Get ready for your mouth to water over The ONE Beef and Veggie Sauce over Cheesy Grits. The ONE seasoning, caramelized vegetables, and a wine reduction bring this sauce to life. Paired with creamy, cheesy (or cheezy) grits, you get layers of sensational flavor and texture. This dish is easy to make and so good that I’m done trying to duplicate my grandma’s sauce! As a weeknight family meal or meal prepped dish, this is sure to become a favorite in your kitchen, too. So, let’s get into making The ONE Beef and Veggie Sauce over Cheesy Grits…
A Symphony of Flavors
In this recipe, I chose the savory notes of The ONE, my flagship spice blend, to complement the other flavors in this dish. The ONE is made with healthy, organic ingredients and no sugar, MSG, fillers, additives, or preservatives. It is robustly flavorful without heat, making it suitable for all ages.
Although I love The ONE’s savory and robust flavors in this dish, feel free to use your favorite seasoning. My goal is to get you in the kitchen creating healthy food, so make this recipe your own, if you want.
Choosing the Perfect Red Wine
If you prefer not to use wine, you can omit it since it reduces anyway, or substitute with about 2 tablespoons of balsamic glaze. For this recipe, I created a rich and flavorful reduction sauce using an inexpensive red blend that I had on hand. Now way am I a wine expert. Some experts say you should never cook with a wine you wouldn’t enjoy drinking, but I confess that I don’t always follow that rule. For example, if I buy a wine to drink and don’t love it, I save it for cooking. That said, because the flavors will infuse into the sauce, I recommend using a Cabernet Sauvignon or red blend that you enjoy sipping.
Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free Grits
It may seem unnecessary for me to say “gluten-free grits” since corn is gluten-free. However, some grits are processed on shared equipment with wheat or other gluten-containing products. Thus, I seek out grits I know are not cross-contaminated, such as the Bob’s Red Mill brand. I know that if the GF logo is on one of their packages, it has been processed in their dedicated gluten-free facility.
This recipe can easily be made dairy-free. I can tolerate ghee, but not butter, so that’s what I use in this recipe. If you can’t eat any dairy, you can use a plant-based alternative like Miyoko’s Plant Milk Butter, or your favorite alternative. Extra virgin olive oil will work. It just won’t be quite as rich and creamy.
For the cheese, I used Violife just like Cheddar Shreds. I’ve tried several brands of vegan cheese, only to be disappointed, but I really like Violife. Since vegan cheese doesn’t melt as well as regular cheese, After the grits were done cooking, I kept the pan over the lowest heat setting on my cooktop and stirred it until it melted into the grits. Of course, you can use regular cheddar cheese if it meets your dietary preferences. Whichever you choose, your grits will be tasty and satisfying.
Nextovers with the Sauce
The ONE Beef and Veggie Sauce is versatile for repurposing as a ‘nextover’. If you happen to have any leftovers (unlikely unless you plan for it since it’s so delicious!), consider mixing the sauce with elbow macaroni, penne pasta, or your favorite pasta for a quick and tasty meal. We like Banza brand chickpea pastas for their higher protein and fiber content. Be sure to use a generous amount of sauce, so the sauce’s flavor is more prominent than the pasta’s flavor.
Alternatively, you could serve the sauce on a baked potato or over a base of sliced pre-cooked polenta, easily available in a convenient a tube.
If you make The ONE Beef and Veggie Sauce over Cheesy Grits, you’ll have no doubt that food can be both delicious and nutritious. I hope becomes a favorite in your home, bringing joy to your taste buds and supporting your health journey.
Get in the kitchen and make healthy and delicious creations come to life! And let me know about it in the comments.
Bon Appétit!
The ONE Beef and Veggie Sauce over Cheesy Grits
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoon avocado oil, divided
- 1 pound grass-fed and -finished ground beef
- 1 teaspoon sea salt, divided
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 3 tablespoons arrowroot starch
- 1/2 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
- 4 mini orange bell peppers, finely chopped
- 1 large celery rib, finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 15-ounce can diced tomatoes
- 2 teaspoons The ONE seasoning
- 1 cup beef bone broth
- 1/3 cup dry red wine, optional
- 3 1/2 cups water
- 1 cup gluten-free corn grits
- 8 ounces shredded cheddar cheese, dairy or non-dairy
- 1/4 cup butter, ghee, or non-dairy alternative
Instructions
- Heat 1 tablespoon of the avocado oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat until hot, but not smoking. Add the beef to the skillet. Crumble, stirring occasionally, until the meat is no longer pink. Season with 1/2 teaspoon of the salt and the black pepper. Transfer the meat to a plate or bowl and set aside.
- Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil and the arrowroot to the skillet. Stir quickly until the mixture is smooth. Add the onion, bell pepper, and celery. Cook, stirring and lightly scraping the bottom of the Dutch oven, for about 3 minutes until the vegetables begin to caramelize. Add the garlic; cook and stir for about 30 seconds, just until the garlic is fragrant. Stir in the tomatoes and The ONE seasoning; cook, stirring frequently, for about 4 minutes until the tomato juices have reduced. Add the beef broth and wine. Stir to combine. Stir in the reserved meat and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is reduced.
- While the sauce is reducing, bring the water and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon of salt to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add the grits and reduce the heat. Cook slowly for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in the cheese. If using regular cheese, remove the pan from the heat, cover and let it stand for 1 to 2 minutes. If using vegan cheese, keep the pan over low heat and stir until it melts.
- To serve, portion the grits between 4 shallow bowls and spread out on the bottom of the bowl. Ladle the hot sauce over the grits.
Notes
Meal Prep Tip: Portion the grits and sauce into 2-cup Pyrex storage containers and refrigerate up to 5 days or freeze up for to 3 months. To reheat, thaw overnight in the refrigerator. Then remove the plastic lid. Cover with a paper towel and reheat in the microwave for about 2 minutes or cover with aluminum foil and reheat in the toaster oven at 350°F for 5 minutes, or in the oven at 350°F for 10 minutes.