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Mamie's Cheesy Grits

A baked casserole of quick‑cooking grits, butter, cheese, eggs, and bell pepper halves.

From the Recipes Wiki (Fandom) · 8 ingredients
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Why it works: Butter and cheese are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 8% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 7,962 recipes. Both carry delta-dodecalactone, which smells sweet, creamy. The science ↓

Mamie's Cheesy Grits

Oven350°F
Time45 minutes

Ingredients

Directions

Make the grits

  1. Combine grits, water, salt, and hot sauce in a medium saucepan.

  2. Cook until thick.

  3. Add butter and cheese. Mix well to blend.

Add the eggs

  1. Blend a small amount of the grits mixture with the eggs in a small bowl.

  2. Add the remaining grits and stir until smooth.

Fill and bake

  1. Spoon mixture into bell pepper halves.

  2. Place in a medium casserole and bake at 350°F for 45 minutes.

Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)

332Calories
15 gProtein
27 gFat
8 gCarbs

Counts 6 of 7 ingredients. The other 1 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.

What these numbers assume: 6 portions
IngredientPortion assumedkcal
Processed Cheese1 oz (28g) cheddar113
Butter1 tbsp (14g)102
Egg1 large egg (50g)78
Green Bell Pepper1 medium (119g)31
Chili1 tsp (2.7g)8
Salt1 tsp (6g)0
Waternot in our table0

One typical portion per ingredient; the recipe's quantities are not counted. A rough guide only, not for medical or dietary planning.

Recipe from the Recipes Wiki (Fandom).

Steps grouped into stages for easier reading; the method is the source's own.

Explore the science

The flavor team

The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.

  1. Butter + cheesetop 8% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together7,962 recipes

    Shared aroma: delta-dodecalactone (sweet, creamy).

  2. Sauce + buttertop 15% of all pairs
    Smell alikelow
    Cooked together15,338 recipes

    Shared aroma: ethanol (alcoholic, ethereal).

  3. Butter + eggtop 17% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together118,967 recipes

    Shared aroma: decanal (soap, orange peel).

  4. Cheese + peppertop 18% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together7,861 recipes

    Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).

  5. Sauce + cheesetop 19% of all pairs
    Smell alikelow
    Cooked together1,987 recipes

    Shared aroma: ethanol (alcoholic, ethereal).

Sauce and butter barely smell alike, yet cooks put them together in 15,338 recipes: they work on texture and structure more than aroma.

Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs

What each ingredient does

Quick-cooking grits
Form the thick, creamy base that holds the filling together.
Eggs
Set during baking to give the filling structure and a firm, sliceable texture.
Processed cheese
Melts into the grits for a smooth, rich, savory flavor and creamy texture.
Butter
Adds fat for richness and a smoother, silkier mouthfeel.
Green bell peppers
Hold the filling in shape and add a slightly sweet, vegetal flavor.

The step that matters

Temper the eggs into the grits. Adding beaten eggs straight to hot grits can scramble them in lumps. Blending a small amount of the hot mixture into the eggs first raises their temperature gently, so they combine smoothly and set evenly during baking.

“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.

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