish.
• Temper the beaten egg by stirring in a few spoonfuls of hot grits before adding the rest. Adding cold egg straight into hot grits scrambles it.
• Both fresh garlic and garlic powder go in for a reason. Fresh gives sharp punch, powder gives even savory background. Don’t skip either.
• Let it rest 5 minutes after baking so the slices set up clean instead of running across the plate.

Variations

• Stir in 1 cup chopped cooked country ham or crumbled bacon for a heartier brunch dish.
• Swap half the cheddar for pepper jack and double the cayenne for a spicy version.
• Top with sliced green onions and a drizzle of hot sauce just before serving for color and bite.