Growing up in Charleston, grits were a staple of my childhood. For over 20 years of my life, I don’t think I had bad grits. After college, I moved north. New York and Philadelphia had amazing food, of course, but it was almost impossible to find good Southern food or soul food. It was a very confusing experience the first time I tried grits at a diner at breakfast. I was presented with a bowl of something runny, bland, and not at all what I was used to eating. That was the start of several years of making grits only at home. Now that I live near Annapolis, I am able to get good grits at restaurants, but I’m still a tad skeptical sometimes.

This recipe uses quick grits. If you want to use stone ground, they will take a lot longer to cook. I don’t recommend using instant grits.