Preheat oven to 375F to prepare the tempeh bacon and tomato toppings. Slice tempeh into thin strips and combine with soy sauce or tamari, maple syrup, liquid smoke if using, and smoked paprika. Let marinate for at least a minute. Prepare a parchment lined baking sheet. Top with halved tomatoes on one side and tempeh bacon strips on the other. Drizzle any excess marinade over the tempeh strips. Drizzle the tomatoes and tempeh with olive oil as needed.

Bake the tempeh bacon and cherry tomatoes for 15 mins, flipping halfway through.

Meanwhile, prepare grits. Measure and blend 1 cup of silken tofu to act as the cream. Drain off the excess water before blending, but no need to use a sieve, it's ok if some remains.

Bring 3 cups of water and 1 teaspoon salt to a boil. Stir in the grits and simmer on medium heat for 5-7 mins. For thicker grits, add in the tofu cream and almond milk at this time. For creamier grits, add in the tofu cream and almond milk in the last 2 minutes of cooking.

In the last 2 minutes of cooking, stir in the nutritional yeast, smoked paprika, pepper, and garlic powder (if using) to add the cheesy flavor.

If you find the grits to be getting too thick for your liking, simply add water ¼ cup at a time and whisk until smooth. If you want the grits to be thicker, keep cooking for 2-3 more mins over medium-high heat. They will also thicken as they stand.

When the grits are the texture of your liking, remove from heat, add in the vegan butter and cover until it melts, then stir it in to combine.

Serve creamy vegan grits topped with broiled tomatoes and tempeh bacon. Enjoy!