And maybe a bit of butter. That’s not to say I don’t eat it along with other foods, but in that way it’s like rice or potatoes. I might take a bite of grits, or a bite of shrimp, or I might combine the two, but I want them to be separable. But grits, I’ve pretty much always eaten just with salt & butter and maybe a bit of hot sauce. Or just a poached egg on top. That’s my favorite way of enjoying them.
That’s not far off from the everyday method most people use down here. A few people (including me) cook grits in half milk/half water, salt, then serve with butter. Cheese is optional.
I do love it with a piece of fish, shrimp, or some braised short ribs, though. It just pairs well with any saucy meat.
My husband has celiac’s, so grits and polenta get rotated into the dinner rotation often. Last night I made Italian sausage with tomatoes, mushroom, onion and garlic with olive oil and Parmesan cheese on top of grits, to the delight of my family.
But grits with butter and an over easy egg always works around here.
We have made the grit cakes, and used that as a base for a Louisiana inspired eggs Benedict dish. That is a cool winter weekend splurge kind of breakfast.