Cajun Eggs with Cheesy Tasso Grits & Cornbread

      We spent nearly an entire month in Louisiana this past winter.  We traveled from Shreveport to Opelousas to Natchitoches to Baton Rouge to New Orleans to Breaux Bridge to Lafayette to Lake Charles.   From Creole to Cajun I loved sampling the many different cuisines and treats.  One of my favorites was the breakfast from Café Des Amis www.cafedesamis.com in Breaux Bridge:  Eggs with Cheesy Tasso Grits.  We waited in line for 30 minutes before opening just to get in.  We dined family style with several other couples as well as enjoying a hot Zydeco Band AND DANCING....all at 8 a.m. 
      I did stock our freezer with many items from this area and since I am thawing out my last package of Tasso I decided to treat myself for breakfast. 
      The ingredients for this dish are as easy as the title.  Eggs can be made to order, grits can be from scratch or (like me) I used Quaker Instant.  Amounts for each are as the ingredients.....to taste. 

  Cheese should ALWAYS be Havarti, a staple in Cajun Cuisine.   Tasso is a smoky Cajun ham that is used as an accent in many dishes.  I had it already thawed out for Gumbo in a few days so an inch or two diced off the end wouldn't matter. 

      I did also prepare some Corn Bread for the same reasons as for the Tasso above.  I added some extra cheese to this as well.  Cornbread is always good with nearly any meal.  Of course I took the easy way out, using Jiffy Corn Bread Mix.......with a little added sugar this has been my favorite for many years.

      Preparation is just as simple.  You make your cornbread and grits.  Dice your Tasso and add to the grits.  Either grate or dice your Havarti cheese and add to the grits as well......continue to heat for a minute so all melds together.  Prepare eggs as desired and then serve on warm plate with buttered cornbread and coffee. 

"Its very hard having a restaurant down here.  Cooking for people who know how to cook is hard" 

                                                                   Chef, Vermillion Parish

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