food
By Katherine Gillen
•
Published Jun 22, 2023
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What do mac and cheese, fried chicken and cornbread have in common? They’re all ridiculously delicious comfort foods our friends from the South have pretty much perfected. Here, we’ve rounded up the best Southern recipes on the planet for your enjoyment. All that’s left for you to do? Whip up a big pitcher of sweet tea (or better yet, watermelon sweet tea) and enjoy.
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Robert S. Cooper/A Real Southern Cook
1. Sprightly Biscuits
- Time Commitment: 20 minutes
- Why We Love It: <10 ingredients, <30 minutes
The secret to light and fluffy biscuits isn’t butter or buttermilk (although both help). It’s actually a can of lemon-lime soda, which yields the fluffiest-ever results.
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Robert S. Cooper/A Real Southern Cook
2. Buttermilk-Battered Pan-Fried Fish Fillets
- Time Commitment: 1 hour, 20 minutes
- Why We Love It: beginner-friendly, high protein
Frying fish at home sounds daunting, until you realize you can do it on the stove with a cast iron skillet (and not a ton of oil, at that). Try it once and you’ll be a pro.
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Robert S. Cooper/A Real Southern Cook
3. Blackberry-Raspberry Skillet Cobbler
- Time Commitment: 30 minutes
- Why We Love It: <30 minutes, crowd-pleaser, beginner-friendly
Southerners are experts at crafting simple-yet-satisfying desserts that feed a whole host of people. This lightly sweet cobbler fits the bill, and it’s ready in all of 30 minutes.
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Katherine Gillen
4. Hummingbird Cupcakes with Pineapple ‘Flowers’
- Time Commitment: 4 hours
- Why We Love It: special occasion–worthy, kid-friendly, crowd-pleaser
Hummingbird cake—a lightly spicedbanana-pineappletreat—is considered aSouthernclassic, but it’s actually a version of the Jamaican “Doctor Bird Cake” (named after the island’s national bird) introduced to the U.S. sometime in the ’60s. The more you know!
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JOHN “EDGE” KOLADISH/ED MITCHELL’S BARBEQUE
5. Watermelon Sweet Tea
- Time Commitment: 30 minutes
- Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, beginner-friendly, <30 minutes, <10 ingredients
There’s no better way to wash down barbecue than with this make-ahead beverage, which is sweetened with plenty of fresh summer fruit.
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6. Southern Fried Green Tomatoes
- Time Commitment: 30 minutes
- Why We Love It: <30 minutes, vegetarian, beginner-friendly
FYI, green tomatoes are just unripe regular tomatoes. The only thing that’s better than battering them until crisp is dipping them in remoulade (or turning them into an OTT sandwich).
- Time Commitment: 20 minutes
- Why We Love It: kid-friendly, crowd-pleaser, <30 minutes
They’re like sweet, fried morsels of cornbread…and we have no complaints about that. They come together quickly and disappear even faster, especially when served with honey butter.
JERRELLE GUY/RODNEY SCOTT'S WORLD OF BBQ
8. Pimento Cheese
- Time Commitment: 10 minutes
- Why We Love It: <15 minutes, crowd-pleaser
We love cheese, and we love dips. Naturally then, pimento cheese is the stuff of dreams. Serve this spicy appetizer with carrots, celery stalks, crackers or pork rinds for dipping.
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SULLY SULLIVAN/THE WAY HOME
9. Vanilla Bean Buttermilk Pie
- Time Commitment: 2 hours, 20 minutes
- Why We Love It: special occasion–worthy, crowd-pleaser
The crust is relatively hands-off, the filling is foolproof and the whole thing will have you going back for a second slice.
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10. Shrimp Po’ Boy with Creole Remoulade Sauce
- Time Commitment: 1 hour
- Why We Love It: high protein, special occasion-worthy
This hefty sammie will transport you to New Orleans on first bite. (Not to mention, you’ll want to dip everything in the tangy remoulade sauce.)
Katherine Gillen
11. Banana Pudding Cups
- Time Commitment: 4 hours, 20 minutes
- Why We Love It: kid-friendly, beginner-friendly, make ahead
There are a lot of ways to make banana pudding, but to keep things quick and easy (and to let the fresh ’nanas shine), we went with acornstarch-thickenedpudding instead of an egg-basedcustard.
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PHOTO: LIZ ANDREW/STYLING: ERIN MCDOWELL
12. Easy Homemade Pickles
- Time Commitment: 48 hours
- Why We Love It: make ahead, beginner-friendly
They may not be as intense as a jar of Wickles, but they’re tangy and crisp in their own right. (And you could totally add crushed red pepper flakes for some heat.)
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13. Southern Baked Mac and Cheese
- Time Commitment: 1 hour
- Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, kid-friendly, special occasion-worthy
We love a stovetop mac as much as the next person, but if it’s not baked until bubbly and golden, it’s not really a Southern recipe. Not for nothing, this version contains four types of cheese.
AMY SCOTT/HEALTHIER SOUTHERN COOKING
14. Bourbon Apple Crisp à la Mode
- Time Commitment: 1 hour
- Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, beginner-friendly
Maple syrup and a touch of brown sugar keep this Southern classic from being cloying. Translation: We can eat the leftovers for breakfast, right?
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PHOTO: LIZ ANDREW/STYLING: ERIN MCDOWELL
15. Mini Chicken and Waffles
- Time Commitment: 1 hour, 30 minutes
- Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, kid-friendly
Behold, everyone’s new favorite appetizer. They’re so small, you have permission to go in for seconds (er—fourths).
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PHOTO: LIZ ANDREW/STYLING: ERIN MCDOWELL
16. Buttermilk Skillet Corn Bread with Tomatoes and Green Onions
- Time Commitment: 50 minutes
- Why We Love It: one skillet, crowd-pleaser
To make this a more authentically Southern cornbread, you should skip the small amount of sugar in the batter. (Sorry, we don’t make the rules!)
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PHOTO: LIZ ANDREW/STYLING: ERIN MCDOWELL
17. Shrimp Boil Skewers with Corn, Sausage and Potatoes
- Time Commitment: 45 minutes
- Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, special occasion–worthy
All the appeal of a classic backyard seafood boil, without so much of the mess…although you should still serve the skewers on a newsprint-lined picnic table, sans plates.
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PHOTO: LIZ ANDREW/STYLING: ERIN MCDOWELL
18. Skillet Peach Cobbler
- Time Commitment: 1 hour, 10 minutes
- Why We Love It: beginner-friendly, crowd-pleaser, one skillet
Great news: Thanks to this skillet upgrade, you can satisfy your pie craving in under an hour(no rolling or cutting necessary).
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PHOTO: LIZ ANDREW/STYLING: ERIN MCDOWELL
19. Savory Tomato Tart
- Time Commitment: 1 hour
- Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, special occasion-worthy, beginner-friendly
A riff on the Southern tomato pie, this one is perfect for breakfast, lunch or dinner. Bonus points if you seek out the ripest heirloom tomatoes you can find at the farmers market.
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PHOTO: LIZ ANDREW/STYLING: ERIN MCDOWELL
20. Seven-Layer Dip
- Time Commitment: 30 minutes
- Why We Love It: <30 minutes, crowd-pleaser
What do all parties have in common? They’re the ideal opportunity to make this Tex-Mex dip. Pass the chips, please and thanks.
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PHOTO: LIZ ANDREW/STYLING: ERIN MCDOWELL
21. Chicken and Waffle Sandwiches
- Time Commitment: 1 hour, 50 minutes
- Why We Love It: special occasion–worthy, kid-friendly
What do you get when you combine fried chicken and cheese waffles? The best open-face on the planet.
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22. Shrimp and Grits
- Time Commitment: 48 minutes
- Why We Love It:
The grits are smooth and creamy, the shrimp is perfectly seasoned and the andouille sausage adds a hint of smoke. This is comfort food at its finest.
- Time Commitment: 5 hours, 30 minutes
- Why We Love It: special occasion–worthy, kid-friendly, crowd-pleaser
Fact: Nobody does fried chicken like our friends in the South. This version is finished with a spicy honey glaze, which is optional…but not really.
PHOTO: LIZ ANDREW/STYLING: ERIN MCDOWELL
24. Spicy Orange-Glazed Ham
- Time Commitment: 1 hour, 20 minutes
- Why We Love It: special occasion–worthy, crowd-pleaser, make ahead
Sure, it’s our go-to meal for special occasions, but did we mention the amazing sandwiches you can make with the leftovers?
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PHOTO: LIZ ANDREW/STYLING: ERIN MCDOWELL
25. Light and Tangy Coleslaw
- Time Commitment: 30 minutes
- Why We Love It: <30 minutes, beginner-friendly, crowd-pleaser
Hear that noise? It’s your coleslaw calling out for a big plate of fried chicken. (See above.)
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- Time Commitment: 23 minutes
- Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, special occasion-worthy
With relish and jalapeños, these bites have just the right balance of sweet and heat. Plus, once the eggs are boiled, the assembly is a breeze. (Psst: Try this technique topeel boiled eggsfaster.)
JOHN “EDGE” KOLADISH/ED MITCHELL’S BARBEQUE
27. Silver Dollar Corn Cakes with Smoked Honey Butter
- Time Commitment: 35 minutes
- Why We Love It: kid-friendly, vegetarian
Introducing the best thing for scooping up saucy food since biscuits and tortilla chips. They pair just as well with meaty mains (like pulled pork, brisket or ribs), as they do with sides like baked beans and collards.
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AMY SCOTT/HEALTHIER SOUTHERN COOKING
28. Chicken and Chicken Sausage Jambalaya
- Time Commitment: 40 minutes
- Why We Love It: one pot, <500 calories, crowd-pleaser
Jambalaya sounds complicated, but this version comes together in a single pot. Make a big batch and enjoy it all week long—the flavor just gets better.
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JENNIFER DAVIS/THE SOUTHERN BAKING COOKBOOK
29. Pumpkin and Sweet Potato Pie
- Time Commitment: 3 hours, 20 minutes
- Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, special occasion-worthy, make ahead
Sweet potato pie is a Southern holiday staple, and in our humble opinion, the orange spud only makes pumpkin taste better. The bourbon marshmallows are optional, but certain to wow your guests.
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30. Real Deal Southern Caramel Cake
- Time Commitment: 2 hours, 30 minutes
- Why We Love It: special occasion-worthy, crowd-pleaser
Speaking of Southern staples, we’d like to request this sweet cake for every celebration here on out. The icing requires a bit of patience and care, but the final results are worth it.
- Time Commitment: 2 hours, 20 minutes
- Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, make ahead, gluten free
Traditional in Southern and Black cuisine, these greens usually flavored with ham hocks—you can also try smoked turkey wings if you don’t eat pork. (Just make sure the meat is smoked for the most authentic flavor.)
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Katherine Gillen
Senior Food Editor
Katherine Gillenis PureWow’s senior food editor. She’s a writer, recipe developer and food stylist with a degree in culinary arts and professional experience in New York City...
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