Recipe: Baked Spicy Cheesy Grits

This recipe is part of our Mardi Gras party menu.

Yield: 12 servings (may be halved and baked in a 6 to 8 cup baking dish)

1 tbsp corn oil

4 cups water

4 cups whole milk

2 cups quick grits (not instant)

3 cups grated Cheddar cheese (8 ounces)

8 tbsp (1 stick) butter, cut into several pieces

1 1/2 tsp dried thyme

1 tsp salt

1 tsp white pepper

1 tsp paprika

1 tsp onion powder

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

4 eggs

Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Use the oil to grease a 9 x 13-inch baking dish.

Bring the water and milk to a boil in a large heavy pot. Slowly add the grits, stirring constantly, and return to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes, or until thickened, stirring every 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from the heat.

Add the remaining ingredients, except the eggs, to the grits and stir vigorously until well combined. Place the eggs in a small bowl and temper* the grits by adding about a cup of the grits to the eggs, stirring to combine. Stir the egg-grits mixture back into the pot of grits and mix thoroughly. Transfer to the greased dish and bake for 1 hour. Allow to set for 10 minutes before cutting.

*Cooking Tip: Tempering refers to the technique of heating something gradually. In this case, heating the eggs gradually by adding hot grits to them and then putting the egg-grits mixture into the remaining pot of hot grits. If the eggs were put directly into the pot of grits, without tempering them, they would be likely to curdle.

Tom Firth's Suggested Pairings

Brotte Père Anselme Le Fiole du Pape Châteaunuef du Pape

Telmo Rodriguez Rioja

Arrogant Frog Sauvignon Blanc

Joseph Drouhin Laforêt Bourgogne Chardonnay

Recipe: Terri Wuerthner, About.com

Photo: Judy Baxter