Ham and Swiss Breakfast Pie

This "pie" is a simple recipe that I'll use again. It's real easy to substitute other ingredients depending if you are using the dish for brunch, breakfast or dinner. Change it up with sausage, bacon. Use Gouda cheese or Parmesan  Add in some chopped asparagus for a brunch type dish.  

No matter what.....it will be great!

I followed the recipe exactly last night and paired it with sliced tomatoes and fruit topped with a little mixture of sour cream and brown sugar.

1 1/3 cups water or chicken broth (I prefer the broth, but if you use it omit the salt)

1 cup whipping cream

2 garlic cloves, pressed

2 Tablespoons butter

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper 

2/3 cup uncooked quick-cooking grits

1 1/4 cups (5 oz.) shredded Swiss Cheese

8 large eggs, divided

1/2 lb. cooked ham, diced

4 green onions, chopped

1/2 cup milk

Garnish with fresh chopped chives

Preheat over to 350 degrees. Bring first 6 ingredients to a boil in a medium saucepan; gradually whisk in grits. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer, whisking occasionally 5-7 minutes. Add 1/2 cup cheese stirring until cheese melts. Remove from heat, and let stand 10 minutes.

Lightly beat 2 eggs, and stir into grits mixture; pour into a lightly greased 10-inch, deep dish pie plate.

Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes; remove from oven. Increase oven temperature to 400 degrees.  

Saute ham and onions in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat 5 minutes or until onion is tender. 

Layer ham mixture over grits crust. Whisk together milk and remaining 6 eggs; pour over ham mixture.  

Sprinkle remaining cheese over mixture. 

Bake at 400 degrees for 35 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes and cut into wedges. Garnish, if desired.

Yet Another Speckled Heart Grits Recipe

The other day I wrote about my trip to Callaway Gardens and my love affair with their speckled heart grits......if you forgot you can see the post here. 

Here is another recipe.....

1 cup Speckled Heart Grits

4 cups water

1 teaspoon salt

2 cups grated sharp cheese

1 stick margarine

Dash of Tobasco

Cook grits according to a traditional recipe above.   Combine all ingredients.  Pour in a casserole dish.  

Bake 1 hour in a 325 degree oven.   

Serves 4-6

Callaway Gardens Speckled Heart Grits

For the last two years I have taken a little trip by myself around Mother’s Day…just me, myself and I.   It’s a time of reflection, rejuvenation and I also use the time to review goals and set new ones for the year to come.   


Relaxation and great food and drink fit into the weekend, too………of course!


The first trip I took was a return trip to a place my mother and I visited often…and a place where we had taken a “girl’s trip” with my best friend and her mother when my friend and I were in high school.   


The four of us had a wonderful time…making Callaway Gardens one of my “special” places to visit.


One morning while we were there we left our hotel and drove up Pine Mountain to Callaway Garden’s Store and had breakfast.  Not only did we have a wonderful view from breakfast….we had some of the best grits I ever had.

The grits happened to be speckled heart grits and they aren’t your normal run-of-the-mill grit at all. 


Speckled heart grits are made from the whole grain including the heart of the corn kernel.   This results in robust grits that roll around your mouth with a slight grainy texture.


I love them.


I love them so much I bought two bags during my weekend sojourn at the gardens.  The bag had an interesting recipe……I’ll admit I haven’t tried it yet, but I plan to soon.


Here's the recipe:


Baked Grits Souffle


1 ½ cups Speckled Heart Grits
4 ½ cups water
2 cans mushroom soup
6 eggs, well beaten
1 cup cracker crumbs
2 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese


Cook grits according to traditional recipe above.  Mix with Mushroom soup.   Add well beaten eggs.  Place mixture in baking dish greased well with bacon drippings.   Cover with cracker crumbs and cheese.  Bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes    Serves 4-6


While it’s almost ten months until my next trip I’m already thinking about the location.   I usually try to stick somewhere in the Atlanta area.


Any suggestions?

The Grits That Stole Christmas.....

2½ Tablespoons unsalted butter

2¼ cups chicken stock
½ cup stone ground grits

1-2 cups heavy cream

1 teaspoon garlic, chopped

½ teaspoon thyme

½ cup diced sun-dried tomatoes

¾ cup goat cheese

1-2 Tablespoons chives
Salt and White Pepper to taste

Bring the chicken stock and butter to a boil in a thick-bottomed saucepan. Stir in the grits and return to a boil. Reduce the heat, allowing the grits to cook for another 15 minutes at a low boil, and until the grits are thick and have absorbed most of the chicken stock.

Stir occasionally to keep the grits from sticking. Add 1/2 cup of the heavy cream to the pot and reduce the heat, allowing the grits to cook slowly for another 10 minutes. As the liquid is absorbed, add more cream, cooking the grits until the desired consistency. Add salt and pepper to taste with a total cooking time of at least an hour.

The grits should be thick and full-bodied. Fold in the chopped garlic, thyme and diced tomatoes, crumble the goat cheese on top. Bake in 350 for 10 minutes. Garnish with chopped chives Serve very hot!

Serves 2-4

Shrimp and Grits

At the end of July Dear Husband and I visited Savannah for the day as we were traveling home from St. Augustine. We had planned to eat at The Lady and Sons, however, we didn't get there early enough to get on the list. We opted for Uncle Bubba's Oyster House instead.....afterall, it is Paula's brother's place.

I ordered the Shrimp and Grits. It was great....to die for! Ever since I've been looking for a recipe that came close to Uncle Bubba's.

Here are a few pictures from my Creative Saturday....where I fixed the dish and the recipe follows:

The plate of veggies and shrimp I set aside while I made the cream gravy.

The cream gravy, shrimp and loaf of bread I baked.

Our table setting....

Shrimp and Grits

4 servings cooked grits
2 T. olive oil
½ cup diced tasso ham
2 T. diced leeks
2 T. diced onions
2 T. diced green peppers
20 medium to large shrimp, peeled and de-veined with tails on
1-2 T. dry white wine
1 cup heavy cream
Salt and pepper
Green onion tops, chopped

*****note: tasso ham is Cajun ham an often hard to find outside of Louisana….substitute salt pork, pancetta, or prosciutto. I used 4 slices of thick-sliced bacon….chopped. Then cooked the veggies in the bacon drippings.

Cook grits according to package directions; set aside and keep warm.

Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add tasso and sauté until crisp. Add diced vegetables and sauté until onions are transluscent. Add shrimp and sauté for 30-45 seconds, or until pink. Remove from the pan and set aside. Deglaze the pan with the wine. Slowly add the cream and let reduce until thickened. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Divide grits among four plates. Line plate edges with shrimp. Pour sauce over grits. Garnish with green onion tops.

For a great wedding idea, use martini glasses to serve shrimp and grits, with the grits on the bottom and the shrimp on top.

Sausage Cheese Grits

This recipe is a real winner. My husband actually makes it better than I do. He prepares it for the monthly breakfasts we have in our Sunday School department. I prepare it for dinner…..there are never any leftovers that last until the next day.

1 pound ground pork sausage
3 cups chicken broth
1 cup uncooked quick-cooking grits
1 stick butter/margarine
1 ½ cups (6 ounces) shredded, sharp cheddar cheese
¼ cup milk
1 clove garlic, pressed (I use 1 teaspoon minced garlic)
3 large eggs, lightly beaten

Cook sausage in skillet over medium heat…stir until it crumbles and is no longer pink. Drain. Bring broth to a boil in a 3-quart pan. Stir in grits, cook according to package directions. Remove from heat, add butter and cheddar cheese. Stir in sausage, milk and garlic. Stir in a small amount of grits into the egg mixture then pour the egg mixture into the grits. Pour grits into a lightly greased 11 x 7-inch baking dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes. Cool 5 minutes.

This recipe serves 8-12 people