Grits & Collards Casserole

I stumbled across this casserole recipe while looking for a way to use up some of the wonderful  spring yield of collard greens from our garden. I would estimate that it took my brain about 0.2 seconds to register the words grits and collards together before I was absolutely committed to making this dish. If you have a fresh or canned homemade salsa on hand, all the better ... and you definitely want a salsa with a bit of heat for this recipe.  I can honestly say this is now one of my favorite casseroles; I can't wait until there are enough collard greens ready for a second version of this dish with salsa verde instead!

Grits & Collard Greens Casserole  (adapted from Eating Well)

• 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 small or medium onion, diced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 cups (reduced sodium) vegetable broth, divided
• 1/4 teaspoon salt (if you're using regular broth, I would leave out this salt or cut it in half)
• 16 cups chopped collard greens, stems removed (about 1 1/2-2 pounds)
• 2 cups water, plus more as needed
• 1 cup cornmeal (technically this should be NON-instant grits here, but I didn't have any)
• 3/4 cup shredded extra-sharp Cheddar cheese, divided
• 1/4 cup salsa
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• 1-2 veggie sausages, sliced into 1/2" thick rounds *optional*
  
  1. Grease a 8x8" glass plan and preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
  2. Heat a large skillet (or soup pot if need be) over medium high heat and add the olive oil. Then add onion and garlic stirring often until soft. Add 1 cup broth, greens, and salt, bring to a boil. Cover and let simmer for 15-20 minutes until greens are tender. (Add water if needed to keep pan from simmering dry). Remove from heat.
  3. When the greens are close to done, bring 2 cups of water and 1 c. of broth to a boil. Whisk the cornmeal in and reduce the heat to low, stirring occasionally for 5 until the polenta has thickened and tastes cooked. Remove from heat and stir in 1/2 c. cheddar cheese and salsa. Let cool a bit before stirring in the egg.
  4. Layer half the polenta into the greased pan. Top with the greens and sausage. Layer the rest of the polenta on top. Sprinkle with remaining 1/4 c. of cheddar cheese.
  5. Bake for 20 minutes until the cheese has melted and the casserole is bubbling. Let cool 10 minutes before serving.