A creamy bowl of grits can hit the spot on a cold day, and you can either go with a classic preparation or kick things up a notch by adding extra ingredients. Tasting Table recipe developer Miriam Hahn uses a surprise addition that will give your grits a classic flavor and creamy texture, but even better than usual.

Hahn uses a little cream cheese in her recipe for Classic Creamy Grits to boost the velvety texture and rich flavor. She says that the cream cheese makes the grits more creamy without being heavy, and the final flavor is classic enough to pair well with super-savory additions like shrimp or a touch of contrasting sweetness.

No matter which flavorings you add, you need to put in a bit of extra effort to keep your grits lump-free. Bon Appétit suggests cooking grits slowly over low heat to achieve the perfect texture; patience is the name of the game, and if you get the basic technique right, you can experiment with grits however you wish.