A hearty, cozy vegan grits casserole with sautéed mushrooms that taste like sausage! It's a perfect breakfast or brunch casserole for a weekend morning.
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This sausage-y cheesy vegan grits caserole is perfect for treating your friends and family to a comfort food brunch. It's easy to make, and there's only one pot to clean after you clean your plate!
The sausage mushrooms really make this casserole special, and they're super versatile, too! Use them in other vegan breakfast recipes, like in place of the vegan bacon in my breakfast kale bowls.
One thing you should know about this recipe: it is NOT health food. It's greasy, a little bit salty, and I wouldn't have it any other way. Cheese grits are supposed to be decadent!
To minimize the number of pans you'll need for this recipe, you make the sausage mushrooms in your 3.5 quart Dutch oven (or a similar-sized pot that can go from stovetop to oven), then reuse the same pot to cook the grits.
Rinse the pan between uses, but don't worry about totally cleaning it out. A little bit of the sausage seasoning in the grits won't hurt anything.
Ingredients and substitutions
- olive oil - To sauté.
- button mushrooms - This is going to be your "sausage."
- smoked paprika - Gives the mushrooms a smoky, umami flavor.
- garlic powder - Makes things delicious!
- fennel seeds - This really brings the sausage flavor.
- quick grits - You want the kind that cook in five minutes. You can use regular grits and just follow the directions for four servings, but I don't recommend using instant grits.
- baby spinach - Or other quick wilting greens.
- vegan cheese shreds - These go into the grits AND on top! Use your favorite: mozzarella, cheddar, pepper jack, etc!
How to make vegan grits casserole
Preheat the oven to 350° F, then make the sausage mushrooms.
Heat a Dutch oven to medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms, salt, and all of the spices and cook, stirring, for about seven to nine minutes, until the mushrooms soften and begin to brown. Transfer to a small bowl and set aside.
Rinse out the pan and return it to the stove. You don't have to scrub it, just give it a good rinse.
Now, make the vegan cheese grits.
Add the water to the same pot you used for the mushrooms, and bring it to a boil. Add the grits, and cook on medium-low, covered and stirring occasionally, for five to seven minutes, until they thicken.
When the grits are done cooking, turn off the heat and add the vegan butter, spinach, a cup of the vegan cheese shreds, and the cooked mushrooms to the pan. Stir well to melt the butter and cheese and wilt the spinach.
Top with the remaining cheese, and bake the vegan grits casserole for 25 minutes, until the cheese is melted.
Helpful tips
- Rinsing the pan between cooking the mushrooms and the grits just gets rid of any excess seasoning which would give your grits a reddish color.
- Do be sure to stir the grits a few times as they cook, scraping the bottom of the pan when you do. Stirring prevents lumps and scraping keeps the grits from sticking to the bottom as they cook.
Storage directions
Store leftovers either in the pan you cooked in or in an airtight container. They'll keep for three to four days. Reheat in the microwave until warmed through.
Frequently asked questions
Oh my gosh, so many things! Olive oil and salt is lovely, if you're still looking to make more plain grits. I also love adding veggies, like spinach or corn. You can add non-dairy cheese. And, of course, you want to use salt and black pepper!
If you live outside of the South, grits can be harder to find. You can use polenta (uncooked) instead of grits. In fact, when I used to do CSA deliveries, I had a farmer tell me that his grits and polenta were identical, he just charged fancy restaurants more for the polenta! 😆
More ways to use grits
📖 Recipe
Vegan Grits Casserole
Ingredients
For the Sausage Mushrooms
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 8 ounce package button mushrooms sliced
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
- ½ teaspoon salt
For the Vegan Cheese Grits
- 4 cups water
- 1 cup quick grits
- 2 tablespoons vegan butter or olive oil
- 4 cups baby spinach packed
- 7 ounces vegan cheese shreds divided - Use any variety you like!
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350° F.
Make the sausage mushrooms.
- Heat a Dutch oven to medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms, salt, and all of the spices and cook, stirring, for about 7 to 9 minutes, until the mushrooms soften and begin to brown. Transfer to a small bowl and set aside.
- Rinse out the pan and return it to the stove. You don't have to scrub it, just give it a good rinse.
Make the cheese grits.
- Add the water to the same pot you used for the mushrooms, and bring it to a boil. Add the grits, and cook on medium-low, covered and stirring occasionally, for 5 to 7 minutes, until they thicken.
- When the grits are done cooking, turn off the heat and add the vegan butter, spinach, 1 cup of the vegan cheese shreds, and the cooked mushrooms to the pan. Stir well to melt the butter and cheese and wilt the spinach.
- Top with the remaining cheese, and bake for 25 minutes, until the cheese is melted.
Gwen
Hi Becky! I've been meaning to come back and leave you a rating and comment for this recipe. We all loved it, it was such a comfort meal. Thanks for the introduction to cooking with grits, I'll be using them more now!
Elise
Sounds great, thanks for the tips. Looking forward to making it. One question though. Are you supposed to add the mushrooms back in before you bake it? Thanks.
Becky Striepe
Yes! Thank you for asking this. I've edited the recipe to reflect that, too.
Bryan Martinez
I'll have to make this recipe for breakfast soon! Maybe I'll have enough time to make it tomorrow haha thank you
Becky Striepe
Yessss treat yourself!
Dianne
Thank Dave for thinking of this idea, because it's pure genius! I'm definitely making it for brunch this weekend!
Becky Striepe
Haha I will pass that along to him. He will be delighted to hear it!