Homestyle Southern Favorites
Grab a cast-iron skillet, and get ready to make some of our timeless Southern delicacies.
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Comforting Southern Recipes
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Praline Bundt Cake
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Timely Fried Chicken
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Fried Green Tomatoes
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Grannie's Cracklin Cornbread
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Rolled Greens
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Chocolate Bourbon Pecan Pie
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Peach Iced Tea
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Delta-Style Fried Catfish
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Hoppin' John Salad
Sausage Gravy
Sausage gravy is a classic Southern recipe. Serve over buttermilk biscuits or grits for a hearty breakfast.
Yield: Makes 2 cups
More From Southern Living
Ingredients
- 8 ounces pork sausage
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 1/3 cups milk
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
Preparation
- Cook sausage in a large skillet over medium heat, stirring until it crumbles and is no longer pink. Remove sausage, and drain on paper towels, reserving 1 tablespoon drippings in skillet.
- Whisk flour into hot drippings until smooth; cook, whisking constantly, 1 minute. Gradually whisk in milk, and cook, whisking constantly, 5 to 7 minutes or until thickened. Stir in sausage, salt, and pepper.
Praline Bundt Cake
Prep: 30 min.; Bake: 1 hr., 22 min.; Cool: 1 hr.
Yield: Makes 12 servings
Ingredients
- 1 cup chopped pecans
- 1 cup butter, softened
- 1 (8-oz.) package cream cheese, softened
- 1 (16-oz.) package dark brown sugar
- 4 large eggs
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 (8-oz.) container sour cream
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- Praline Icing
- Sugared Pecans
Preparation
- 1. Arrange 1 cup pecans in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake at 350° for 5 to 7 minutes or until toasted. Cool on a wire rack 15 minutes or until completely cool. Reduce oven temperature to 325°.
- 2. Beat butter and cream cheese at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Gradually add brown sugar, beating until well blended. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating just until blended after each addition.
- 3. Sift together 2 1/2 cups flour and next 3 ingredients. Add to butter mixture alternately with sour cream, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Beat batter at low speed just until blended after each addition. Stir in toasted pecans and vanilla. Spoon batter into a greased and floured 12-cup Bundt pan.
- 4. Bake at 325° for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until a long wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool cake in pan on a wire rack 15 minutes; remove from pan to wire rack, and let cool 30 minutes or until completely cool.
- 5. Prepare Praline Icing, and spoon immediately over cake. Sprinkle top of cake with Sugared Pecans.
Praline Icing
Prep: 10 min., Cook: 5 min.
This recipe goes with Praline Bundt Cake
Yield: Makes about 1 1/2 cups
Ingredients
- 1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
- 1/2 cup butter
- 1/4 cup milk
- 1 cup powdered sugar, sifted
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Preparation
- 1. Bring first 3 ingredients to a boil in a 2-qt. saucepan over medium heat, whisking constantly; boil 1 minute. Remove from heat; whisk in powdered sugar and vanilla until smooth. Stir gently 3 to 5 minutes or until mixture begins to cool and thickens slightly. Use immediately.
Sugared Pecans
Although these sugared pecans are sweet enough to eat for dessert, try them as a topping on your favorite cake recipe.
This recipe goes with Praline Bundt Cake
Yield: Makes about 5 cups
Recipe Time
Prep Time:Bake: 20 Minutes
Cool: 30 Minutes
Ingredients
- 1 egg white
- 4 cups pecan halves (about 1 lb.)
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1/3 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
Preparation
- 1. Whisk egg white until foamy; add pecans, and stir until evenly coated.
- 2. Stir together sugars; sprinkle over pecans. Stir gently until pecans are evenly coated. Spread pecans in a single layer in a lightly greased aluminum foil-lined 15- x 10-inch jelly-roll pan.
- 3. Bake at 350° for 18 to 20 minutes or until pecans are toasted and dry, stirring once after 10 minutes. Remove from oven, and let cool 30 minutes or until completely cool.
- Note: Store pecans in a zip-top plastic freezer bag at room temperature up to 3 days or freeze up to 3 weeks.
Southern Fried Chicken
Yield: 8 to 10 servings
Recipe Time
Cook Time:Prep Time:
Chill: 2 Hours
Ingredients
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons paprika
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 3 large eggs
- 1/3 cup milk
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 (2- to 3-pound) whole chickens cut up
- Vegetable oil
Preparation
- Stir together first 3 ingredients in a shallow dish. Whisk together eggs, milk, and lemon juice in a bowl. Dredge chicken in flour mixture, dip in egg mixture, and dredge again in flour mixture. Chill 2 hours.
- Pour oil to a depth of 1/2 inch into an electric skillet; heat to 375°. Fry chicken, in batches, 10 minutes on each side or until golden brown. Reduce heat to 250°; cover and cook 25 minutes or until done. Drain on paper towels.
Fried Green Tomatoes
No one does Fried Green Tomatoes like Southern Living. The cornmeal and flour crust is what sets this recipe apart from others.
Yield: Makes 4 to 6 servings
Ingredients
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten
- 1/2 cup buttermilk
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour, divided
- 1/2 cup cornmeal
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 3 medium-size green tomatoes, cut into 1/3-inch slices
- Vegetable oil
- Salt to taste
Preparation
- Combine egg and buttermilk; set aside.
- Combine 1/4 cup all-purpose flour, cornmeal, 1 teaspoon salt, and pepper in a shallow bowl or pan.
- Dredge tomato slices in remaining 1/4 cup flour; dip in egg mixture, and dredge in cornmeal mixture.
- Pour oil to a depth of 1/4 to 1/2 inch in a large cast-iron skillet; heat to 375°. Drop tomatoes, in batches, into hot oil, and cook 2 minutes on each side or until golden. Drain on paper towels or a rack. Sprinkle hot tomatoes with salt.
Grannie's Cracklin' Cornbread
Photo: Charles Walton; Styling: Mary Lyn Hill Jenkins
Yield: 8 to 10 servings
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup butter or margarine
- 2 cups self-rising cornmeal
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 1/2 cups buttermilk
- 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
- 1 cup cracklings*
Preparation
- Place butter in a 9-inch cast-iron skillet, and heat in a 425° oven 4 minutes.
- Combine cornmeal and flour in a large bowl; make a well in center of mixture.
- Stir together buttermilk, eggs, and cracklings; add to dry ingredients, stirring just until moistened. Pour over melted butter in hot skillet.
- Bake at 425° for 25 to 30 minutes or until golden brown.
- *1 cup cooked, crumbled bacon (12 to 15 slices) may be substituted for cracklings.
- Grannie's Cracklin' Cakes: Prepare batter as directed above; stir in 1/4 cup butter, melted. Heat a large skillet coated with vegetable cooking spray over medium-high heat. Spoon about 1/4 cup batter for each cake into skillet; cook, in batches, 2 to 3 minutes on each side or until golden.
Rolled Greens
The name of this South American dish comes from the technique of rolling the collard leaves tightly together to make slicing easier.
Yield: 16 servings (serving size: 1/2 cup)
Nutritional Information
Amount per serving
- Calories: 73
- Calories from fat: 18%
- Fat: 1.5g
- Saturated fat: 0.3g
- Monounsaturated fat: 0.7g
- Polyunsaturated fat: 0.3g
- Protein: 2.9g
- Carbohydrate: 13.7g
- Fiber: 4.2g
- Cholesterol: 1mg
- Iron: 1.4mg
- Sodium: 137mg
- Calcium: 226mg
Ingredients
- 3 pounds collards or kale
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 2 bacon slices, finely diced
- 8 cups chopped onion
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 to 1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
Preparation
- Remove stems from collards. Wash and pat dry. Stack 4 or 5 collard leaves together, and roll up holding tightly. Slice thinly to equal 32 cups.
- Heat oil in a large Dutch oven until hot. Add bacon; saute 2 minutes or until lightly browned. Add onion; saute 2 minutes. Add collards in 4 batches; cook 1 minute after each addition, stirring frequently. Cook an additional 25 minutes or until tender, stirring frequently. Add salt, pepper, and sauce; cook 2 minutes.
Chocolate-Bourbon Pecan Pie
A rich chocolate bourbon pecan pie is the perfect recipe to end a Derby Day celebration. Former staff member Cynthia Ann Briscoe, a Louisville native and ardent Derby fan, contributed this version.
Yield: Makes 8 servings
Recipe Time
Cook Time:Prep Time:
Bake: 55 Minutes
Ingredients
- 1/2 (15-ounce) package refrigerated pie crusts
- 1 1/2 cups chopped pecans
- 1 cup (6 ounces) semisweet chocolate morsels
- 1 cup dark corn syrup
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
- 1/4 cup bourbon or water
- 4 large eggs
- 1/4 cup butter or margarine, melted
- 2 teaspoons cornmeal
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Preparation
- Fit pie crust into a 9-inch deep-dish pie plate according to package directions; fold edges under, and crimp.
- Sprinkle pecans and chocolate evenly onto bottom of pie crust; set aside.
- Combine corn syrup and next 3 ingredients in a large saucepan, and bring to a boil over medium heat. Cook, stirring constantly, 3 minutes. Remove from heat.
- Whisk together eggs and next 4 ingredients. Gradually whisk about one-fourth hot mixture into egg mixture; add to remaining hot mixture, whisking constantly. Pour filling into prepared piecrust.
- Bake at 325° for 55 minutes or until set; cool on wire rack.
Peach Iced Tea
Yield: 3/4 gallon
Ingredients
- 3 (11.5-ounce) cans peach nectar
- 2 quarts brewed tea
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
Preparation
- Stir together all ingredients; chill until ready to serve.
Delta-Style Fried Catfish
Yield: Makes 4 to 6 servings
Cook Time:
Prep Time:
Other: 8 Hours, 10 Minutes
Prep Time:
Other: 8 Hours, 10 Minutes
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups milk
- 2 to 3 drops hot sauce
- 6 (4- to 6-ounce) catfish fillets
- 3/4 cup yellow cornmeal
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon ground red pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- Vegetable oil
Preparation
- Whisk together milk and hot sauce. Place catfish fillets in a single layer in a 13- x 9-inch baking dish; cover with milk mixture. Cover and chill 8 hours, turning once.
- Combine cornmeal and next 5 ingredients in a shallow dish, and set aside.
- Let catfish fillets stand at room temperature in milk mixture in baking dish 10 minutes. Remove fillets from milk mixture, allowing excess to drip off.
- Dredge catfish fillets in cornmeal mixture, shaking off excess.
- Pour oil to a depth of 1 1/2 inches into a large, deep cast-iron or heavy-duty skillet; heat to 360°. Fry fillets, in batches, 2 minutes on each side or until golden brown. Remove to a wire rack on a paper towel-lined jellyroll pan. Keep warm in a 225° oven until ready to serve.
Hoppin' John Salad
Savor a salad version of the traditional Southern black-eyed pea and rice dish that is often served on New Year's Day to ensure good luck in the coming year.
Yield: makes 7 cups
Ingredients
- 1 yellow bell pepper
- 1 red bell pepper
- 1/2 medium onion
- 4 (15-ounce) cans black-eyed peas, rinsed and drained
- 2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and diced
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 cup red wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 4 bacon slices, cooked and crumbled
- Garnish: fresh chopped parsley
Preparation
- Dice first 4 ingredients. Combine diced vegetables, peas, and next 6 ingredients in a large bowl.
- Combine vinegars in a small bowl, and whisk in oil in a slow, steady stream, blending well. Add to vegetable mixture, tossing gently to coat. Cover and chill 3 to 4 hours. Stir in bacon. Garnish, if desired.
