Baked Grits with Beef and Sausage Ragu

Post-test weekends are a balance between doing responsible things (cleaning my apartment, grocery shopping) and being utterly lazy (watching Netflix, sleeping in).  They are also the perfect opportunity to catch up on my posts, so without further ado –

This recipe comes from a little cookbook called Grits by Virginia Willis.  My brother gave this delightful book to me for Christmas because he is an excellent gift buyer and all-around cool kid.  This book is an all-access pass to the wonderful world of grits, which any Southerner will know is a glorious place.  Willis writes in her introduction, "I am a grits missionary.  This basic form of ground corn is, to me, proof positive that cooking is a kind of magic."  Can't put it any better than that, folks.  The Southern cooking gods have spoken, and you should get your grits on ASAP.

Baked Grits with Beef and Sausage Ragu

Serves 8-10
Total time: 1 hour, 30 minutes
Hands-on time: 1 hour

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cups yellow stone-ground grits, fine to medium grind
Salt and pepper
10 oz mushrooms (whatever kind you like)
1 onion, chopped
1 celery stalk, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
1 lb ground beef
1 lb ground sweet or hot Italian sausage, casings removed
1/2 cup dry red wine
28 oz can diced tomatoes, with juice
2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano
1 tablespoon grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350º.  Grease a 9 x 13" baking dish with oil or cooking spray.  In a medium pot over high heat, bring 6 cups of water to boil.  Stir in the grits and add 2 tsp salt and pepper.  Return to a boil.  Decrease the heat to low and simmer, stirring often, until the grits are creamy and thick, about 45 minutes.

2.  Meanwhile, begin on the ragu.  In a large saucepan over medium heat, heat 1 tablespoon of oil. Add the onion, celery, and carrot and cook until the vegetables are soft, about 5 minutes.  Add the beef and sausage and cook, stirring often, until the meat is brown, 5-7 minutes.  Add the red wine and mushrooms.  Add the tomatoes and oregano.  Reduce the heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the ragu is reduced and thickened, about 15 minutes.

3.  Cover the bottom of the pan with sauce, then add a layer of grits.  Repeat the process, and sprinkle the top layer of grits with Parmigiano cheese.  If you have leftover sauce, you can freeze it and use it as pasta sauce.  Bake the casserole until the top layer is golden brown, about 30 minutes.  Spoon onto plates and serve immediately.

This dish freezes well, so divide it up, cool it to room temperature, and freeze for up to 3 months.

Recipe adapted from Grits by Virginia Willis, Short Stacks Edition, Vol. 5.