Grits En Fuego

Ready for some fire in your mouth? Well, if you are out of 151, cook up these grits. I'll list the recipe I used below, but the fun in this dish is that you really don't have to follow a recipe. You can make it less spicy if you want, vegan if you prefer, or whatever your heart desires. I serve it with crumbled bacon and an egg over easy on top. The yolk makes this dish just heavenly!

Ingredients:

1 T. olive oil (I used bacon grease cause I keep it real)

1 garlic clove, minced

1 onion, diced

1 3/4 cups vegetable broth (you can use chicken broth too)

1 cup quick-cooking grits

1 can hot Ro-tel tomatoes, not drained (if you can't handle heat, use mild)

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (monterey jack would be fantastic too)

salt & pepper to taste

Heat olive oil over medium-high heat and saute garlic and oniion for about 1 minute. Reduce heat to medium. Add grits, broth and rotel, stirring frequently. As the mixture thickens, slowly add the cheese and cook for 10 minutes. If mixture gets too thick, add water or mlk.

Now here comes the fun: Top with whatever you like! Some ideas: corn, jalapeno pepper slices, bacon crumbles, or sour cream!

Betty's Breakfast Casserole

(i'm not gonna lie, this pic is yuck)

I spent Labor Day weekend celebrating my oldest and bestest friend in the whole wide world's upcoming wedding. A bachelorette party has many secrets, but one that I reveal is that on Sunday morning we were a lot of girls, we were hungry, and we were hungover. Volunteers were needed to cook a big breakfast, and I raised my hand. I knew Betty's casserole would be the perfect choice; plus, I could prepare it the night before when I was still halfway together. I doubled the recipe below to make 2 casseroles, and it wasn't even really necessary. 1 was plenty to fill a large crowd. Congrats to Mary Margaret and thank you to Betty!

Ingredients:

6 slices white bread, crust removed
1 lb. ground pork sausage or ham (we used hot jimmy dean)
4 cups shredded cheddar cheese or monterey jack (i used less than this, and it was fine)
6 eggs
1 t. salt
1 t. dry mustard
2 cups half and half
1 4-0z can green chilies

Lightly butter each slice of bread. Place in a 9x13 casserole dish. Brown and drain sausage and sprinkle over bread. Add cheese. Beat eggs and add salt, mustard, and half and half. Beat eggs again and pour over mixture. Refrigerate at least overnight or freeze. Remove foil and bake 45 minutes at 350 or until bubbly and lightly browned.

Pete's Breakfast Sandwich

In honor of Father's Day, as well as the recent passing of Jimmy Dean, it was a no-brainer when it came to deciding what recipe to feature next. This sandwich has been a staple in the Burnett household for as long as I can remember. Pete used to be the only one that would eat it, because of course, he "created" it, but both Jan and I both have grown to love it. We request it for breakfast whenever we go home, even though it grosses Sally out. Don't leave out the mayo - it is the best part!

Happy Father's Day to the most rad dad around, Pete Burnett! Love you!

Ingredients:
Jimmy Dean sausage (Hot is the Burnett preference) - RIP JD!
Eggs
Mayonnaise (Pete will only eat Blue Plate)
White bread (preferably cheap store brand)
Butter
Salt & Pepper to taste

Brown sausage in pan. Drain and set aside. Scramble eggs in same pan. Salt and pepper to taste. Mix together. On one side of the bread, spread with butter. On the other side, spread with mayo. Fill with egg/sausage mixture and grill in pan until buttered sides are brown. Slice and serve.