Two years ago, my mom , for whatever reason, decided to put two placemats in the oven, on the racks to air dry after she had washed them. She forgot they were there. I was making a Christmas lunch and turned the oven on to preheat. My niece came over with her lab/greyhound & I took a bag of dog treats out & was talking to her quite a while as Eva fetched balls in the field (the dog is a veritable “fetching machine” ... she fetched until she had to lie down in a snow pile to cool off). Anyway, a considerable time later, when I went back in the house, the stench was horrific and smoke was everywhere. The placemats didn’t flame up, but they were definitely burned/charred and smelled some kind of awful - very chemical/electrical fire kind of smell. I got my tongs out & picked them off the rack and threw them out the door. It took a good day to clear the smell out of the house and that was after leaving the doors & a few windows open for at least a half hour in windy weather cold enough to snow to try to get some fresh air in there!! Mom is under “orders” never to do anything like that again .... and then I burn up a potholder! :-) Merry Christmas to you, too! MM
My husband loves grits...I can take ‘em or leave ‘em.
Tried this grit casserole recipe out for fun...and to help use up the container of quick-cook grits that would have taken him forever to use up.
This came out GREAT! We ate it for days and now it’s gone :(
Sausage and Cheese Grits Casserole (Betty Crocker Recipe)
Ingredients:
1 LB bulk pork sausage
4 cups water
1/2 tea salt
1 cup uncooked quick grits
1 1/2 cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
2 Tabl butter
3 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup milk
Heat oven to 350°F.
Spray shallow 3-quart casserole with cooking spray.
(I used a 7x11 casserole dish)
In 10-inch skillet, cook sausage until no longer pink; drain.
In saucepan, heat water and salt to boiling. Slowly stir in grits; reduce heat. Cover and cook 5 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally; remove from heat. (let cool a bit)Stir in 1 cup of the cheese and the butter until melted. Stir in eggs, milk and sausage.
Pour grits mixture into casserole. Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup cheese.
Bake casserole uncovered 25 to 30 minutes or until center is set. Cool 10 minutes before serving.
(leftovers are quick - a slice into the microwave - a few minutes and yum-redux)