Okay. I have had more than one person ask me what I eat for breakfast. I have to admit…like Heather, I eat pretty much the same thing everyday. However, we need variety to keep everyone else interested and happy. My go-tos are usually the omelet muffins, or this delicious sausage hash. But those are even starting to seem mundane.
I came up with this one after considering all the cauliflower-grits’ potential. I love breakfast casseroles: total comfort food, they last a few days, and you can take them to people who are in need of a meal. (Some have gone the extra mile when bringing us meals, by including breakfast for the next morning…I have loved paying that forward!) Also, this is a great way to squeeze in your veggies first thing.
I promise you, even your father-in-law will eat this and like it. Provided you do NOT tell them what it is, what is in it, or use the words “paleo” or “primal” in any sentences.
Sausage and Spinach Breakfast Casserole
1 head of cauliflower
3/4 c chicken stock or water
1 lb sausage
5 cups raw spinach
6 ounces full-fat coconut milk (I prefer Taste of Thai brand)
4 eggs lightly beaten
juice of 1 lemon
2 tsp salt
2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
Preheat oven to 350 and prepare a 9X13 baking dish by greasing it with coconut oil.
Wash, remove leaves, quarter, and core the head of cauliflower. Pulse it in a food processor until it looks like grits. Put all the cauliflower-grits in a pot, add 3/4 c chicken stock or water. Simmer on low until tender, about 10-15 min. Drain off excess liquid, set aside. The grits can also be sauteed or toasted under the broiler (see below).**
Brown and crumble the sausage. Leave the sausage oil in the pan and add in the fresh spinach. Stir until it wilts.
In a large mixing bowl, add the coconut milk, eggs, and spinach mixture, stir well. Add in the salt, garlic powder, pepper, and lemon juice and stir. Add the cooled cauliflower-grits and stir well.
Pour into the prepared baking dish, and bake for 45 minutes or until center is set.
Enjoy your vegetables!
Leigh
**UPDATE: I have recently been sauteéing the cauliflower “grits” in a frying pan instead of boiling them. They retain the same texture, but have a toasted taste and appearance. I like it much better. Heat 2-3 tbsp of the oil of your choice (reserved bacon is best!!), and sauté the “grits” until they are done. Let them sit, then toss/flip them every few minutes.
My FIL doesn’t even get up in time for breakfast… But I’ll bet MLK will dig it. He bought unsolicited cauliflower yesterday!
Eric loves this recipe. He almost ate the whole pan. Really tasty. I used breakfast sausage, but you can use whatever you have on hand, and I am sure it will be great.
I just saw that you said M bought “unsolicited” cauliflower!! HA! That is awesome. We are going to be posting a few cauliflower recipes this week…stay tuned.
I am gonna test your theory: 1. Because it looks delicious & 2. It would be interesting to see if our FIL would eat it! =} I love this site Leigh! I am very proud!
awesome Teresa! Thanks for the compliments! Let me know what he says!!
Thought I posted on this last night…so I made this and it was delish, however I used a little too much ‘better than bouillion’ in my broth so it ended up a bit more salty than I would like. Definitely will make it again!
Another success, everyone had seconds! This is an especially big deal for the girl who usually won’t eat any vegetables! The toasted “grits” are definitely the way to go
Awesome!! Thanks for the feedback!! I like how the veggies are hidden, but its not in the form of a “sweet” or a bread, etc.
It’s funny that I came across this because I was JUST thinking how I don’t want to eat egg muffins again next week every day although they are very convenient for after PT in the mornings (I’m sure you can understand!) I am very happy to find your blog. I am in the Army, finishing up this year after 6.5 years and I am ready to be home and concentrate on being a mom! One last thing…I looked up the Military Athlete Certification and you must be a beast to have completed that thing! Very impressive. Thanks again for your blog and I look forward to continuing to follow!
Thanks for reading! I feel you on breakfast, I’m pretty sure I had hardboiled eggs for breakfast all week. I also eat leftovers for breakfast too. It didn’t take me long to get over the need for breakfast type foods in the morning!
The military athlete certification was awesome. The physical and written tests were no joke but I learned so much and continue to utilize different aspects of their programming!
Best,
Heather
Just want to tell you that during and since my Whole 30 last month, this has become my breakfast staple. I vary it every time and every time it is great. I even discovered last time that it is fine without coconut milk (i was out) and also great WITH mashed acorn squash. there are so many ways to mix it up! THANK YOU!
I am so glad to hear you liked have enjoyed this. I got this idea from the southern breakfast staple of baked grits casserole…and I just really loved how it turned out, and that it is comfort food yet all veggies!!
I have to tell you that I have made this into an Enchilada Casserole of sorts. I sauteed onion and diced green chilies and ground beef; seasoned with cumin/chilipowder/salt; added a drained can of tomatoes; 3 eggs and a 14 oz can of red enchilada sauce. Mix all that with 1 head of ground/sauteed cauliflower, Bake at 350 into a 9×13.
It bakes into a Mexican casserole so savory, you can’t believe it is cauliflower!! Also a great potluck dish.
Thanks for your reply!
Great recipe, I had recently purchased an excess amount of cauliflower at the farmer’s market and your recipe provided me with a delicious solution. Thank You
excellent! i should have made a better effort to more finely grind the cauliflower (do not have a food processor), but really excellent. definitely can see the resemblance to a grits-breakfast bake. it would be EXCELLENT with cheese added in there, but will definitely be making again. thanks!
Can I just say that this recipe is by far the best Paleo breakfast recipe I’ve followed to date? I love it and completely pimp it out on my blog when I make it. And that’s pretty cool considering I’m not much of a cauliflower lover. Anyway, thank you so much for this awesome recipe! Take a look at my most recent handiwork: http://wholefoodhalfass.com/post/50336934347/may-10-breakfast-sausage-and-spinach-breakfast
Thanks for the Fabulous Feedback!!! I am super glad you tried it, I think doing the work of grinding and roasting the cauliflower is worth it… it’s so versatile, too. You can stir pretty much anything into the ground cauliflower, add a few eggs, and you have instant casserole.