Jo Ann’s Rockingham Gruel

This is Jo Ann Hlavac’s favorite tailgating breakfast recipe. Jo Ann is Race Mama of the awesome NASCAR fan Web site www.laidbackracing.com, and this recipe was on the menu when her group was attending races at North Carolina Speedway in Rockingham, North Carolina. “We call it Rockingham Gruel because we always ate it at The Rock,” Jo Ann says. “It was always cold at The Rock and we needed something belly-warming to get us through the race.”

 

SERVES 4

 

⅓	to ½ pound bacon or sausage
6	large eggs
2	cups water
4	1-ounce packages instant grits
	Shredded cheddar cheese (optional)
	Dash of freshly ground black pepper
	Dash of hot pepper sauce
	Salt to taste

1. Cut the bacon slices in half or crumble the sausage. In a large frying pan over medium heat, cook the bacon until crispy or the sausage until done. Drain well on paper towels. Add the eggs to the pan and scramble. Return the bacon to the pan and stir to combine.
2. Bring the water to a boil in a large saucepan, then add the grits and the eggs-and-meat mixture. Cover, reduce the heat to low, and cook for 5 minutes. Stir in the cheese, if using, after 3 minutes of cooking.
3. Stir in the black pepper and hot pepper sauce, and add salt. Serve hot.

EXTRA POINTS To prep this dish a day or two ahead, put the cooked bacon or sausage on a cookie sheet and place in the freezer for 15 to 30 minutes, then transfer it to a zipper-top plastic bag and freeze. Cook the scrambled eggs and let cool, place in another zipper-top plastic bag, and freeze. When ready to make the gruel, thaw the frozen bacon or sausage and eggs using the stove of your Rv or a very hot grill and proceed with the recipe.