Happy Thanksgiving!

Last year I made Loveless Cafe's hashbrown casserole for Thanksgiving. I didn't love it (too oniony). My mom asked me to make it again, but I thought I could do better. MK mentioned recently that Marshall made baked cheese grits & they tasted just like her mom's. I thought, hmmmm, cheese grits... So I got home & found this recipe in my Better Homes & Gardens New Cook Book:

Baked Cheese Grits

Prep: 10 minutes Bake: 25 minutes Oven: 325 degrees
Stand: 5 minutes Makes: 4 or 5 side-dish servings

2 cups water or chicken broth
1/2 cup quick-cooking grits
1 egg, beaten
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack or cheddar cheese (4 ounces)
1 tablespoon butter or margarine

1. In a saucepan bring water or broth to boiling. Slowly add grits, stirring constantly. Gradually stir about 1/2 cup of the grits mixture into the egg. Return egg mixture to saucepan and stir to combine. Remove saucepan from heat. Stir cheese and butter into grits mixture until melted.

2. Spoon grits into a 1-quart casserole. Bake in a 325 degree oven for 25 to 30 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.


I'm also bringing Delaney's 24 hour 7-10 layer overnight salad. John helped me make it last night. The recipe calls for 3 hard boiled eggs. Neither John nor I knew how to make hard boiled eggs. John figured it out. So John made the eggs & bacon, while I chopped & layered. It took us about an hour, but we got it done & it's been chilling in the fridge all night. I have high hopes. If it's half as good as Delaney's, I'll be happy. I'll report back.

Edited to Add: Both recipes turned out really well. I didn't think my salad was as creamy as Delaney's, but everyone loved it, especially my dad. The baked cheese grits were a hit. I think next time, I'll try shrimp grits. Yum!