COOK: Sharp Cheddar Grits & Greens with Garlic, Bacon, and Pickled Chicken of the Woods Mushrooms
There are few things I love for breakfast more than a big bowl of sharp cheddar grits topped with garlicky mustard greens, bacon, onion, and pickled chicken of the woods mushrooms. You can take a girl out of the south, but you can’t make her give up her cheese grits and greens…
Add some pickled wild mushroom conserve into the mix and elevate this everyday staple into a gourmet treat. Don’t have wild mushrooms in your kitchen? Don’t fret! You can substitute sauteed fresh or canned regular mushrooms, and this dish will still taste fantastic.
What kind of greens should I use?
Mustard greens or a blend of collards, turnip, and mustard greens are a very traditionally southern “mess o’ greens”, but you can substitute kale, dandelion greens, escarole, or your favorite sturdy bitter braising greens in this dish. You could also use chard or beet greens for a less-bitter but still iron-rich twist.
Prepare the greens
Whichever you choose, be sure to wash them well, and before rolling and chopping or tearing your greens into strips, strip the leaves from the stems and either toss the stems in your compost, or mince them very fine and give them a longer saute than the rest (but only if they’re particularly young and tender greens, otherwise the stems are coarse and fibrous and should be tossed). Chard stems are the exception, and are usually quite tender! Either chop those and saute them briefly before adding the greens to the pan, or save them to make chard “fries” or refrigerator pickles.
What else can I serve with grits and greens?
To make this brunch “eggstra” special, add fried or poached eggs or sauteed shrimp on top to add protein to power you through your day, and spice it up with your favorite hot sauces!
I like a classic vinegar-forward southern red pepper sauce like Louisiana on a bowl of cheese grits and greens, to add zip and flavor without a ton of heat, but use whatever you love! If you can’t take the heat, but want to add brightness, a spoonful of chow-chow or green tomato pickle can be nice with these, although if you’re using the mushroom conserve, that will also add some acidity to wake up the flavors.
This bowl of sharp cheddar grits and greens is the simplest of soul food meals, and oh so satisfying! It’s rich, but just the kind of nutritious comfort food you’ll be craving on a cold winter day (or before tackling whatever chores you have on your plate after this- you may not have a farm to tend to but you still need fuel to shovel that driveway, right?).
Sharp Cheddar Grits With Mustard Greens, Bacon, Garlic, and Wild Mushrooms
Ingredients
Sharp Cheddar Grits
- 1 cup stone ground grits (not instant- you can presoak overnight in the fridge in the liquid if you are in a hurry)
- 2 cups stock or water
- 2 cups whole milk
- 1 tsp sea salt
- ½ tsp Old Bay or Cajun seasoning
- ½ tsp dried thyme leaves (sub 1 tsp fresh leaves if available)
- 2 tbsp butter
- ½ c grated sharp cheddar (for extra creamy grits, add an ounce or two of cream cheese)
Sauteed Mustard Greens with Garlic and Bacon
- 1 bunch mustard greens (can substitute kale, collards, dandelion, escarole, or other bitter greens)
- 2 oz bacon (thick sliced is best)
- 3-5 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
- to taste salt or Cajun seasoning
- to taste freshly ground black pepper
- ¼ c pickled wild mushroom conserve (can substitute fresh or canned mushrooms)
Instructions
Sharp Cheddar Grits
- Combine all ingredients except cheese in a saucepan over medium heat and bring to a simmer, stirring regularly.
- Reduce heat to low and simmer until grits have thickened and are smooth. The coarser the grits, the longer this takes, so be patient. Stir often or they will scorch.
- If you don't want to stir constantly to prevent scorching, you can use a crockpot or double boiler- this is slower but less hands on, so you can be doing something else while your grits cook... like prep and cook your greens!
- Note: If you are prepping ahead, you can presoak the grits in the liquid overnight (in the fridge if using stock or milk, otherwise a cool place is fine).
Sauteed Greens with Bacon, Garlic, & Wild Mushrooms
- Wash greens well to remove any grit. Shake off any excess moisture but do not dry the greens. Pick over and strip coarse stems from the leaves. If you like the stems, slice thinly and keep separate from the leaves, which should be roughly chopped or torn.
- Slice the bacon into lardons (thin strips) or dice. Saute in a large heavy pan, ideally cast iron, over medium low heat to render the fat and crisp up the bacon.
- If you are using the stems, add those to the pan with the bacon as soon as it starts to give up some fat. You can add a little butter or olive oil to the pan if they're sticking. If you don't have mushroom conserve and are using fresh mushrooms, add those to the pan just after the stems are tender and let the mushrooms saute a bit and release their moisture (if you are using pickled mushrooms, add those at the end)
- Add garlic to the pan and stir until it is fragrant and starts to color (don't brown).
- Add the washed, sliced greens to the pan and let wilt. The water clinging to the leaves will help steam them. Stir and saute over medium to medium-low heat until tender.
- Add the mushroom conserve and stir gently until warmed through (chicken of the woods are very sturdy mushrooms and can be added earlier if you like).