Did anyone else prefer grits to oatmeal or cereal growing up? Maybe it’s my love of savory breakfast foods but grits have (has?) always held a special place in my heart. There aren’t a lot of breakfast staples I would label as comfort food but this is definitely one of them.
In school and college, I used to thrive off instant packets of grits… until I went vegan and realized that most of the instant grits I knew and loved had milk ingredients. But the other day I suddenly craved a bowl of loaded grits and after doing a bit of research, I figured out how I could make my own dairy-free grits at home with cornmeal and few other staples!
So here’s my plant-based take on loaded grits — simple, straightforward, and free of animal-derived ingredients. And still just as comforting!
Instant Pot Loaded Grits (Vegan, Dairy-Free, Gluten-Free, Nut-Free)
Ingredients
- 2 cups unsweetened plant milk such as oat, soy, or pea
- 2 cups water
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 cup yellow cornmeal
- 1/4 cup vegan cheese
- 3 tbsp vegan butter
- cracked pepper, to taste
- plant-based bacon bits, to taste
- hot sauce, to taste
Instructions
- Select the Sauté function on your Instant Pot and set to normal heat for 20 minutes.
- Once the pot has heated up, add milk, water, salt, and bring to a boil.
- Change the heat setting to low and immediately begin whisking in the cornmeal, stirring to remove any clumps.
- Cover (but don't seal) the Instant Pot and allow the mixture to cook, uncovering every 3 - 4 minutes to stir off any clumps.
- Once the grits are done cooking, remove from heat and turn off the Instant Pot.
- Add vegan butter and cheese. Top with pepper, bacon bits, and hot sauce prior to serving.
