{the recipe redux} lightened cheddar grits casserole for a brunch
Tuesday, May 21, 2013 at 1:17AM
I remember my baby shower for boy #1 like it was yesterday. It was about this time of year and it was - as it is for most expectant moms - a wonderful day filled with family, friends and good food. Boy #1 finishes his last day of Kindergarten today. It's trite to say, but I can't believe how quickly the time has gone.
The end of May, into June marks for many of us a season of all kinds of celebrations... whether it's a graduation party, baby shower or wedding shower. It's a time where people gather to mark important milestones, often over a mid-morning meal - brunch.
I'm a big fun of brunch for parties. The kinds of dishes you serve are conducive to make-ahead meals, are often reasonably priced and for the most part, offer lots of crowd pleasing options.
In the south, few brunch menus are complete without a cheesy grits casserole. They can be served alongside an egg dish or even as the base for shrimp and grits. The downside, they're often overloaded on calories and fat.
For this month's Recipe ReDux I decided to make-over this humble breakfast casserole and lighten it up a bit. I've reduced the overall amount of cheese and butter, used Greek-style yogurt to add back some creaminess and used high-flavor, extra sharp cheddar for the topping, rather than throughout the entire dish. I also snuck in a little fresh dill to boost the flavor, but you could omit if you're not a dill fan (although my recent obsession with dill and cheddar begs that I keep it in.)
Whether for a celebration or just to mark a relaxing end to a stressful week, I hope you'll give it a try for your next brunch. And for more tasty variations for brunch, check out the other Recipe ReDux members' post below.
Lightened Cheddar Grits Casserole
Ingredients
- 2 cups water
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1/2 cup uncooked quick-cooking grits
- 2 tablespoons plain Greek-style yogurt
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten
- 1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded extra-sharp Cheddar cheese
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Combine water and salt in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil; gradually whisk in butter and grits. Reduce heat, and simmer, whisking frequently, 5 minutes or until grits are done. Remove from heat.
- Whisk in yogurt, dill, black pepper and egg. Pour into a 9-inch pie plate coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle evenly with grated cheese.
- Bake at 350° for 30 minutes or until mixture is set. Serve warm.
As the first and only recipe challenge founded by registered dietitians, The Recipe ReDux aims to inspire the food lover in every healthy eater and inspire the healthy eater in every food lover. Thank you for visiting. We hope you enjoy!
(Please note that this is a closed link-up for Recipe ReDux posts only. Any links added to this collection for non-ReDux posts will be deleted.)
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