Give Grits A Flavor Boost By Topping Them With This Mexican Staple

Grits are about as low-maintenance as breakfast gets — stir them into boiling water or milk, add salt and a knob of butter, and you'll have a creamy bowl of Southern comfort in the time it'd normally take to fry an egg. What you won't have is much flavor beyond corn and dairy, which definitely gets old after a few spoonfuls. If you've been finding yourself eyeing the cheese drawer mid-bowl, here's a free tip: Open the fridge and reach for a jar of salsa for your classic creamy grits instead.

Salsa fixes a couple of problems at once. Most jarred salsa packs plenty of acidity, between the tomatoes (or tomatillos) and whatever lime or vinegar the maker added. A bowl of plain grits has next to none, so when you mix one with the other, they blend together perfectly. Salsa also brings some texture to an otherwise smooth bowl, plus however much heat the brand you're using happens to have. But there are lots of types of grits in Southern cooking, and if cheese grits are your go-to, you'll get the most out of this trick — the tart heat of the salsa will give your mouth a much-needed break from all the melted cheese.

If you have a habit of dumping salsa right on top of things, there's no judgement here. It's fast, and the cold salsa against hot food does feel heavenly in the mouth. But if you've got a few minutes to spare, give the two some time in the pot to get to know each other: Dump a jar of chunky salsa into the pot with some chicken broth and let the grits simmer in it. The grits will come out a bit looser from the tomato juice (so start with less broth), but the difference in flavor will be night and day compared to fast-dumped salsa grits.

Speaking of, whatever salsa's already open in your fridge will work — you don't have to overthink this part. But a few combos really are better than others, mild red salsa and cheddar-and-bacon grits being one. For plain grits that can do with a little bit more flavor, you can give something brighter a shot, like pico de gallo (drained first so you don't get a pool of tomato juice at the bottom). Salsa verde with a little Monterey Jack is also worth a try if you like things on the tart side.

Heat seekers should look for salsas made with chile de árbol or chipotle, or a jar of unique salsa macha (chile oil with bits of fried garlic and seeds in it). Add a little at a time — yes, even if you think you can handle the heat. Plain grits are pretty mild, so it doesn't take much salsa before the corn starts to get lost, and a bowl where all you can taste is spice isn't much of a breakfast.