I found this adaptation of a the classic Southern dish by Sean Brock in the NY Times intriguing in its use of fennel and smoked breakfast sausage. It's definitely on my "must try" list.

Another interesting technique is the use of cream cheese in the grits. I can see the benefits. I personally fell into a method of cooking my hominy grits in straight cream, which eliminates the need for butter or cheese, as there is enough fat content in the cream to carry the flavors, as well as provide a rich, creamy texture. All too often, I've seen cooks use too much water, then try to flavor the grits with a ton of butter and cheap shredded cheddar, which once it cools a bit, becomes a gloppy mess. I'd argue there's probably less calories in just using cream vs all the butter and cheese I've seen added. Which is why I see the use of cream cheese as being a fair option. It's basically like folding reduced cream into the mixture at the end. Certainly worth testing out.

Read the full recipe for Shrimp and Grits with Roasted Tomato, Fennel, and Sausage from the NY Times. The accompanying article about the chef Sean Brock is worth a read as well.