I've always loved grits. Instant grits are bearable, but good homemade grits are absolutely excellent, and an essential part of a full breakfast (which also includes eggs, plenty of bacon and/or sausage, homemade pancakes of some variety, several warm and flaky biscuits, and a large cup of strong coffee [or maybe just orange juice]). At Tulane I occasionally made such meals for my friends as a "breakfast for dinner" type thing, and everyone loved it. Some of the Yankees were hesitant to try grits because they were entirely unfamiliar with the food (and yeah, if you've never seen it before I guess it looks a bit weird), but in the end a lot of people were surprised by the fact that they actually liked them.
To make them well, you need
some cheese, without overdoing it. IMO, sharp cheddar works pretty well, though in a bind I once used "Fiesta Blend" cheese and it ended up tasting good too. You don't want to mix much cheese into the pot of grits, as that just gives them a strange consistency and color. Put a little bit of cheese into the pot, to help the general flavor, and then sprinkle some more on the top of each bowl you scoop out. Also, be fairly liberal with the salt and pepper. If you want to experiment I've heard that adding shrimp with cajun seasoning to grits can be tasty, too.
I suppose it's really just a comfort food for me; my parents, grandparents, and pretty much every other relative I know makes grits for breakfast all the time. Also, yes, it's cheese grits, not "cheesy" grits.
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