• Prep ahead: This recipe may be prepared early in the day, refrigerated, and baked when ready to eat. Let sit on counter as oven preheats. It also reheats very well if you’d like to fully prepare and simply warm in the oven prior to serving. The casserole freezes well too, both before and after baking.
• Variations in pan size: Sometimes, I bake this recipe in two 9-inch pie plates and freeze one for later use. In that case, I bake for 25 minutes before topping with the cheese, then bake 10 more minutes to melt the cheese and slightly brown the top. Also, for a slightly thicker spoon bread, you can bake in a 9-inch square or 8×10 pan. In this case, you may need 5 extra minutes of cooking time.
• Sour cream sub? I have tried this recipe using Greek yogurt in place of the sour cream. Hot out of the oven, a hint of tartness was present. When reheated the following day, the tartness had mellowed and the difference between the two versions was hard to detect.