The Veggie Swap For Quick And Easy 'Grits'

Whether served as a main course or presented as a side dish, creamy grits bring a taste of home comfort to the dining table. Instead of the typical recipe of using milk, grits, butter, and cream cheese, however, you can sub in cauliflower for a more veggie-forward serving. In just under 30 minutes, you'll have satisfying and comforting meals for the hungry people in your household.

If you're particularly during rushed weekday nights, leave instant grits to the side and reach for cauliflower rice to mix into your go-to recipe. You can still serve up your favorite shrimp and grits dish, but the shrimp will be nestled on a bed of seasoned, flavorful, and cheesy vegetables that won't have you missing the usual ground base of grains. Using cauliflower rice results in a lighter dish, too, so you'll have more room for an after-dinner plate of dessert.

You can make your own cauliflower rice or buy it prepackaged at the store. Be sure the texture of the rice is finer than typical rice kernels – think of the size of the grits you'd normally cook. If you end up with smaller pieces of cauliflower, the dish will end up looking more like mashed potatoes than grits, just with a cauliflower taste.  

Once the cauliflower has been ground to a suitable size, mix the pieces with butter and salt until gold in color. Next, add cream to the mixture and cook over medium heat until the texture of the cauliflower thickens. To finish the dish, sprinkle Parmesan cheese until the buttery cauliflower becomes gooey and creamy, and portion out the grits to serve as the base for your shrimp. 

For recipe variations, experiment with using heavy whipping cream and cheddar cheese in your cauliflower grits, and add an assortment of herbs and spices to flavor the base to complement the rest of your planned meal. Top plated grits with extra sprinkles of cheese, freshly diced herbs, or cracked pepper, and enjoy each bite knowing you're eating a meal that is as comforting as it is nutritious.