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Cheddar Cauliflower Grits Breakfast Bowls

You’ll find a ton of protein donuts on my blog but if I’m honest, I’m a savory breakfast kinda guy. And these low carb cheddar cauliflower grits are perfect for making high volume, savory breakfast bowls. With 265 calories and only 9 grams of carbs per serving, I can’t think of many better ways to start the day if you prefer your carbs at night.

Like all my recipes, these cauliflower grits are super easy to make. You’ll only need five ingredients, about ten minutes, and virtually no skills in the kitchen to make these breakfast bowls. Okay, let’s grit after it.

A 3-ingredient recipe for low carb cauliflower grits that are perfect for breakfast bowls or any low carb breakfast set up.

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Ingredients for Low Carb Breakfast Bowls

Passing the count all the ingredients on one hand test, you’ll need frozen cauliflower rice, light butter, eggs, bacon, and you guessed it—cheddar powder. If you’re unfamiliar with the latter, it’s simply dehydrated cheddar that can be reconstituted for ultra cheesy dishes with a fraction of the calories. Think of it like powdered peanut butter, if you’ve tried that before.

If you don’t want to use cheddar powder, check out this cheese free replacement from my air fryer potato chips round up:

  • 1 tsp Nutritional Yeast
  • 1/4 tsp Black Pepper
  • 1/4 tsp Paprika
  • 1/8 tsp Garlic Powder

And in case you’re on the fence about the magic of cheddar powder, check out my air fryer cheesy bread or healthier homemade Easy Mac.

low carb cheddar cauliflower grits with eggs and bacon

How to Make Cauliflower Grits

If you’re a hardcore grits enthusiast, if that’s a thing, stay with me. Don’t know grits made from cauliflower ’til you try ’em.

To get started, you’ll need frozen riced cauliflower. If you’d like to use fresh cauliflower, that’s fine since we’re after a fine texture anyway. A 12-ounce bag of cauliflower rice like this recipe calls for is roughly the equivalent of one head of cauliflower.

cheddar cauliflower grits recipe

You will, however, need to heat up your cauliflower grits after the fact if you make your own. And you may need a cheesecloth or some way to remove some of the moisture. With the frozen version, you’re just popping it in the microwave and then squeezing it inside the bag to ring out the remaining moisture.

After you have your cauliflower rice good to go, you have a couple options. You can either mash it with a fork or potato masher for something like a thick cut grits or use a food processor/blender to create something closer to the grits you’re accustomed to.

cheddar cauliflower grits recipe without food processor

The image above is an example of the cauliflower grits using a fork to mash. You can see the finished product on the right is definitely thicker than the finished product below (blended).

cheddar cauliflower grits recipe with food processor

I’ll add here that I’ve kept the butter to a minimum since keeping calories under control is always a concern in my recipes. If you’re after super creamy grits, feel free to add more butter or real cheddar cheese to the mix.

How to Fry an Egg That Doesn’t Suck

Beyond the cauliflower grits, all you’ll need to complete your breakfast bowls is a fried egg and bacon.

My favorite way to fry an egg with a slightly runny yolk but cooked topside is to fry it over low-medium heat, covered and untouched. It’s as easy as heating a pan with some nonstick cooking spray, adding the egg, and covering for a few minutes. When the top is as cooked as you’d like, remove from the heat and pan.

how to make cauliflower grits

That’s it! If you try these low carb cauliflower grits and breakfast bowls, snap a pic and tag me on Instagram.

low carb cauliflower grits breakfast bowls

Low Carb Cheddar Cauliflower Grits Breakfast Bowls

Yield: 2 Breakfast Bowls
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 10 minutes

3-ingredient cauliflower grits with fried eggs and bacon. 

Ingredients

  • 12 oz bag Frozen Cauliflower Rice
  • 2 Tbsp (28g) Light Butter, I used Land 'o' Lakes
  • 2 Tbsp (16g) Cheddar Powder*
  • 2 large Eggs
  • 4 slices Cooked Bacon

Instructions

  1. Microwave the frozen cauliflower rice for 5-6 minutes. 
  2. While the cauliflower cooks, heat a small skillet with nonstick cooking spray over low-medium heat. Crack the eggs and add to the pan. To speed up cooking, cover the skillet. Be sure not to overcook your eggs! 
  3. When the rice is cooked, cut the corner of the bag and drain the excess liquid. Use a kitchen towel or paper towels to squeeze as much excess moisture out as possible. (Caution: the bag will be hot.) Empty the rice into a bowl or food processor. 
  4. Add the butter and cheddar powder to the cauliflower rice and either mash with a fork or potato masher. This will be a bit thicker than traditional grits.
  5. If you'd like a finer texture, run the cauliflower rice and cheddar mixture through a food processor or blender for a few seconds. 
  6. Microwave the bacon or cook raw bacon. If you'd like to microwave raw bacon, I have a guide to cooking bacon in the microwave.
  7. Divide the cauliflower grits in half and transfer each to a bowl. Top with an egg and two slices of bacon. Top with black pepper and parsley flakes (or your choice of garnish) before digging in. 

Notes

*Cheese free seasoning option:

  • 1 tsp Nutritional Yeast
  • 1/4 tsp Black Pepper
  • 1/4 tsp Paprika
  • 1/8 tsp Garlic Powder

Nutrition Facts Notes

  • Each bowl has 6 Smart Points.
  • Macros per serving with Al Fresco chicken bacon: 235 calories, 15 grams of protein, 9.5 grams of carbs, 14.5 grams of fat
  • Nutrition Information:
    Yield: 2 Bowls Serving Size: 1 Breakfast Bowl
    Amount Per Serving: Calories: 265Total Fat: 17gCarbohydrates: 8.5gProtein: 17g

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    More Healthy Breakfast Recipes You Might Like

    While my breakfast burgers aren’t low carb with the bun, you could go patty and cheese only with the sriracha mayo spread for a yummy low carb breakfast option in bulk. You could also keep it low carb with my homemade ground chicken breakfast sausage. Or if you wanted a sweets fix, check out my chocolate peanut butter protein granola.

    A 3-ingredient recipe for low carb cauliflower grits that are perfect for breakfast bowls or any low carb breakfast set up.

    Stephanie

    Thursday 2nd of July 2020

    I just made this and was super surprised how quickly I ate it. I’ve tried incorporating cauliflower rice into my oats before to add volume and I’ve always had to add so much extra crap to try to cover the flavor. This was so good! I didn’t have cheddar powder on hand, but I did have nacho popcorn seasoning - the main ingredient is cheddar cheese so I gave it a go. I omitted the bacon and topped my egg with everything but the bagel seasoning and some sugar free ketchup. Will definitely make again!

    Emily S

    Wednesday 15th of April 2020

    For me, eating veggies first thing in the morning is challenging. I love this recipe because I truly don't feel like I am eating veggies for breakfast. I get so tired of everyone saying, do a smoothie and stuff cauliflower in it. Um...ew? This recipe is a great savory meal that keeps me full and allows me to get my micro nutrients in starting the day off right!

    Holly Taylor

    Wednesday 9th of January 2019

    Made this for breakfast two days ago! It was so good and filling. Wouldn’t change a thing except maybe fry my own bacon next time! Great recipe Mason.

    Andrea

    Wednesday 9th of January 2019

    I make a giant batch of this like twice a week. It is BOMB!

    Romeo mata

    Wednesday 9th of January 2019

    When I first seen these recipe come up on your blog/Instagram I had to stop and think to myself am I dreaming ! A healthy low carb Version of my of my all time favorite breakfast stables Cheddar grits! I instantly fell in love with this. Aside from breakfast I’ve made this recipie for a dinner as well it’s never to early or to late for breakfast. The cheddar powder is a game changer I’ve used it in this recipe as well as in the healthy version of the hamburger helper. For those who haven’t tried or it aren’t sure let me tell you you’ll be in heaven after trying this lol!

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