SAUSAGE AND CHEDDAR GRITS WITH FRIED EGGS (for four)

salt and pepper

½ cup stone ground grits (white or yellow)

8 ounces bulk pork breakfast sausage (7 to 8 links)

3 ounces sharp Cheddar, coarsely shredded (3/4 cup packed)

4 large eggs

1.In a medium saucepan over high heat, bring 2-1/2 cups water to a boil. Add salt, reduce heat to medium and slowly whisk in grits. Cook, uncovered, stirring frequently, until grits are tender and thickened, about 20 minutes. (Add a little water if grits become too thick.)

2. Using a sharp paring knife, cut off ends of sausage casings. Squeeze out sausage meat and discard casings. Cook sausage in a medium frying pan over medium high heat, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon (to crumble large pieces) until fully cooked, about 5 minutes. Remove sausage from pan with a slotted spoon and set aside.

3. Remove grits from heat and stir in cheese and cooked sausage.

4. Return frying pan to medium high heat. Carefully crack eggs into frying pan one at a time. Cook until whites are set but yolks are still runny, about 3 minutes (for firmer yolks, flip the eggs over and cook for 1 minute longer). Spoon grits mixture onto individual plates and top each serving with an egg. Serve immediately.

from MyRecipes.com