Going to college in the south, I fell in love with grits. And collard greens. It took years though, for me to put the two together – with delicious results!
This is a hearty breakfast and will satisfy even the biggest eater, like teenage boys. The grits are naturally creamy and gooey; the veggie layer is full to healthful goodness. Top it with crunchy cornflakes and add in the vegan-crumbles for some sass and “meaty” texture. We prefer ours with a bottom layer that includes a vegan-crumble, like Tofurky Chorizo, Light Life Sausage, Gardein Crumbles, or Beyond Meat Feisty Crumbles (this one is gluten-free). But you can skip this step if you aren’t into vegan crumbles. If you don’t want to use the crumbles, but want more protein in the meal, add a handful of sliced almonds to the topping. Looking for old-fashioned grits? Most grocers stock them with hot breakfast cereals, like oatmeal or cream of rice.
There are four to six large potions from this recipe and if you use gluten-free tamari sauce and vegan crumbles, it’s gluten-free as written. This is a great weekend breakfast or brunch item, and is perfect served beside sliced tomatoes, fresh juice, biscuits and coffee.
- 1 1/2 cup old-fashioned grits (not instant)
- 6 cups water
- pinch of salt, to taste
- 1 cup vegan cheddar shreds (such as Daiya, Galaxy or Follow Your Heart)
- 1 Tbl. vegan margarine (such as Earth Balance or Melt), or canola oil
- 1 cup onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 lb. collard greens, rinsed, stemmed and chopped to bite-size pieces
- 1/2 cup water
- 2 cups mushrooms, sliced (8 oz. box)
- 1 Tbl. soy or tamarin sauce (San-J makes a gluten-free tamari)
- pinch paprika
- 1/2 tsp. black pepper
- 12 oz. vegan sausage or chorizo crumbles, optional (we used Tofurky Chorizo Crumbles)
- 1/2 cup cornflakes, crushed by hand to crumb topping (we used One Degree Maize Flakes)
- Preheat oven to 350. Spray an 8x8 casserole with non-stick spray and set aside.
- In a large pot, heat six cups of water over high heat. When at a rolling boil, add grits and pinch of salt. Bring it back to a boil, then lower heat to a simmer, cover and cook for 15 to 20 minutes, until all liquid is absorbed. Stir several times during cooking to break up large clumps and ensure even, smooth texture. Stir in vegan cheddar shreds at end of cooking time. Cover and set aside.
- Warm vegan margarine until melted in a large saute pan. Add onions and garlic, cooking over medium heat until golden brown and fragrant, about 3 to 5 minutes. Depending on the size of your pan, add some or all of the collards greens and water. Toss with onions until reduced and bright green, about 7 to 10 minutes. If your pan is small, repeat in smaller batches until all greens are cooked and wilted. Transfer cooked veggies to a mixing bowl and toss once more to combine.
- Using the same saute pan, add mushrooms, soy sauce, paprika and black pepper. Over medium heat, cook mushroom until they are reduced and browned, about 2 to 4 minutes. Add to cooked onion and collard greens mixture, toss to combine.
- Again using the same pan, saute the vegan sausage/chorizo crumbles until lightly browned, about 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Spoon about 1/3 of the finished cheesy grits into the sauted crumbles and stir until well mixed. Pour the grits-chorizo mixture into the prepared casserole dish, covering the bottom.
- Next, add the greens-mushroom mixture to the casserole and spread around evenly. Top with remaining cheesy grits and sprinkle with crushed cornflakes.
- Bake at 350 for 15 minutes, until bubbly. Serve hot.
the dirty hippie and the bohemian girl
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