Sharp Cheddar Grits With Mustard Greens, Bacon, Garlic, and Wild Mushrooms
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 anytime you need a hearty breakfast.To make this brunch "eggstra" special, add fried or poached eggs on top to add protein to power you through your day, and spice it up with your favorite hot sauces!
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) (substitute turkey bacon or imitation bacon-bits for vegetarian or non-pork option)
- 3-5 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
- ½ tsp seasoned salt or Cajun seasoning (or to taste)
- ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper (or to taste)
- ¼ c pickled wild mushroom conserve or sauteed mixed wild mushrooms (can substitute fresh or canned mushrooms, or pickled button 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).
Notes
Notes on Nutritional Information:
Values shown are an estimate, and calculated using chicken stock in the grits, sharp cheddar, thick cut pork bacon, Cajun seasoning, and mixed wild mushrooms. Substitutions or changes will affect the estimated values shown.
Nutrition
Calories: 439kcalCarbohydrates: 44gProtein: 16gFat: 22gSaturated Fat: 11gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0.3gCholesterol: 57mgSodium: 1033mgPotassium: 468mgFiber: 1gSugar: 8gVitamin A: 750IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 268mgIron: 1mg
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