Are you searching for the ultimate Southern comfort food side dish? A cozy, savory, and completely irresistible casserole that will be the star of your next holiday brunch, Thanksgiving feast, or weeknight dinner? This incredible, super-easy Creamy Garlic Grits Casserole is that perfect recipe! We’re talking impossibly creamy, cheesy, and garlicky grits, baked to perfection with a golden, buttery, and unbelievably crunchy cornflake topping.
This isn’t just another grits recipe; it’s a guide to your new favorite make-ahead masterpiece. We’ll show you the simple but brilliant shortcuts that create a stunning, from-scratch-tasting dish with minimal effort. This is a satisfying, soulful, and deeply impressive casserole that is pure comfort in a bowl.
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Recipe Overview: The Ultimate Cheesy & Creamy Comfort Food
What makes this Garlic Grits Casserole so spectacularly delicious is its incredible, rich flavor and its wonderful combination of textures. This recipe is a masterpiece of smart, efficient cooking. The base of the casserole is a simple quick-cooking grits, which are transformed into a luscious, savory custard with the addition of a brilliant shortcut: a package of herb-and-garlic cheese, like Boursin. The grits are further enriched with eggs and milk for a beautiful, soufflé-like texture. The final, show-stopping touch is a classic, nostalgic, and shatteringly crispy topping of buttered cornflakes, baked to a perfect golden brown.
| Metric | Time / Level |
| Total Time | 1 hour |
| Active Prep Time | 15 minutes |
| Difficulty Level | Easy |
| Servings | 8-10 |
The Southern Pantry: The Essential Ingredients
This iconic dish uses a handful of smart shortcuts and high-quality pantry staples to create its signature comforting and cheesy flavor.
- The Grits Base:
- Quick-Cooking Grits: The secret to a fast and easy casserole! Quick-cooking grits have been finely ground so they cook in just about 5 minutes, giving you a beautiful, creamy base with minimal stirring required.
- The “Secret” Creaminess (The Flavor Powerhouses!):
- Herb-and-Garlic Cheese: This is the brilliant shortcut that provides all the incredible, savory flavor and a huge amount of creaminess in one easy ingredient! A 10-ounce package of a soft, spreadable, herb-and-garlic cheese (like Boursin®) is the key to the rich, from-scratch taste.
- Eggs & Milk: The addition of eggs and milk is the secret that transforms the grits from a simple porridge into a rich, savory, and sliceable baked custard or soufflé.
- The Crunchy Topping: A classic and perfect combination of crushed cornflakes and melted butter. This simple topping bakes into the most incredible, golden-brown, and crispy crust that is the perfect textural contrast to the creamy grits.
The Casserole Masterclass: The Secret to a Perfect, Custardy Bake
The number one, non-negotiable secret to a perfect, creamy (and not scrambled!) grits casserole is to temper your eggs.
- What is Tempering?: Tempering is a simple but brilliant professional technique where you slowly whisk a small amount of a hot liquid into your cold eggs first.
- Why is it Important?: If you were to dump your cold egg and milk mixture directly into the pot of hot grits, the eggs would instantly scramble, resulting in a lumpy, unpleasant texture.
- The Technique: By whisking a little of the hot grits into your egg mixture first, you are gently and gradually raising the temperature of the eggs. This is the foolproof secret that will allow you to then stir the warmed egg mixture back into the main pot for a perfectly smooth, rich, and seamless custard base.
Step-by-Step to the Best Garlic Grits Casserole
This delicious, one-dish meal is incredibly simple to prepare.
Part 1: The Creamy Garlic Grits Base
Step 1: First, preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Generously grease a 9×12-inch casserole dish.
Step 2: Cook your 1 cup of quick-cooking grits in the 4 1/2 cups of boiling, salted water according to the package directions, until they have thickened. This will take about 5 minutes.
Step 3: To the hot grits, add your 10 ounces of herb-and-garlic cheese and the 1/4 cup of salted butter. Stir until the cheese and butter have completely melted and are incorporated.
Step 4 (The Most Important Step!): In a separate, medium bowl, beat your 2 medium eggs and then add the 1/2 cup of milk. Very slowly, stir a small scoop of the hot grits mixture into your eggs. Then, slowly stir this warmed egg mixture back into the main pot of grits until everything is well combined.
Step 5: Pour this entire mixture into your prepared casserole dish.
Part 2: The Crispy Cornflake Topping and the Bake
Step 1: In a small bowl, pour your 1 tablespoon of melted butter over the 1 cup of crushed cornflakes and stir to distribute the butter.Step 2: Sprinkle this buttery crumb mixture evenly over the top of the grits in the casserole dish.Step 3: Bake for about 45 minutes. You will know it is perfectly done when the grits are set and the cornflake topping is a beautiful, deep golden brown.
Let the casserole rest for a few minutes before serving.
Creamy Garlic Grits Casserole (An Easy, Cheesy Side Dish!)
An easy and savory recipe for a creamy Garlic Grits Casserole. This comforting side dish features quick-cooking grits that are enriched with an herb-and-garlic cheese spread (like Boursin), butter, and eggs to create a rich, custard-like base. The casserole is topped with a crunchy layer of buttered, crushed cornflakes and then baked until set and golden brown on top, making it a perfect accompaniment for brunch or a holiday meal.
Ingredients
- 1 cup quick-cooking grits
- 4 1/2 cups boiling water
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 10 ounces herb-and-garlic cheese, such as Boursin
- 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) salted butter
- 2 medium eggs
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1 tablespoon salted butter, melted
- 1 cup crushed cornflakes
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9x12x2-inch casserole dish.
- In a saucepan, cook the grits in the boiling water with the salt for about 5 minutes, until thickened.
- Remove the grits from the heat. Add the herb-and-garlic cheese and the 1/4 cup of butter to the hot grits and stir until they are melted and fully incorporated.
- In a separate small bowl, beat the eggs and then whisk in the milk.
- Slowly stir the egg and milk mixture into the grits until well combined.
- Pour the grits mixture into the prepared casserole dish.
- In a small bowl, toss the crushed cornflakes with the 1 tablespoon of melted butter.
- Sprinkle the buttered cornflake mixture evenly over the top of the grits.
- Bake for 45 minutes, until the casserole is set and the topping is golden brown.
Notes
- This is a very simple side dish that uses convenient, quick-cooking grits as its base.
- The creaminess and savory flavor come primarily from the Boursin-style cheese, which is a key ingredient.
- Tempering the eggs by adding milk to them before slowly stirring them into the hot grits helps to prevent the eggs from scrambling.
- This casserole is a classic Southern-style side dish.
What to Serve With Your Grits Casserole
This beautiful and savory dish is a fantastic and incredibly versatile side. It is the perfect accompaniment to almost any Southern-style or holiday main course.
- A Classic Brunch: This casserole is an absolute must-have as part of a larger brunch spread, served alongside some scrambled eggs, bacon, and fresh fruit.
- Shrimp and Grits: It is the perfect, elegant base for a classic shrimp and grits.
- Holiday Dinners: It is a fantastic and crowd-pleasing side dish for a Glazed Ham, a Roasted Turkey, or a beautiful Prime Rib.
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Storage and Make-Ahead Tips
This Grits Casserole is the ultimate make-ahead and freezer-friendly side dish.
- Make-Ahead: You can fully assemble the entire, unbaked casserole up to 2 days in advance. Simply cover it tightly and store it in the refrigerator. When you are ready to bake, you may need to add 15-20 minutes to the total baking time.
- Storage: Store any leftover casserole, well-covered, in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- Freezing: This casserole freezes beautifully! You can freeze the unbaked casserole for the best result. Assemble it completely in a freezer-safe dish, then wrap the pan very well in a double layer of plastic wrap and then a layer of foil. It will keep in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Frequently Asked questions (FAQs)
Q1: What is the absolute, number one secret to a creamy, not scrambled, baked grits casserole?
The secret is to temper your eggs. By slowly adding a little bit of the hot grits to your whisked eggs before you add the eggs to the main pot, you are gently raising their temperature. This is the foolproof key that will prevent your eggs from scrambling and will guarantee a perfectly smooth and custardy final texture
Q2: Can I make this side dish ahead of time for a holiday dinner?
Yes, this is an ideal make-ahead side dish. You can fully assemble the unbaked casserole up to two days in advance. When you are ready for your dinner, you can simply pop it in the oven to bake.
Q3: Can I use regular, stone-ground grits instead of quick-cooking grits?
You can, but you will need to adjust the recipe and the cooking time significantly. Regular grits take much longer to cook on the stovetop (around 20-25 minutes). Be sure to follow the package directions for your specific brand of grits for the correct liquid-to-grit ratio and cooking time.
Q4: Can I use a different kind of cheese?
Yes! If you can’t find an herb-and-garlic spreadable cheese, you can substitute it with about 8 ounces of softened cream cheese and add 1-2 cloves of freshly minced garlic and about 2 tablespoons of finely chopped fresh herbs, like chives, parsley, and thyme.
Q5: Can I add any other mix-ins to this casserole?
Of course! This recipe is a wonderful base for all sorts of delicious additions. About 1 cup of your favorite shredded cheese (like a sharp cheddar or a pepper jack), some crumbled, cooked bacon or sausage, or some diced jalapeños would all be fantastic.