Flying Biscuit White Cheese Grits

There's a "new south" restaurant around Atlanta called The Flying Biscuit (website: http://www.flyingbiscuit.com/ ).  I say 'around Atlanta' because like many brilliant restaurants, it's already started a crawl toward franchising.  We've gone a few times, and the one thing we all adore is their Creamy Dreamy Grits.  I found a recipe online, but the proportions are kind of out of control, unless you're running a bed and breakfast or happen to be Jabba the Hutt.

Creamy Dreamy Grits

1 1/2 c water
 1/2 c half and half
1 tsp salt
1/2 c quick-cooking grits
1/4 c grated white cheddar cheese
1 tbsp butter
pepper to taste

Put the salt, water and half and half and pepper into a medium saucepan, and turn it on medium high until it starts to simmer.  Carefully add the grits, turn the heat to low and whisk fairly frequently, cooking 10 minutes or until the grits are tender. 

Whisk in the cheese until it's all melted in, then turn off the heat and whisk in the butter until the grits look shiny and smooth.  Let stand 5 minutes and then serve.  Makes for 4 smallish side dish portions or two large dinner-sized portions.

To reheat, put the grits back into the pot and add milk.  Heat very slowly and whisk frequently until smooth.

Looks like a fat lot of nothing, doesn't it.

You may have noticed I said 'two dinner-sized portions.'  The awesome thing about grits is that, like polenta or pasta or even bread, it serves as a killer canvas for more bold flavors.  This particular night I went with a kitchen sink of random veggies I had laying around... onions, sun-dried tomatoes, asparagus, artichoke hearts, and some zucchini.  Just plop it on top of a pile of these pillowy puppies and you're good to go.  Sliced sausage and shrimp is another good way to go, but almost anything will work as long as it goes well with creamy heaven.

To me though, the piece de resistance is that, if you add more cheese and do pretty much nothing else, this tastes like the creamiest most decadent mac and cheese you've ever eaten.  No futzing around with a roux or getting lots of pots dirty or turning on the oven.