Eggs in purgatory is a spicy Italian baked egg dish that gets a Cajun twist with the addition of cheddar scallion grits and even more spice! Perfect for any meal of the day.
Cajun Eggs in Purgatory with Cheddar-Scallion Grits

I had a feeling we might be a little bit….cake’d or pie’d or cookie’d out today……so I made you breakfast!!!

Or brunch if you don’t have a four year old who wakes up at 6:45 ON THE DOT every day.

(Why do we even have alarm clocks?! I don’t know.)

Cajun Eggs in Purgatory with Cheddar-Scallion Grits

Honestly though, I’m a brunch all day kinda gal and I can say with full certainty that this is a perfect ANYTIME meal.

Eat it in the morning, at lunch, at dinner, for a midnight snack….it’s all good.

Cajun Eggs in Purgatory with Cheddar-Scallion Grits

Eggs in purgatory is an Italian baked egg dish that brings the heat. The eggs are supposed to represent souls while the tomato sauce is the purgatory that they’re suspended in. It is eerily similar to shakshouka, but with a completely different spice and flavor profile. Where shakshouka is more about the aromatic spices, eggs in purgatory is all about the heat.

Here the dish gets a Cajun twist with the addition of chili powder, Ro-tel tomatoes, and (here’s where it gets really good) CHEESY GRITS.

Honestly, I want to eat these grits with everything for every meal because (and this is a rhetorical question) is there anything better than a puddle of cheddar and scallion ooey gooey grit deliciousness on a plate? I think not.

The best part is that this whole meal can go from conception to table in about 30 minutes! Start by having all of your veggies and cheese prepped and ready to go. Next, start the grits and while they’re simmering away, get your tomato sauce and eggs cooking. I like my yolks on the runny side, but if you have a family member (or two, as I do) who like them more firm, they made need a few more minutes of cooking.

Polenta is a reasonable substitute if you don’t have grits on hand OR if you’re not a grits fan (WHO ARE YOU?!) who can skip them entirely and serve this with a slice of cornbread or nice chunk of crusty bread for dipping.

Cajun Eggs in Purgatory with Cheddar-Scallion Grits

Cajun Eggs in Purgatory with Cheddar-Scallion Grits
 
Eggs in purgatory is a spicy Italian baked egg dish that gets a Cajun twist with the addition of cheddar scallion grits and even more spice! Perfect for any meal of the day.
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients
For the grits
  • 3.5 cups water
  • salt and black pepper, to taste
  • 1 cup old-fashioned grits
  • 6 oz cheddar cheese, shredded
  • 3 scallions, thinly sliced
For the eggs
  • 2 tbsp unsalted butter
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 1 green bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and cut into ½-inch pieces
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 tsp ancho chili powder
  • salt and black pepper, to taste
  • 1 (10 oz) can Ro-tel diced tomatoes and green chilies
  • 1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce
  • 4-8 large eggs (depending on how many you are serving)
Instructions
For the grits
  1. Heat the water and ½ tsp salt in a medium saucepan until boiling. Once boiling, stir in grits in a slow stream, whisking constantly to break up any clumps. Cover, decrease heat to low, and cook stirring often until thick, about 10-15 minutes. Stir in the cheddar cheese and scallions. Season to taste with salt and black pepper. Cover to keep warm until ready to serve.
For the eggs
  1. Melt the butter in a 12-inch cast-iron or nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add in the onion and bell pepper. Saute until tender, about 5-7 minutes. Stir in the garlic, chili powder, and ½ tsp salt. Saute until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in the Ro-tel tomatoes and the tomato sauce. Bring to simmer and cook for 5 minutes.
  2. Turn off the heat and make 4 shallow indentations in the sauce. Crack an egg (or two!) into each indentation. Season eggs with salt and black pepper. Cover the pan and cook over medium-low heat until the egg whites are just set, about 10 minutes.
To serve
  1. Divide the grits among serving bowls. Top with the eggs and serve.

 

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One Response to Cajun Eggs in Purgatory with Cheddar-Scallion Grits

  1. Oh my….looks so beautiful with all the colors. I always think eggs look so inviting. Love the flavor profile in this!

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