Cheesy Grits Casserole

“Once a year, mainly because that’s as often as you should probably eat it, my family has a grits casserole on Christmas morning,” says Kevin Johnson, chef of the Grocery in Charleston, South Carolina. His mom received the recipe from a friend years ago, and now it’s a holiday staple for the family. The secret is to start the grits on the stovetop but to stop before they’re fully cooked so they can finish in the oven, where they’ll absorb all the savory, salty flavor from the pile of cheese you’re going to blend into them. “This recipe goes against everything I’ve ever been taught about cooking grits,” Johnson says, “but in the end, the crispy potato gratin-like crust hides the creamiest, cheesiest grits you’ve ever had.”