Microwave cheesy grits with ham and egg
Creamy cheddar grits with salty ham and a soft egg cooked right on top, a Southern dinner that costs under two dollars and comes out of one bowl.
- 12 min total
- 8 min hands-on
- Follow-a-recipe easy
- Serves 1
- About $1.95 a serving
- 480 calories
- Gluten-free
Dolly says: Read the steps once before you start. Everything goes smoother after that.
Ingredients
For 1 servings.
- ¼ cup quick grits, quick grits
- ¼ cup milk
- ¼ cup shredded cheddar
- 1 tsp butter
- ½ cup diced cooked ham
- 1 large egg
- 1 tsp hot sauce (optional)
From your pantry
- 1 cup water
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 pinch black pepper
Each serving has about 480 calories, 31 g protein, 37 g carbs and 23 g fat, and costs about $1.95 at typical US grocery prices. Both are estimates from what the recipe uses.
Missing something?
- No milk? Half-and-half works.
- No shredded cheddar? Cheddar cheese or Mexican blend cheese or Monterey Jack cheese works.
- No butter? Ghee works.
- No hot sauce? Sriracha works.
Steps
Tap an underlined word for a quick explanation.
Stir the grits, water and salt together in a large microwave-safe bowl and set it on a plate.
Dolly’s tip: Grits bubble up high. A big bowl on a plate saves you cleaning the microwave.Microwave 2½ minutes, then with the fork to break up any lumps.
Whisk. Whisking means beating quickly with a whisk or a fork to blend things together. It smooths out lumps and mixes eggs, oil or sauces evenly.
How you’ll know: It all looks one even color and texture, with no streaks or lumps.
Timer: 2 min 30 sec
Microwave 1½ to 2 minutes more, until thick like oatmeal.
Timer: 1 min 45 sec
in the milk, cheddar, butter and ham until the cheese .
Stir. Stirring means moving food around with a spoon or spatula so it cooks evenly and doesn’t stick. Unless the recipe says constantly, every so often is plenty, and it gives food time to brown.
How you’ll know: When you drag the spoon across the bottom, nothing is sticking or scorching.
Melt. Melting means gently heating something solid, like butter or cheese, until it turns liquid. Low or medium heat keeps it from browning or burning.
How you’ll know: It’s smooth and liquid, and butter may foam a little but hasn’t turned brown.
Press a well into the middle of the grits with the fork, crack the egg into it, and prick the yolk once with the tip of the fork.
Dolly’s tip: Always prick a yolk before it goes in the microwave. Steam builds up inside and an unpricked yolk can pop.Cover with a plate and microwave at 50% power for 1½ to 2 minutes, until the white is completely set and the yolk is still soft.
Timer: 1 min 45 sec
Dolly’s tip: Half power cooks the egg gently. On high the white turns rubbery before the middle is done.Food safety: Soft yolks are a small risk. If you’re pregnant, or cooking for small children or older people, cook the eggs until the yolks are firm, or use pasteurized eggs.
Let it sit 1 minute, then finish with pepper and a few shakes of hot sauce.
Timer: 1 min
Plan this in Dollop, and get the grocery list
Dollop puts this dinner on a night that suits your week, lists only what you still need to buy, and walks you through each step while you cook.
More dinners like this
Microwave eggs en cocotte with ham and spinach
12 min
Microwave Hawaiian fried rice with ham and pineapple
12 min
Microwave cheesy hash brown casserole with ham
12 min
Microwave cauliflower cheese with ham
15 min
30-minute dinners ›High-protein dinners ›What to make with eggs and cheddar ›