30 Southern Recipes Everyone Knows—But Our Readers Haven’t Made
We posed a question to our readers: “What’s a classic Southern dish you’ve never made from scratch?” and here's what they said.
At Southern Living , we pride ourselves on knowing our audience. Over the years, we've printed countless reader-submitted recipes and sifted through piles of letters to the editor. Luckily, social media gives us the opportunity to have conversations with our readers in real time.
Below, we're sharing the dishes that made the most appearances among those thousand comments, from appetizers and sides to main dishes and towering layer cakes. With the help of our Test Kitchen's easy takes on these recipes, hopefully this year will be the year y'all get around to making these Southern classics. You've got this!
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01 of 30
Bread Pudding
Credit: Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox
If you've never made a batch of creamy, custardy, decadent bread pudding, there's no better recipe to start with than this simple bread pudding. If you're feeling bold, you can also branch out and try Creole Bread Pudding , Apple Bread Pudding , and Blueberry Bread Pudding .
02 of 30
Sweet Tea
Credit: Morgan Hunt Glaze, Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall, Prop Stylist: Christina Daley
Since you can order it at any dining establishment in the South, whether drive-thru or white tablecloth, there's not a lot of sense in making Sweet Tea at home, but it's something you might as well try. Our method includes adding a pinch of baking soda to dispel any bitterness or cloudiness in the tea. No, you won't taste the baking soda.
03 of 30
Hush Puppies
Credit: Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox
The history of hush puppies is rich and fascinating, but many Southerners admit they haven't whipped up a batch themselves. Next time you host a fish fry or barbecue, surprise all your guests with the delightful addition of homemade Hush Puppies.
04 of 30
Fried Chicken
Credit: Victor Protasio, Food Stylist: Karen Rankin, Prop Stylist: Julia Bayless
Fried chicken was one of the most popular responses, which is understandable. Though recipes like our Crispy Fried Chicken are extremely simple, deep frying can be intimidating for someone who's never done it. Call the family for Sunday supper—it's time to fry up your first batch.
05 of 30
Biscuits
Credit: Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
We lost count of the amount of people who said they've never made biscuits from scratch, and we know getting them just like Grandma's is difficult. Trust us, though: Our 2-Ingredient Biscuit Recipe is absolutely foolproof. They'll be making a weekly appearance on your table in no time.
06 of 30
Chicken And Dumplings
Credit: Antonis Achilleos; Prop Stylist: Christine Keely; Food Stylist: Ruth Blackburn
Hundreds of respondents claimed they've never made Chicken And Dumplings for a multitude of reasons, but it seemed like it mostly had to do with the dumpling preparation. With our recipes for Chicken And Rolled Dumplings and Chicken And Drop Dumplings , you can choose which method you're more likely to tackle for this Southern comfort food classic.
07 of 30
Collard Greens
Credit: Fred Hardy II; Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall; Props Stylist: Christina Brockman
One of the most frequent answers to our question was collard greens. Our one-pot, low-and-slow method for Southern-Style Collard Greens is all you need to master this famous side dish. And who wouldn't eat their greens when they're prepared with bacon and smoked ham?
08 of 30
Macaroni And Cheese
Credit: Stacy K. Allen; Food Stylist: Ruth Blackburn; Prop Stylist: Christina Daley
Did you just clutch your pearls? Us, too. Mac and cheese was perhaps the most surprising dish that was repeated dozens of times over. Our Best Homemade Macaroni And Cheese will become a non-negotiable for your family holidays once you try it.
09 of 30
Dressing
Credit: Brittany Conerly, Food Stylist: Karen Rankin, Prop Stylist: Christina Brockman
Although cornbread dressing is a staple on Southern tables at Thanksgiving, many readers admitted they haven't made it before. Perhaps it's because it's always assigned to another family member to bring, or they haven't started with homemade cornbread crumbles instead of a bag mix, but once you see how easy it is to make (and make ahead of time ), you'll offer to bring it every turkey day.
10 of 30
Grits
Credit: Stacy K. Allen, Food Stylist: Torie Cox; Prop Stylist: Shell Royster
Whether breakfast, lunch, or dinner, there's no bad time to serve grits on a Southern table. Below, we're sharing our recipe for classic Cheese Grits, but be sure to check out our editors' guide: How To Cook The Best Grits You've Ever Tasted if you're new to the grits game.
11 of 30
Cornbread
Credit: Robby Lozano, Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall
Wherever you stand on the sweet vs. savory debate when it comes to cornbread, you should make it at least once in your life. But please, for the love of Southern grandmas, make it in a cast-iron skillet, like this recipe for Southern Skillet Cornbread.
12 of 30
Red Beans And Rice
Credit: Peter Frank Edwards
Perfect for a chilly fall or winter supper, Red Beans And Rice is a New Orleans specialty. And if you, like many of the commenters on our post, also haven't made cornbread from scratch (see above), go ahead and bake some to serve with your Red Beans And Rice. Trust us on this.
13 of 30
Biscuits And Gravy
Credit: Robby Lozano, Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall
It came as no shock that so many readers had never prepared biscuits together with gravy after noticing how many people had never made biscuits alone. But if you're trying your hand at the Two-Ingredient Biscuits (above) for the first time, why not pour a little from-scratch sausage gravy over them? Our recipe for Sausage Gravy takes just a few kitchen staple ingredients and a little patience.
14 of 30
Pimiento Cheese
Credit: Hector Manuel Sanchez
Pimiento Cheese is one of those recipes that's too easy not to make yourself but also too good store-bought to spend your time on it. When you do try it for yourself, don't you dare buy pre-shredded cheese. Get the arm workout and shred it yourself for the best texture.
15 of 30
Shrimp And Grits
Credit: Victor Protasio; Food Stylist: Karen Rankin; Prop Stylist: Julia Bayless
Though it's decadent and pretty, this Classic Shrimp And Grits recipe is surprisingly easy to make yourself. Though you can jazz it up with different toppings, this no-frills version sticks with scallions and a dash (or a drowning, if you prefer) of hot sauce.
16 of 30
Chicken-Fried Steak
Credit: Victor Protasio, Food Stylist: Ruth Blackburn, Prop Stylist: Christine Keely
Chicken-Fried Steak is one of those dishes that immediately comes to mind when you think of homestyle comfort food. Our recipe is served with Cream Gravy that makes it over-the-top comforting.
17 of 30
Gumbo
Credit: Dotdash Meredith
We don't blame anyone for this one: Preparing gumbo is not for the faint of heart. And if you do it incorrectly or poorly, well, just pray you're not in a Louisiana kitchen. Any Cajun or Creole cook will tell you: It's all in the roux. Be patient until you achieve that chocolate color.
18 of 30
Homemade Bread
Credit: Greg Dupree; Prop Styling: Cindy Barr; Food Styling: Chelsea Zimmer
A cast-iron skillet is the only mode of cooking for Southern cornbread, and a cast-iron Dutch oven is the best option for our No-Knead Buttermilk Bread. Yes, this recipe is no-knead and easy—for a bread recipe. It will still require quite the time commitment, so plan to prepare it on a slow weekend.
19 of 30
Cheese Straws
Credit: Antonis Achilleos; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Styling: Missie Neville Crawford
A popular homemade food gift during the holidays, a dish brimming with Cheese Straws is never far at Southern parties. This recipe only requires six ingredients that you probably have on hand already, but you might need to purchase a cookie press.
20 of 30
Fried Green Tomatoes
Credit: Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox
Fried Green Tomatoes is not just the name of one of our favorite movies based in the South —it's one of the tastiest dishes that summer brings each year. Columnist, author, and food historian Jessica B. Harris prefers her fried green tomatoes on a BLT sandwich: "Just pile the fried tomatoes on thinly sliced sourdough bread slathered with mayonnaise or aïoli, and add a few leaves of butter lettuce and some slices of crispy bacon. Voilà!"
21 of 30
Black-Eyed Peas
Credit: Fred Hardy, Food Stylist: Karen Rankin, Prop Stylist: Christine Keeley
Since a big chunk of our audience commented that they have never made collard greens, cornbread, or black-eyed peas from scratch, we're a little concerned about how your New Year's Days have been going. To score yourself some good luck next year, our recipe for Easy Black-Eyed Peas is the perfect place to start.
22 of 30
Peach Cobbler
Credit: Fred Hardy II; Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Stylist: Christina Brockman
Because Peach Cobbler is an undeniably easy dessert, we were a little surprised to see it on the list time and time again. Some commenters said they've only used canned peaches, so they wouldn't count their cobbler as "made from scratch." Though you'll spend a bit of extra time skinning and slicing your peaches, the results are leaps and bounds tastier than canned.
23 of 30
Caramel Cake
Credit: Courtney West
We weren't perplexed to find many respondents say they had never attempted a Caramel Cake from scratch—caramel can be tricky. The cake layers are basic and can actually be frozen a few weeks in advance so that you can focus solely on that luscious caramel frosting.
24 of 30
Pecan Pie
Credit: GREG DUPREE; FOOD STYLIST: TORIE COX; PROP STYLIST: CHRISTINE KEELY
It's not Thanksgiving in the South without a Pecan Pie on Grandma's sideboard. You'll quickly learn why this recipe from Oxbow Bakery in Palestine, Texas, earned the title of Best Pecan Pie. If you're a novice baker, we won't tell anyone if you take a shortcut and use a store-bought crust the first time.
25 of 30
Hummingbird Cake
Credit: Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox
The Hummingbird Cake is far and away Southern Living 's most popular cake recipe of all time. Its stuffed-to-the-brim layers included pineapple, bananas, and pecans, and it's surrounded in a simple but delectable cream cheese frosting. Plus, it even comes with a side of mystery .
26 of 30
Coconut Cake
Credit: Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox
Complete with four layers, a fluffy whipped frosting, and a sprinkling of toasted coconut flakes on top, our Coconut Cake is one of the most beautiful desserts you can serve. Before frosting, our editors recommend starting with cooled layers at the least, though many bakers actually freeze their layers beforehand to secure flawless results.
27 of 30
Pound Cake
Credit: Will Dickey
When it comes to Pound Cake, there is only one recipe you'll ever need: Our Million Dollar Pound Cake. This recipe just might rival our famous Hummingbird Cake for the most popular Southern Living dessert of all time. "I have been making this since the recipe first was published," wrote one five-star reviewer. "It never fails to impress and is my most requested item to bring to friends and family gatherings."
28 of 30
Red Velvet Cake
Credit: Molly Bolton/Southern Living
If you're looking for a dessert that never fails to dazzle, Red Velvet Cake is the ticket. Our recipe includes classic cream cheese frosting on top. A few tips from the Test Kitchen to ensure your confection comes out just right: For the best texture results, start with room temperature butter, eggs, and buttermilk. And for ideal frosting, be sure your cream cheese is softened.
29 of 30
Lane Cake
Credit: Hector Sanchez
This super-Southern layer cake has a lot going on, so we can see why it might intimidate Southern bakers. It is surely a labor of love, but one you should make at least once if you're a history or literary buff.
30 of 30
Fried Okra
Credit: Caitlin Bensel, Food Stylist: Torie Cox
One of summertime's best gifts is fresh okra, and one of the best things you can do with it is fry it up. Of course, you can add it to your meat 'n three order anytime, but our four-ingredient, three-step recipe makes it easier than ever to enjoy Fried Okra from home.
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