Creamy Goat Cheese Grits with Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Squash and Poached Eggs

• Vegetarian
• Gluten free

• Produce

  • 1 lb Brussels sprouts
  • 1/2 lb Butternut squash
  • 4 Sage, fresh leaves
  • 3 sprigs Thyme, fresh

• Refrigerated

  • 4 Eggs, fresh whole large

• Breakfast Foods

  • 3/4 cup Corn grits, stone ground

• Baking & Spices

  • 2 Black pepper, freshly ground
  • 1 Kosher sea salt
  • 3/4 tsp Kosher sea salt

• Oils & Vinegars

  • 2 tbsp Olive oil, Extra Virgin

• Dairy

  • 2 tbsp Butter, unsalted
  • 2 1/2 oz Goat cheese, soft
  • 2 1/4 cups Whole milk

Found on abeautifulplate.com

Ingredients

• 1 lb Brussels sprouts, ends trimmed and quartered
• 1/2 lb butternut squash, peeled, and diced into 1/2-inch cubes
• 3 sprigs of fresh thyme, plus more for garnishing
• 4-5 fresh sage leaves
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• kosher sea salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• 2 and 1/4 cups whole milk
• 3/4 teaspoon kosher sea salt
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
• 3/4 cup stone ground corn grits (I used rainbow stone ground grits from a local Chicago brand called Baker Miller)
• 2.5 to 3 ounces soft goat cheese, room temperature
• freshly ground black pepper
• 4 or more fresh whole large eggs (1 or 2 eggs per serving, depending on preference) *fresh eggs are best for poaching

Directions

• Roast Brussels Sprouts and Squash: Preheat the oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a large sheet pan with aluminum foil or parchment paper. Place the quartered Brussels sprouts, cubed butternut squash, and herbs on the sheet pan, drizzle with olive oil, salt, and pepper, and toss until they are evenly coated. Roast at 425 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes, tossing every 10 minutes or so, until they vegetables are evenly caramelized. Remove from the oven, discard the herb stems, and allow to cool slightly (if you havent finished cooking the grits or eggs, you can pop the roasted vegetables back into the oven for a few minutes to  warm up!). Prepare the Grits: As the vegetables are finishing roasting, combine the whole milk, salt, and 1 tablespoon butter in a large saucepan (roughly 4 quarts in size). Bring to a low simmer over medium-high heat. Once simmering, slowly pour in the grits with one hand, as you whisk continuously with the other. Whisk continuously for until the grits have thickened considerably and they are cooked through, roughly minutes. Break the goat cheese into pieces and add to the grits, along with the remaining tablespoon of butter, stirring them until completely melted. Season the grits to taste with salt and pepper. Remove from heat and keep warm as you poach the eggs (if the grits get dry or too thick, add a bit more whole milk to loosen them up - readjust seasoning accordingly!). Poach the Eggs:  Fill a medium saucepan with cold water (the water should be at least 2-inches deep) and heat over medium heat until small bubbles begin to form at the bottom of the pan. This is the ideal temperature for poaching eggs. Dont allow the water to reach a true simmer or boil (if it does, reduce the temperature). Set aside a large plate lined with a paper towel. Break one egg at a time over a fine-meshed sieve set over a bowl. Allow any loose egg whites to fall away into the bowl - this will eliminate any loose whites from disintegrating in the cooking water and result in clean, tight poached eggs. Carefully transfer the egg into a small ramekin or cup (if using extremely fresh eggs, you can go directly to this step and skip the sieve step). Repeat with each egg (placing them into their own ramekin/cup). Check and readjust the cooking water temperature as necessary. Gently tilt and slide the eggs from the ramekins into the cooking water. Ideally, you want to add all of the eggs to the cooking water fairly quickly, so that they cook consistently with one another. Set a cooking timer to three minutes and countdown. This time will produce a set white and a completely runny yolk. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the eggs from the water, one at a time, and set on the paper-towel lined plate to soak up any excess cooking water. Spoon the grits into serving bowls, top with a large spoonful of roasted vegetables, and finally, top each plate with a poached egg. Garnish the place with fresh thyme leaves. Serve immediately!