When many out-of-state students come to Alabama, they encounter their first dose of southern food, and it’s a beautiful thing. Despite being born in New Orleans, a food capital of the world, and growing up in Birmingham during its culinary renaissance, I resisted all southern food until I was a teenager.

I spat out grits, passed the collard greens without taking a serving and, dare I say it, hated biscuits. While I have no excuse for my younger self, I am happy to report that my pallet has developed over time, and I now love and talk incessantly about traditional southern food.

But grits. Grits have saved my life. I eat at least three bowls of grits a week. Many are fooled into thinking grits are only a breakfast food, but they are actually an affordable staple for every meal. A fairly large bag of grits costs only a couple of dollars.. If a $3 bag makes at least 15 bowls of grits, that’s only 20 cents per serving.

This is the best alternative to ramen that I have found. There’s nothing easier to make or more delicious to eat than a big bowl of grits made with half water, half milk to make them creamier, a generous slab of butter, a handful of shredded cheese and a little kick from the spice cabinet.

This alone makes for a warm, comforting bowl of grits, but there’s always room for add-ins. Throw some greens on top, fry up some fish, sauté some shrimp. My favorite is mixing in leftover pulled pork with my grits and then dousing the whole thing in hot sauce.

So when the going gets tough and my pantry and pocketbook are looking sparse, at least I always have grits to welcome me home.