One of our favorite restaurants is a local(ish) BBQ place called 4 Rivers. We went to the Winter Park location a few years back on our way to a concert in Orlando. Guys, it was like pulled pork heaven! Their meat is tender and flavorful and their sides are to die for. A new location recently opened up in Gainesville and we’ve already been twice. I highly HIGHLY recommend 4 Rivers.
Our favorite side dish at 4R’s is absolutely the Grits Casserole. It’s cheesy and kind of spicy and delicious. Comfort food to the max. A few months ago we decided to have breakfast dinner at small group and I volunteered to make a grits dish in an effort to recreate the 4R’s infamous casserole. I scoured the internet researching different recipes, but ended up making it up on my own. Here’s what you need:
1 C uncooked grits
3 C water
1/2 C (1 stick) of butter
2 eggs
1/2 C milk
8 ounces shredded cheese – I prefer a colby blend
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bring your 3 cups of salted water to boil and add grits. Let grits cook for several minutes until thick. Stir frequently. While this is happening, go ahead and add your eggs to your milk and lightly beat. Once grits are nice and thick take off heat and add your butter a few tablespoons at a time and continue to stir. After your butter is fully mixed in add in your milk egg mixture. Continue to stir. Mix in about 3/4 of your cheese. At this point, I usually add in LOTS of pepper, because Ray and I both love pepper, but you can add (or not add) as much as you like. Add any salt if needed. Pour your grits into a 9×13 casserole dish (or 9×9 dish for thicker grits) and top with remaining cheese. Pop it into the oven for 40 minutes or until a toothpick can come out clean.

Voila! This casserole is great for breakfast, with BBQ or with seafood.