Did you know that if you have pimento cheese in your fridge and a bag of grits in your pantry, you could bake up this ah-mazing Pimento Cheese Grits Casserole tonight. Bonus points if you have fresh tomatoes!
Jump right to the recipe: Pimento Cheese Grits Casserole
*Pimento Cheese Grits Casserole
This little dish came together during our beach vacation this past summer. On our last full day, we had leftover grits and pimento cheese. We had fresh tomatoes, too. My hubby and I looked at each other and said, “Let’s put these things together!” “It will be like a tomato pie,” we said.
Little did we know what deliciousness would come from those leftovers. If you love grits and you love pimento cheese, then Pimento Cheese Grits Casserole is your dish.
Here are the ingredients you will need to make this Pimento Cheese Grits recipe:
- Fresh tomatoes, good canned diced tomatoes work well in a pinch
- Green Onions. These go on top right before you bake it and I like to sprinkle some more on once it’s done.
- Pimento Cheese. If you live in the South you can buy Proper Pepper or Palmetto Cheese. Or make your own.
- Grits. If you have some leftover, it will make this recipe SUPER easy. If not, no worries, I include this in the recipe.
- Whole milk to use in cooking the grits
- Half and half also for the grits
- Butter
What kind of grits you should use?
I prefer stone ground grits. I love finding local grits mills that grind their own grits. Living in South Carolina, I find that there are quite a few grits mills located near me. If you don’t have a local source for grits, you can always order them. These grits from Palmetto Farms are delicious!
Stone ground grits take much longer to cook than quick grits, but the flavor and texture you get is so worth it. Don’t fret though. If you are in a hurry, quick grits will work. Please don’t use instant grits though. That would probably not yield great results.
You can make the grits the night before and then pour them into a casserole dish, let cool and then refrigerate, You could also make the Pimento Cheese the night before as well. This will make for a super easy to throw together brunch recipe.
Where did Pimento Cheese come from?
Surprising to me, Pimento Cheese did not originate in the South. It is thought that it was born in the northeastern United States around the beginning of the 1900’s. This cheesy spread was born of the marriage of cream cheese and jarred pimentos. Domestic scientists, or home economists, of that era embraced the new-fangled packaged and canned products that were being produced. In 1908, Good Housekeeping Magazine suggested making a sandwich filling by mixing cream cheese, pimentos, mustard and chives.
By 1910, grocery stores and delis across the United States were selling commercially made pimento cheese by the slice or in jars. I know I tend to think of it as a Southern staple. And maybe that is because it has become kind of a big deal in the Southern food scene. You see it on menus as an appetizer, a burger topping, a sandwich filler and much more!
How do you make Pimento Cheese?
A couple of years ago, I published my easy Pimento Cheese recipe. I make it a couple of times a month and even more in the warmer months. My recipe calls for sharp cheddar cheese, pepper jack cheese, jarred diced pimentos, garlic, Duke’s mayonnaise, salt and pepper. I like to grate my own cheese.If I am making a big batch, I use my food processor’s grater blade. The pre-grated stuff comes coated with some powdery stuff and that makes the texture of the Pimento Cheese weird.
If you don’t want to make your own, you can usually find Pimento Cheese in the deli or cheese section of the grocery store. My two favorite brands to buy are Palmetto Cheese (made in SC) and Proper Pepper Pimento Cheese (made in GA). I tend to think of pimento cheese as being a Southern thing, but maybe stores outside of the South are beginning to carry it too.
More ways to use Pimento Cheese:
I have used it to top mini-waffles, and stuff Bacon Wrapped Jalapeño Poppers. Pimento cheese is just super versatile!
This is one of those basic dishes that you can have for dinner at home, but it’s also perfect to take to a potluck. Spread grits in casserole dish, top with pimento cheese, sliced tomatoes and green onions. Bake it up until it’s bubbly.
How to serve Pimento Cheese Grits Casserole:
I like to make this grits casserole for brunch, so I serve it with fresh fruit, ham biscuits and of course, Mimosas or Bloody Marys. If you are serving it for dinner or lunch, serve it with a fresh green salad and green beans.
Serve it as a side dish, a vegetarian main dish, a brunch dish, a midnight snack…you get my drift. However and wherever you serve it, I bet it will be a hit!
Pimento Cheese Grits Casserole
Ingredients
- 3 cups water
- 2 cups whole milk
- 1 cup half and half
- 1.5 tsp salt
- 1.5 cups stone ground yellow or white grits
- 3 TBSP butter
- 1.5-2 cups Pimento Cheese
- Fresh tomatoes thinly sliced
- Green onions sliced on the bias
Instructions
- In a large pot, bring water, milk and half and half to a simmer. Watch carefully so it doesn’t boil over. Add salt and slowly whisk in grits. Bring grits to a simmer, stirring constantly. Lower heat and cover grits. Cook 45-50 minutes, stirring occasionally, until grits are rich and creamy. Stir in butter. Pour grits into a 9 x 13 baking dish and let cool to room temperature.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Top grits with Pimento Cheese. Add sliced tomatoes. You can also substitute with a can of diced tomatoes that have been drained. Top with green onions.
- Bake for about 30 minutes or until the cheese is melted and bubbly.
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