Monday, October 11, 2010

Mmmm.... Cheesy Gravy Fries!

This recipe is originally from Big Daddy's House on the Food Network.  We really liked them but I am going to try a different recipe next time... one that would suit our tastebuds better.  I've posted an alternative below the original recipe... one I'm going to try.  

So here it is!

  ***
Picture from Heythattastesgood.com



Big Daddy's Cheesy Gravy Fries

Recipe courtesy Aaron McCargo Jr.
Prep Time:  20 min   *   Cook Time:  25 min   *   Level:  Easy   *   Serves 4
  • Canola oil, for frying
  • 2 pounds russet potatoes, cleaned
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 4 tablespoons butter, divided
  • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon minced garlic
  • 1/4 cup Marsala wine
  • 1 1/2 cups beef stock
  • 2 tablespoons water
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch
  • 1 cup grated smoked Gouda cheese
  • Freshly chopped chives, for garnish
     Preheat the oven to broil. In a deep-fryer or heavy-bottomed pot, heat enough canola oil to come halfway up the sides of the pot, to 375 degrees F.

     Slice the potatoes into 1/4-inch thick french fries. Fry in batches until golden brown and crispy; about 5 minutes. Drain on paper towel lined sheet tray and put them in a large baking dish. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

     Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in a medium-sized saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir in the flour and the garlic. Add the wine and beef stock and bring to a simmer.

     In a small bowl, combine the water and cornstarch. Slowly whisk the mixture into the stock and cook until thickened, roughly 2 to 3 minutes. Add salt and pepper, to taste. Remove the pan from heat, and stir in the remaining 2 tablespoons butter.

      Ladle the gravy over the fries and sprinkle with the cheese. Put the fries in the oven and bake until the cheese is melted and bubbling. Remove the fries from oven, sprinkle with chopped chives and serve. 

 My thoughts about this dish:  
  • Next time I will probably use a brown gravy mix instead of making the gravy in this recipe.  The gravy was ok... but to me it wasn't good enough for the extra work it created.
  • I will also experiment with different cheeses I like instead of using the Gouda... especially the smoked Gouda which I thought gave too much of an overwhelming smoked flavor.  I think I'll try Colby Jack or Monteray Jack next time.
  • Overall I thought that this recipe was an excellent concept & one definitely worth altering to my family's taste.
 
Alternative: 

Gravy Cheese Fries

  • 8 medium baking potatoes
  • Vegetable oil
  • Kosher salt
  • 2 cups grated packed cheddar cheese
  • Gravy, recipe follows
Cut potatoes into 1/4 by 1/4-inch matchstick pieces and soak in cold water, overnight. Dry thoroughly before frying. In a deep-sided skillet or deep fryer, heat oil to 350 degrees F. There should be enough oil to cover potatoes completely. Fry potatoes in oil for about 4 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove fries from oil using strainer or tongs and let fries drain on paper towels. Sprinkle with salt.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Place the fries on a cookie sheet and top them with the cheese. Place in the oven for 5 to 7 minutes, or until the cheese has melted to your liking. Remove from oven, top with gravy and serve.

Gravy:
1 cup unsalted butter
1 cup all-purpose flour
4 (10 3/4 oz) cans beef broth
1 tsp. black pepper

In a medium saucepan, melt butter and add flour to make a roux. While whisking often, cook the roux on medium-low heat until it is medium-deep brown in color. Whisk in beef broth slowly until it is all incorporated. Continue to cook, whisking often until gravy has thickened. Add black pepper. If you need to thin the gravy, whisk in additional beef stock or water.


Tuesday, September 28, 2010

Lovin' the Garlic Lemon Pasta with Roasted Shrimp

So it's been a while since I posted... but that doesn't mean I haven't cooked. lol  I just haven't taken the time to take the pics &/or post it.  Wanted to share this recipe with you though right away!

***

Photo is from Foodnetwork.com
Garlic Lemon Pasta with Roasted Shrimp

2 pounds (17 to 21 count) fresh shrimp or frozen cooked shrimp, peeled and deveined 
 Good olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 pound angel hair pasta
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter 
2 cloves mined garlic (or per taste)
Zest and juice of 1 lemon (may add more if desired)

For fresh shrimp, preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Place the shrimp in a bowl with 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Toss well, spread them in one layer and roast for 6 to 8 minutes, just until they're pink and cooked through.  If using frozen shrimp you need to thaw your shrimp thoroughly per the directions on the bag.  If you prefer to use the smaller size of cooked shrimp that's ok too.

Drizzle some olive oil in a large pot of boiling salted water, add the angel hair and cook until done, about 3 minutes. 

Meanwhile, melt the butter in a large saucepan or skillet.  When butter is melted add the minced garlic, the lemon zest, lemon juice, 2 teaspoons salt and 1 teaspoon pepper.

Drain the pasta and then quickly toss the angel hair with the melted butter mixture.  Add the shrimp and serve hot. 

**You can adjust the amout of butter, garlic, lemon, etc.  If you cut the butter in 1/2 you can add 1/4 cup of olive oil.

Friday, July 23, 2010

Don't Eat & Drive Killer Cheeseburgers!

Mmmm... don't forget to wear a bid when eating this one!  Brian & I had cheese & toppings raining all over us. lol

After seeing a couple episodes of Diners, Drive-ins & Dives where the chefs used grilled cheese sandwiches as the buns for their burgers... I decided I just had to try this... and I'm glad I did!  Wow they were good!  We love cheese in this house... so I always put a good hunk of cheese in our grilled cheese... if you don't want molten goodness dripping all over you... go for less cheese. lol

Before I forget, I want to give credit to the Food Network stars, Bobby Flay & Guy Fieri, for helping me improve my burgers.  Because of them I learned very helpful techniques & tips that I have implemented in this recipe.

I want to apologize up front for the less than stellar pics... I didn't have the flash on & I was very busy cooking... so they are what they are. lol

Here it is!

***


Don't Eat & Drive Killer Cheeseburgers

2 lbs. Ground Beef 
Kosher Salt
Black Pepper
1 lb. Bacon
Cheese, sliced (your choice, I used Colby)
1 pkg. fresh or 1 lg. can Mushrooms, sliced
1 med. to lg. Onion
2 + Tbsp. Butter
Texas Toast Bread

Toppings (your choice):  Lettuce, Tomato, Pickles, Avocado, Ketchup, Mustard, etc.  Whatever you like on your burgers!

Put the bacon in a large pan & begin frying.
 
While bacon is frying, slice onion & mushrooms (if not sliced).  Melt butter in pan & add the sliced onion & mushrooms.  I cheated & used the canned mushrooms, so I made sure my onion was at least halfway cooked before I added them.  I started out with a couple tablespoons of butter but watched it closely to see if I needed to add any more.  Saute over medium heat until done, then keep warm until ready to place on your burger.
 
Ready your other toppings.  Slice your tomatoes, avocados, etc.
 
Once the bacon is done, remove it to a plate covered with paper towels to absorb the excess grease.


 Shape your burgers, making them as big as you desire.  I made 1/2 lb. burgers.  Remember to NOT OVERWORK your burger meat.  When you work it too much the meat becomes more compact & your burgers will be tougher.  Next, press slightly down in the center of your patty.  Burgers always seem to rise up in the center, so this step will help solve that problem.  Lastly, sprinkle your salt (I like kosher) & pepper on one side of your patty before it ever reaches the pan.  This will be elaborated on in the next step.
 
Here you have a decision to make.  You can either cook your burgers in the bacon grease, or you can use a couple tablespoons of vegetable oil in a clean pan.  Either way, heat the grease up before you put your burgers in the pan.  On my stove it's at about a 6 to 6 1/2 on the dial.  The purpose of having the grease nice & hot is that when you add your patties to it, salt & pepper side down, the hot grease will seal in the salt & pepper & wonderful hamburger juices.  Now you can salt & pepper the top of your burgers that are face up in the pan.  I always use a "splatter screen" when cooking anything on the stove that has grease... makes the clean-up easier.  

While your burgers are cooking, slice your cheese if not already done.  Heat your griddle & prepare your cheese sandwiches to be grilled.  At this stage I've seen (on tv) where you can add jalapeno peppers, green chiles, the bacon, ham, etc.  Butter the outsides of your bread & place on the griddle.  The burgers I saw on tv where between two grilled cheese sandwiches, but I thought that might be way too much for us to eat.  I made one grilled cheese & then just grilled a single slice of bread for the top or bottom of the burger.  Using Texas Toast adds a wonderful crunchy on the outside & soft on the inside to your sandwich.  You can use regular bread if you want.


Flip your patties over halfway through the cooking time.  IF you want extra cheesy burgers, you can add sliced cheese onto the patties here.  Usually, when using regular buns, I place the cheese on (if using) & then set the buns on top.  I take a sheet of aluminum foil & place loosely over the pan.  This helps steam the buns & make the cheese melt faster.  I don't  have a lid for my pan... but if you do that will work just fine.  Any way you do it... try to have your grilled cheese sandwich & burgers done at about the same time.

 I realize this pic looks gross. The camera could not capture the yumminess that was floating up from the hot pan!

Construction:  

Place either the grilled cheese or single slice of grilled bread onto a plate.

Lay on cooked bacon.
 
Spoon on grilled onion & mushrooms.

Add burger.

Add desired toppings.

Top with either the grilled cheese or grilled bread, whichever you didn't put on the bottom.

When I made these I also made a couple of regular burgers, using buns instead of the grilled cheese sandwiches.  Here are a couple pics of those yummy burgers.

PS:  I don't add any ketchup or mustard to my burgers, usually no lettuce or tomato either.  I like the flavor of the burger itself & don't want to cloud it up. lol  I do like avocado though... so I usually add that!

*Good, fresh beef always makes your burgers taste good... but if you are on a budget... or just don't want to spend the extra money on quality beef... you can use what I used - plain 80/20 ground beef from the grocery store.

Monday, May 31, 2010

Roasted Peaches with Honey Vanilla Yogurt Sauce

I have several recipes for fried or roasted peaches that look yummy... so tonight I decided that I would try one.  Very simple & tasty.

***
Roasted Peaches with Honey Vanilla Yogurt Sauce

4 Peaches, washed, halved & seeded
1/2 tsp. Ground Cinnamon
1 Tbsp. Light Brown Sugar
1 Tbsp. Butter
2 cups Greek Yogurt
1 tsp. Vanilla
1 Tbsp. Honey

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
Place peach halves, skin side down, into the bottom of a baking dish or small roasting pan.  You do not need to grease the baking dish.
Combine cinnamon & brown sugar together & sprinkle evenly onto peaches.
Cut butter into 8 pieces & place a piece in the center of each peach half.
Place into oven for 10 to 12 minutes.

While peaches are roasting, combine the yogurt, vanilla & honey.

This is what the peaches looked like when I took them out of the oven.  Mmmmm...

Serve roasted peaches with sauce on the side or on top.

***
 Thoughts:
While you may like the yogurt sauce... I will try something different next time.  Maybe some of the Chai Tea dip I make with the Dove Chocolate Discoveries Spiced Chai Tea mix.  I've been eating a lot of flavorful yogurts lately & this tasted a bit to much like plain ole vanilla yogurt to excite me.

Sunday, May 30, 2010

Shrimp & Mushroom Tacos. My first attempt at a copycat of 3 Margarita's Prawn Appetizer.

We got a 3 Margaritas restaurant here a few months ago... here it's just called Margarita's though.  We went there on my birthday in April and Brian & I tried the Prawn appetizer.  We loved it!!  It's "medium prawns, sautèed in butter with mushrooms, and our special mild tomato sauce, served in a bed of rice, and Jack cheese".  I've had it 3 times now & think it's fab... so I decided I would try to copycat the recipe since they won't hand it over & I can't find a copycat on the internet.

This was my first attempt.  I still need to tweak the tomato sauce as this one wasn't close enough to the original and I used shrimp instead of prawns because they are a perfect substitute.  The original comes on a platter that you can eat with a fork... but we asked for tortillas & put the appetizer into them like tacos... so that is how we ate them tonight & that is why I called them Shrimp & Mushroom Tacos. 

These were really good.  I would them again... but I'm still on the quest for the perfect copycat of the 3 Margarita's Prawn Appetizer.  Attempt #2 may be a while... shrimp does not grow on trees. lol

Here's the low-down on my attempt:

                                  ***















Shrimp & Mushroom Tacos

 Mild Mexican Tomato Sauce:
  • 2 Tbsp. Vegetable Oil
  • 1 small White Onion, chopped
  • 1 clove Garlic, finely chopped
  • 2 large tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped (I used a pint of Fire Roasted Tomatoes I canned)
  • 1/2 tsp. Sugar
  • 1/2 tsp. Salt
  • 1/2 tsp. Ground Pepper
  • 1/4 tsp. Chili Powder (or to taste)
Heat oil in a sauce pan.  Fry onion and garlic for 3 minutes.
Add remaining ingredients and cook over low heat for 20 minutes stirring occasionally.
*I pureed my tomatoes because I didn't want any chunks.














Shrimp & Mushrooms:
  • 2 lb. Shrimp or Prawn  (I used large de-veined, tail on, pre-cooked)
  • 2 lb. Button Mushrooms, sliced
  • 1 stick Butter
Remove tail from shrimp if necessary.  Melt butter in a large fry pan.  Add mushrooms & shrimp, then saute until completely cooked.














3 cups cooked Rice (white or brown)
Pkg. of 6" to 8" Flour Tortilla Shells (heat according to package directions)
1 lb. shredded Monterey Jack Cheese

 Assembly:

When shrimp & mushrooms are done cooking, drain any liquid from pan, then stir in tomato sauce & the 3 cups of rice.   Mix thoroughly.














Fill tortilla shells with shrimp & mushroom mixture & top with cheese.
Enjoy!

                                       











                                   ***

    Thoughts:
    • I'm going to continue to work on the tomato sauce... it's not right yet.  Next time I'm going to try an enchilada sauce recipe & only add 1/4 tsp. of Chili Powder until I reach the desired "heat".  I'll see how that works.  I'm also not going to use my fire roasted tomatoes... I think they added the wrong flavor, tomato wise that is. lol
    • I used fresh mushrooms but pre-cooked shrimp, so while sauteeing I ended up with a lot of extra juice that I had to drain off.  Next time I will cook the mushrooms for a bit before draining them & adding more butter & the shrimp.  Then I will continue sauteeing until cooked completely.
    • I would say that this probably made about 15 to 18,  6" tacos.

    Monday, March 29, 2010

    Mmmm... Coffee Liqueur!

    I love sweets and coffee flavors... and I also love sweet drinks (although I seldom ever drink)... so when I found this recipe for coffee liqueur I was excited!  I could make this liqueur at home for a fraction of the cost... have you priced Kahlua lately?! 

    I made a Tiramisu Cake (yes I said cake!) and used my newly made coffee liqueur.  While my son & his girlfriend didn't care for it because they don't like coffee... my hubby & I thought it was great!

    Here's the recipe for the Coffee Liqueur:



    ***



    Coffee Liqueur

    1 cup sugar
    1 cup water
    3 Tbsp. instant coffee granules
    1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
    1 cup vodka

    In a sauce pan, over medium heat, combine sugar & water.  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat & simmer for 10 minutes.  Remove from heat, then stir in instant coffee granules & allow to cool.

    When cool, stir in vanilla & vodka.  Blend thoroughly.  Pour into clean bottles & close tightly.  Store in a cool dark place.  Will store for a month.

    Saturday, March 27, 2010

    My first time making Wraps.

    So this was something new for me...  I've had wraps from different places... but never made them at home.  One thing I didn't expect was that I would have so much trouble actually doing the "wrapping"! lol  I used tortilla shells... so I don't know if regular Mission brand deli wraps would have been less "cracky".  I steamed the shells my second time around & they were easier to work with.

    Here's the low down...

    ***

    I started out by creating a dressing to use in my Chicken wrap. I regret to say that I didn't keep track of the exact measurements of the ingredients... but if you make it you can adjust to your taste.

    Sweet Balsamic Vinegar Dressing
    2 Tbsp. Olive Oil
    1 Tbsp. Balsamic Vinegar
    1 Tbsp. Brown Sugar
    1/2 Tsp. Sesame Seeds
    Mix all ingredients together.  Adjust to your liking.


    Next I gathered the stuff I wanted to put inside my wraps.
    Pictured are:  Black Beans, Grilled Corn, Steak, Rotisserie Chicken, Onion, Lettuce, Tomato & Avacado
    • I wanted to grill the steak, but the hubby wasn't in the mood to fire up the grill... so I pan fried it.
    • I grilled the corn kernels in a saute skillet with a little bit of butter.  I used canned corn because I didn't have any fresh... I think fresh, or at least frozen, would have came out a bit nicer... but it was still good.
    • The black beans came from a can & were rinsed well.
    • Also in the picture is some Honey Dijon salad dressing that my hubby used in his wrap.



    And here's my end product.  This is a Chicken wrap... hubby had Steak wraps.  I didn't add any tomato in this one.  They were actually really good!  I will make them again... perhaps with Bacon & Ranch next time!

    Thursday, March 4, 2010

    An old favorite found again! Orange Julius!

    Have you ever had an Orange Julius from that little shop in the mall??  Ya know... I don't even know if they still have those open... because I live in a town with one mall & we haven't had an Orange Julius in over 20 years. lol

    I believe I got this recipe first from my older brother when he was going to college in Denver, CO.  We liked it better than the original from the shops because they tasted like they came from a powder... at least to us.

    So here is the recipe we have loved... & I've added a couple others to test out...

    ***
     

              Orange Julius
    6 oz. frozen orange juice concentrate
    1 cup milk
    1 cup water
    1/2 cup sugar
    1 tsp. vanilla extract
    10 ice cubes (or more depending on how thick you like it)
    Combine all ingredients in the blender & blend until smooth.

    *  I have even substituted ice cream for the milk a few times for an even creamier drink.
    *  My brother used to add an egg for extra protein.
    *  Don't be afraid to try other frozen juice concentrates!!

    Alternative recipes for Orange Julius:

    Alternate 1
    6 oz. frozen orange juice concentrate
    1 cup whole milk
    1/2 cup water
    1/3 cup sugar
    1 tsp. vanilla extract
    1/2 cup Cool Whip
    1 cup crushed ice 

    Combine all ingredients except crushed ice in blender, blending for about 1-2 minutes.  Add crushed ice until smooth.

    Alternate 2
    1/4 C. Tang
    2 T. Sugar
    1 C. water
    1/2 C. milk
    1/2 t. vanilla
    2 C. ice cubes

    Whip all ingredients in blender until smooth.

     Alternate 3
    6 oz. frozen orange juice concentrate
    1 cup milk
    1 cup water
    1/4 cup sugar
    1/4 cup powdered sugar
    1 tsp. vanilla extract
    10 ice cubes (or more depending on how thick you like it)
     
    Combine all ingredients in the blender & blend until smooth.

    Sunday, February 28, 2010

    S'mores Brownies

    This recipe came from the Food Network site.  It looooooooooks so good!!!  I hit a couple snags though... I will tell you about them following the recipe.

    ***

     

    Crust:

    • 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
    • 1 1/2 cups crushed graham cracker crumbs
    • 2 tablespoons sugar
    • Pinch fine salt

    Brownie:

    • 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter
    • 4 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
    • 1 cup packed light brown sugar
    • 3/4 cup white sugar
    • 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
    • 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
    • 4 large cold eggs
    • 1 cup all-purpose flour

    Topping:

    • 4 cups large marshmallows

    Directions:

    Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and heat oven to 325 degrees F.  Line an 8 by-8-inch square baking pan with foil so it hangs over the edges by about 1 inch.

     For the crust: Lightly butter the foil with some of the melted butter. Stir the rest of the butter together with the crumbs, sugar, and salt in a medium bowl. Press the crumb mixture evenly over the bottom of the pan. Bake until golden brown, about 20 minutes.

    Meanwhile, make the brownie. Put the butter and chocolate in a medium microwave safe bowl. Melt in the microwave on 75 percent power for 2 minutes. Stir, and microwave again until completely melted, about 2 minutes more. Alternatively, put the butter and chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Bring a saucepan filled with 1 inch or so of water to a very slow simmer; set the bowl on the pan without touching the water. Stir occasionally until melted. Stir the light brown and white sugars, vanilla and salt into the melted chocolate. Add the eggs and beat vigorously to make a thick and glossy batter. Add the flour and stir until just incorporated.

    Pour batter into the prepared pan. Bake until the top is crispy and a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out mostly clean, with a few crumbs, about 40 to 45 minutes.

    Remove from the oven and carefully position a rack about 6 inches from the broiler and preheat on low. Layer marshmallows across the top and toast under the broiler until golden, (keep an eye on it, it can go quick), about 2 minutes. Cool on a rack, gently removing the brownies from the pan using the aluminum flaps. Carefully separate any marshmallow from the foil and fold away. Cut into 12 (2-inch) squares.

    ***
    I couldn't find my 8 x 8 pan... so I used a 8" round one instead.  I would have been better off using my 9" round probably because the 8" round is just a tad too small to pour all the batter into.  We (my "almost" daughter-in-law & I) had to pour extra batter into a very small pan so as not to waste it.

    Now for our marshmallow fiasco. lol  We placed the marshmallows on the top as the recipe said.  I moved the rack to about 6" from the broiler & away we went.  Ummm... yeah.... after a couple of minutes my marshmallows were starting to smoke & the tops were done (almost too done)... but the bottoms were not squishy... you could lift them right off the brownies. lol  I'm thinking that maybe I should have let my over cool some before putting them in there.... or maybe... if I try these again... I will let them sit in a warm oven enough to get the marshmallows squishy... then hit them with the broiler to brown them up. 

    We were so full from the meal that we ate earlier that we didn't even try these... but we did try the extra brownie batter that we baked... & it was yummy!

    Saturday, February 27, 2010

    My Heart Attack Cheese Grits Casserole!

    So... if you don't like cheese... this is NOT the recipe for you.  Actually the original recipe called for only 1/2 the amount of cheese that I put in here.  My family loves cheese... so, of course, I modified it to make them happy.

    ***



    Here is the recipe, with step by step instructions below:

    Heart Attack Cheese Grits
    3 cups Boiling Water
    1 cup Quick Grits
    Pinch of Salt (optional)
    1/2 cup Butter (1 stick)
    1/2 cup Milk
    2 Eggs
    16 oz. Colby or Cheddar Cheese

    Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

    Grate cheese, leaving some in small chunks to be added to casserole after it is poured into a baking dish.  I grate the cheese before starting the grits because they will require your attention & do not take long to cook. 

    Add grits and salt (if desired) to the boiling water & cook until really nice & thick.   You can follow the directions for cooking these off the back of the grits container if you have never cooked them before.

    While grits are cooking, chop butter up, set aside.  Mix the eggs & milk together.  

    When your grits are very thick, remove from heat & stir in your chopped butter.  Mix until butter is all melted.  Next pour in your milk & egg mixture & stir until blended.  Begin adding your grated cheese, a little at a time, stirring well in between additions so as not to end up with clumps & the cheese has a chance to melt & blend with the grits mixture.  Be sure to save some of the grated cheese for a crisp topping.

    Pour into a 13 x 9 casserole dish.  Add your little chunks of cheese here & there, pressing them down into the grits mixture.  Spread the remaining grated cheese on the top & place into the oven, baking for approximately 40 minutes.  When the grits casserole is done it will be a consistancy of thick mashed potatoes.  If the center is not firm, place back into the oven & bake for an additional 10 minutes at a time until firm.


    ***

     
    Grate cheese... but remember to leave some in small chunks for later...
     If you'd like... you can experiment with other types of cheese if you have a favorite!
    Also... if you want to cut down on the cheese... remember that I said this recipe has double the original recipe... so 8 oz. will work fine as well.


     
    Stir your chopped butter into your hot grits.  I have used real unsalted butter & margarine... both seem to work fine.


     
    Next you stir in the milk & egg mixture.  I always mix my milk & eggs together so my eggs don't start cooking when I add them to the hot grits.


     Now you can add the grated cheese, a little at a time.  If you dump it all in at once you will end up with large clumps & it won't melt & mix smoothly throughout the grits mixture.  Remember to set aside some of the grated cheese so that you have it to put on top of the casserole.
    I might add that this part was quite the workout!  I had made a huge batch because we were having a family dinner... & there was so much to mix that I almost went to the garage to get my power drill & my paint mixer attachment. lol  My arms were really tired by the time I got done with this step!


     
    If you find it easier... you can dip the mixture out & dump it into your casserole dish.  I always at least double the recipe... so for me this is easier than trying to lift the pan to pour it out.   Any way you do it... it goes into the casserole dish next... you do not have to grease your pan!


     
    Scatter your cheese cubes around & then press them down into the mixture.


     
    Spread the grated cheese around on top & then place in the oven!!


     
    After 40 minutes in a 350 degree oven... they are ready to eat!

    Enjoy!!