Grits Casserole is a savory, delicious dish featuring creamy grits, scrambled eggs, shredded cheese, and diced ham for a special breakfast that's hearty, comforting, and perfect for making ahead!

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School mornings around here are hectic, so I generally try to whip up big batches of breakfast foods on the weekend for quick reheating on weekday mornings. This typically results a stockpile of things like waffles, pancakes, muffins, granola, granola bars, and baked oatmeal. But it's all too easy to get stuck in a rut, so sometimes, I like to shake things up with a breakfast that's slightly out of the ordinary...like this creamy, hearty, delicious Grits Casserole!

Grits may be a stereotypically southern staple, but this eggy, cheesy, ham-studded Grits Casserole transcends regional differences.

This dish is comparable to a regular egg-based breakfast casserole, but the inclusion of cooked grits gives it a heartiness and bite that would otherwise be lacking. In simple terms, it's comforting and filling and just plain good!

Ingredients

Making this Grits Casserole requires just a handful of basic ingredients:

Milk + salt. For cooking the grits. If using whole or 2% milk, you can opt to substitute water for up to 1 cup of the milk. If using skim milk, use all milk.
Quick-cooking grits. Uncooked. If you have regular grits instead of quick-cooking grits, their cooking time will be a bit longer. Instant grits are not recommended.
Unsalted butter. To add richness and creaminess to the grits.
Eggs. To bind all of the ingredients.
Cheese. Shredded. I typically use sharp cheddar, but feel free to swap in your favorite. Monterey jack, Swiss, or even pepper jack (for some kick!) would also be tasty.
Ham. Diced. This Grits Casserole is a great way to use up leftover holiday ham! Alternatively, you may substitute chopped cooked bacon or cooked crumbled sausage for the ham.

How to Make Grits Casserole

(The below photos are intended to be helpful, but please refer to the recipe card at the bottom of this post for FULL DIRECTIONS.)

Making this Grits Casserole recipe is both simple and straightforward!

Preheat the oven and generously grease or spray a 9- by 13-inch baking dish.
In a medium pot set over medium heat, combine milk and salt. Bring to a boil, then pour in grits while stirring constantly. Return to a boil and then lower the heat. Continue stirring for several minutes until the grits thicken.
Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the butter until fully melted. Set aside to cool.

Stirring grits into milk on stove with wooden spoon.

In a large bowl, scramble the eggs.
Stir in the grated cheese, diced ham, and cooled-down, cooked grits.

Grits, cheese, and ham added to eggs for Grits Casserole recipe.

Pour the egg/grits mixture into the prepared baking dish.

Grits Casserole in baking dish, ready to bake.

Bake the Grits Casserole in preheated oven for 45 minutes or until puffy and golden brown.

Cheese Grits Casserole with ham fresh out of oven.

Serve warm and enjoy!

Breakfast casserole with grits on plate and in baking dish.

Make-Ahead Options

This breakfast casserole is fantastic for our aforementioned hectic mornings. At some point during the weekend, I simply bake it up, allow it to cool, cut it into squares, and store those in a container in the refrigerator. Then when each family member is ready for breakfast later in the week, all I have to do is pop their serving into the microwave or toaster oven for a quick reheating. Side of fruit, glass of milk, and breakfast is served!

However, this cheesy Grits Casserole also makes a perfect breakfast or brunch dish to serve to guests, and it would be wonderful on a holiday morning when you want a special breakfast that doesn't require you to get bogged down in the kitchen!

To prep this recipe ahead of time, assemble the casserole as directed but do not bake. Cover tightly and refrigerate overnight. Bring to room temperature and uncover before baking as directed in preheated oven.

Or you can actually prepare and bake the whole casserole the night before, then refrigerate it overnight. In the morning, simply cover your dish with foil and stick it in a 350°F oven for 15 minutes. Voilà...a fresh, hot breakfast in a flash!

You may also bake this Grits Casserole, cool, cover tightly, and then freeze it for up to 1 month. Defrost your casserole overnight in the refrigerator, bring it to room temperature, and then reheat it in the oven as indicated above (350°F for 15 minutes).

So the next time you're thinking about making a yummy, eggy breakfast casserole, consider enhancing it with grits instead of predictable ol' hunks of bread or hash browns! Even my pickiest child -- who refuses to eat grits when I drown them with butter and honey -- loves this Grits Casserole. It's hearty, it's comforting, it's perfect for any season, and it's always well-received by family or guests.

I hope you enjoy this one, friends!

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