Grits and Spinach Casserole

If there is one dish you've just got try...it's this one! Please, please, and double pretty please?  My sweetheart is just not crazy about grits (or so he says, yet he does like my Easy Scrambled Breakfast To Go!) However, he ate almost half the casserole dish before we sat down to eat (I have to admit, I did help a little!) I promise you, it's that good! Andy's overall comment was the smooth texture of the grits reminded him of mashed potatoes with some really good stuff thrown in. I use Quaker or Aunt Jemina  Quick 5 Minute Grits. NOT THE INSTANT! I can vouch for their nice texture. There's a lot of busy work in fixing this, but it's still really easy. The original recipe would have fixed an excessive amount for our family, so I halved the ingredients (and changed a few prep steps).

Don't let the spinach scare you off! I went to the garden to use home-grown spinach and couldn't get enough to fix it and had to make a grocery run for store-bought. Next year I will have a HUGE patch growing. I just couldn't see cooking the spinach in chicken broth and then squeezing the liquid out when...you know it...I had some hot bacon grease screaming for me to WILT that spinach in! How can you go wrong with anything that has a hint of bacon in it??

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 medium onion chopped
• 4 pieces of bacon cooked and crumbled
• 2 cups of Quick 5 Minute Grits
• 5 oz. container of baby spinach
• 1 stick butter
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 cup Colby and Monterey Jack cheese (plus a little extra to top with)
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 3 cups chicken broth (I use water and 3 teaspoons of Better Than Bouillion 
• 1 cup half and half or heavy cream

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. In a large skillet cook your bacon. When done, drain almost all the grease into a glass dish to cool (and add to your bacon grease stash!)
3. Crumble bacon and set aside. 
4. Saute onion until it is caramelized. Add spinach by the handfuls and wilt. Once the whole package is wilted, set off heat.
5. In a large pot combine half and half and 3 cups of chicken broth. Bring to a boil, stir in grits, bring back to a boil, cover and reduce heat to simmer. Stir, stir, stir! You can not walk away from grits!! They must be babied! Cook approximately 10-15 minutes. You want normal grits consistency. 
6. Add butter, cheeses, and salt and pepper to grits. When butter is melted, stir in onions and spinach.
7. Spray an 8x11 casserole dish. Top with crumbled bacon and a little extra cheese.
8. Bake in oven for approximately 15 minutes or until golden brown.

Adapted from: Just A Pinch Recipe Club