Cheesy Cheddar Grits

It's a well know fact that we love our grits in the South. They are to a Southerner what polenta is to an Italian. For this recipe I chose to use quick cooking grits for ease of preparation. If time allows, the flavor of stone ground or coarse ground grits are the proverbial  gold standard.  It's not always a practical choice on busy days though, due to the longer cooking time they require.

How to Make the Best Cheesy Cheddar Grits

These easy cheesy cheddar grits always make a pleasing addition to the table. They're a blank canvas for a variety of seasonings and  toppings.

• What's the difference between quick cooking and instant grits? Instant grits are finely ground and dehydrated to dramatically decrease the amount of cooking time they require. Quick cooking grits are also ground but not quite as finely as instant grits. They're the happy medium in texture between instant and coarse stone ground grits.
• Quick cooking grits used in this cheddar grits recipe, are flavorful and a terrific choice for busy mornings or weeknight dinners. Please note, they do need to be cooked longer than the package directions for this recipe for optimal creaminess.
• Are Southern grits and polenta the same thing? They're both made from grinding corn. Polenta is made by grinding the whole corn kernel as opposed to Southern grits which have the hull removed prior to grinding. Grits have a finer texture than polenta and both have their place.
• Don't forget to season the grits. It's important to salt the grits in the beginning of the cooking process or you'll practically never get them to the level of flavor that you want.
• How do you serve cheesy cheddar grits? Grits can be served simply with a pat of butter or topped with scrambled eggs, bacon and sausage. You can add shrimp for a homestyle shrimp and grits or punch up the flavor with fresh herbs and other seasonings. You can even chill grits and once solidified cut them into rounds or squares and fry on the stovetop in bacon drippings or butter.