If you've ever lived in the American South, you'll know that the food down there has its
own unique identity, and it's absolutely delicious, too. If you haven’t tried these… well,
bless your heart! These are the Southern comfort foods you absolutely need to try!
One of the most popular dishes to have come out of New Orleans are beignets. These airy
treats are made with usually square pieces of yeast dough that are fried in hot oil until
they puff up. They're then generously dusted with powdered sugar and eaten straight away,
preferably accompanied by a mug of cafe au lait.
Arguably, the best place to enjoy a beignet is in New Orleans, preferably at the Cafe
du Monde in the city's French Quarter. But if getting around is proving a little difficult
right now, then you're in luck, because they're not difficult to make at home either. Just
make sure to turn them often in the oil, and be careful not to overcook them.
Biscuits and gravy is a hearty breakfast dish that you'll find in restaurants and homes
across the South. The soft, flaky biscuits are smothered in white gravy, which is made
from pork sausage drippings, milk, and flour. The gravy is seasoned with black pepper, and
typically includes pieces of the breakfast sausage too, making it even more flavorful.
The good news is that sausage gravy is easy to make at home, and there are plenty of different
recipes available online. Failing that, you could pick up some of the ready-mix packets
at the grocery store…although you'll really want to try the homemade stuff at least once.
As for the biscuits, if making them from scratch just isn't feasible, the Pillsbury ones you
pop open and bake will work just fine. Just don't let a Southerner catch you taking those
shortcuts.
Okay, so boiled peanuts sound kinda bland compared to roasted peanuts. But don't judge
a book by its cover, these are actually really good. They're made by taking raw peanuts and
boiling them for hours in salty water over a fire, until the shells turn soggy. These
peanuts are then sold at roadside stands all over the South, where residents and tourists
alike enjoy them, often with bottles of Coke or sweet tea.
For what it's worth, it's usually best to munch on boiled peanuts outdoors, so you can
easily spit out their soggy shells, because it's nearly impossible to crack them open
with your hands. Of course, some people opt to eat these peanuts whole, shells and all.
But that's one heck of an acquired taste.
"Okay."
For centuries, people have been making use of their stale bread by creating their own
kinds of bread pudding. Often made with bread, cream, eggs, sugar, spices, and raisins, modern
bread pudding is the heartiest of comfort foods, and should do wonders for warming you
up on a cold and dreary day.
So how do you make bread pudding even better? Just add bourbon. In the South, people often
add a few dashes of bourbon to a number of different recipes, and bread pudding is one
of them. The bourbon combines with the cream and sugar to create a thick, warm sauce that
is drizzled over the warm bread pudding right before serving.
Brunswick stew is a hearty, tomato-based stew that's hugely popular in the South. It typically
features lima beans, corn, and other vegetables, along with some sort of meat. The base includes
barbecue sauce and a little hot sauce for some heat, too. Early versions of this stew
used squirrel meat, but if you're not brave enough to keep it authentic, you can always
substitute the squirrel with rabbit, chicken, or just about anything else.
Virginians claim the stew originated in their Brunswick county, while Georgians will tell
you it was first made in the city of Brunswick, Georgia. Wherever it came from, however, it's
a truly delicious comfort food that'll easily take the chill out of a wintry day. Grab some
cornbread, or a loaf of any crusty bread, for that matter, to sop up all this southern
goodness.
Fried catfish is a simple dish that's available at most restaurants that serve fish in the
South. And the good news is that catfish is pretty good for you, since it's high in Omega-3
fatty acids and low in mercury. If you can't find it at a restaurant near you, however,
your grocery store may offer farmed catfish, which is also typically clean and nutritious.
Catfish is easy enough to prepare: dip it in milk, dredge it in seasoned corn meal,
and fry it in hot oil. It only takes a few minutes to get it golden brown on the outside
and beautifully flaky on the inside. Add a squirt of lemon and a side of rice, then start
chowing down. Pure bliss.
For a truly comforting meal, there's nothing like a bowl of chicken and dumplings. If you
aren't in the South, where you can find them at most sit-down restaurants, you can try
to make these at home by dropping biscuit dough into cooking soup. And though they aren't
difficult to make, dumplings are a kind of artform, and they can take some time to perfect.
You don't want your dumplings undercooked and wet inside, but you also don't want them
so overcooked that they start falling apart in the broth. Stick them with a toothpick
and if it comes out clean, you're good to go.
Chicken fried steak, sometimes called country fried steak, is made from a tenderized cube
steak, which is battered like fried chicken, pan-fried, and topped with white gravy. While
you can find chicken fried steak in an array of southern states, it's most closely associated
with Texas. And, as with most things, it's always bigger in Texas, too.
In fact, at Lulu's Cafe in San Antonio, you can find a 21-ounce version of this dish.
And it's not a coincidence that Lulu's is also home to the famous 3-pound cinnamon roll,
too. That's just how they roll down there, as it were.
For your next Super Bowl party, why not forgo the wings and serve up a batch of southern
fried chicken gizzards instead? Believe it or not, your guests might thank you for it.
Okay, so you probably don't want to think too much about what a gizzard is, but that'll
be easy enough to do once you realize how good it tastes.
You can cook gizzards in a number of ways, but it's best to boil them first and then
coat them before deep frying. Throw in a little hot sauce, and soon you won't be able to get
enough of these tender little morsels.
Chicken pot pie is an iconic southern comfort food that, when done right, simply can't be
beaten. And "done right" doesn't mean grabbing a pie from your grocer's freezer section.
A flaky, golden brown, homemade crust is essential for this southern specialty. Inside, the chicken
needs to be moist and plentiful. The vegetables must be neither too firm nor too mushy, and
the gravy creamy but not goopy.
Is it a challenge to find a good chicken pot pie? Yes, but it really is worth it. And if
you don't trust restaurants to get it right, you could always experiment with different
recipes at home. It might take some time to perfect, but once you land on just the right
method, you'll never want to cook anything else.
Ambrosia didn't actually originate in the South, but you'll still find it at plenty
of southern potlucks. This variety of fruit salad typically contains mandarin oranges,
mini marshmallows, pineapple chunks, and shredded coconut mixed with some sort of dairy ingredient.
Some people use mayonnaise, while others use cream cheese, plain yogurt, or whipped cream.
You might also find that some potluckers add in bananas, cherries, and nuts, too, because
why the hell not, right? Think of it like a banana split without the ice cream. And
then maybe throw in some ice cream anyway.
If you live north of the Mason-Dixon line, you've probably never experienced chitlins
before, and you are most definitely missing out. Chitlins are made from the large intestines
of a hog, and they need to be carefully cleaned and prepared before cooking…for obvious
reasons.
Typically, the intestines are soaked in baking soda and water, rinsed several times, turned
inside out, and cleaned by hand before being boiled for several hours. And just in case
you're doing this at home, be warned: Chitlins smell truly disgusting while they are boiling,
so put some onion and lemon in the water to tone down the odor. After they are boiled,
batter and deep fry them, then serve them up with a little hot sauce.
Though Pennsylvania has its own version of chow-chow, it's actually completely different
from the southern variety. In the South, chow-chow is a cabbage-based type of pickled relish
that incorporates onions, peppers, tomatoes, and a whole lot of seasoning. This stuff is
often used as a topping for hot dogs and hamburgers, but you could also use it to top your cornbread,
fish cakes, beans, and even your mashed potatoes. In fact, you can put it on just about anything,
it'll taste great no matter what.
Collard greens are a leafy green vegetable not completely unlike turnip or mustard greens,
and are most often associated with soul food. They can be bitter and tough, if not cooked
properly, but if they're done right then they'll make the perfect side dish to any southern
meal.
After washing them well, chop the leaves into inch-long pieces, then simmer them in water.
People often throw a hambone into the pot, along with garlic and onion for a little extra
flavor, but one of the best addition to collard greens has got to be bacon. You can never
go wrong with bacon.
Red-eye gravy is made with the grease and drippings of pan-fried ham and black coffee.
And yeah, okay, that might sound kinda gross, but this stuff really is amazing. The coffee
is first used to deglaze the pan, but is then combined with the grease on a one-to-one ratio,
resulting in a highly unusual yet genuinely delicious gravy. You can pour the simple gravy
over your ham, potatoes, rice, or grits, but many folks choose to simply sop it up with
biscuits.
Crawfish, crayfish, crawdads, or mud bugs, whatever you call them in your neck of the
woods, these freshwater crustaceans are some of the tastiest seafood out there. Of course,
you can eat crawfish meat dipped in drawn butter, just like you would with lobster.
But if you ever find yourself in the Cajun areas of Louisiana, do yourself a favor and
seek out crawfish etouffee. This is when crawfish meat in a spicy roux is poured over rice for
an amazing dish with a seriously deep flavor.
As simple as it sounds, you don't want to make fried chicken and waffles at home. Instead,
hop on over to one of the South's many awesome waffle establishments or diners, the places
that really get it right. If you haven't experienced chicken and waffles before, it might seem
like an unusual combination. But it really does work. Crispy on the outside and juicy
on the inside, perfectly seasoned fried chicken makes a heavenly partner for a plate of buttery
waffles. This is also an incredibly versatile dish, and should work great for breakfast,
lunch, dinner, or a late-night snack.
Fried green tomatoes is a simple Southern side dish that packs a big punch. The key
when making fried green tomatoes is to avoid them turning into a soft, soggy mess. Check
your unripened tomatoes are suitably firm, then cut them in 3/8- to 1/2-inch slices,
and soak them for an hour in a mixture of buttermilk and hot sauce.
Dredge the tomatoes in a combination of cornmeal and cornstarch, then fry them in bacon grease
over medium-high heat until they're crispy on the outside...but be careful not to overcook
them. You can dip them in just about anything, but a remoulade with mayo, hot sauce, horseradish,
and Cajun spices would be the ultimate authentic accompaniment.
"I miss the smell of coffee. And bacon fryin'. Oh, what I wouldn't give for a plate of fried
green tomatoes!"
If you're looking for something a little out of the ordinary to fill you up, consider jambalaya.
A favorite in Louisiana, jambalaya is a mix of sausage, chicken, seafood, and vegetables,
cooked in the same pot with rice and stock. Creole jambalaya contains tomatoes, while
the Cajun version does not. Both, of course, are extremely tasty.
"Jambalaya!"
In Cajun jambalaya in rural Louisiana, you might also find a variety of game meats used,
as well as alligator, crayfish, and even turtle.
All southerners know that everything's better when you fry it, and okra is no exception.
To make these golden nuggets of veggie goodness for yourself, slice your okra, dip it in buttermilk,
and then coat it in cornmeal and season before deep frying. The best thing here is that okra
is seriously good for you, since it's low in calories and contains a great deal of fiber,
potassium, calcium and vitamins.
The Hot Brown sandwich originated at the restaurant in The Brown Hotel in Louisville, Kentucky,
in the 1920s, and it's still served there today. The Hot Brown is traditionally an open-faced
turkey sandwich with tomatoes covered in Mornay sauce, which is baked, topped with bacon,
and then broiled. Some people say it was originally created with peaches rather than tomatoes.
Others swear it's a great hangover cure. Pretty much everyone agrees, however, that it's a
genuine, bona fide once-in-a-lifetime sandwich.
If you've ever eaten at Long John Silver's, you've probably had their hushpuppies. But
the ones you can get at a southern restaurant or fish fry are a heck of a lot better than
the Long John variety. Hushpuppies are basically balls of fried cornmeal batter that are often
served alongside fried fish or shrimp. Though hushpuppies aren't exactly complex, they're
kind of like potato chips, in that it's virtually impossible to eat just one.
Southern pecan pie made with a splash of high-quality bourbon is hard to beat. If you don't have
a restaurant in your area that makes a killer pecan pie, though, it's not too difficult
to make at home. However, you'll want to experiment with the amounts of corn syrup, brown sugar,
and bourbon you're using, until you find just the right combination. And sure, you might
end up having to bake a load of pies to get it right, but who's gonna complain about that?
If you aren't from the South, then there's a chance you aren't too familiar with pimento
cheese. Basically, pimento cheese is a mixture of cheese mixed with mayo and pimento peppers.
It can be spread on crackers, stuffed into celery, and scooped onto chips. Some people
add it to scrambled eggs or grits, while others use it as a relish for brats, burgers, and
hot dogs.
In Louisiana, they spice it up by adding hot sauce or cayenne pepper into the mix, but
the possibilities for pimento cheese are endless, and once you start incorporating it into your
recipes, you're never going to want to stop.
Potlikker is the liquid that's left behind after you boil green vegetables. So what do
you do with it other than pour it down the sink? Well, some people save potlikker and
use it in place of stock in their next stew or soup, while others pour it over rice or
potatoes. But the best thing to do with potlikker is drink it. It might seem a little odd, but
that way you can reap all the nutrients that have boiled out of the greens.
Red beans and rice is a staple dish in Louisiana Creole cuisine. Traditionally, families took
the ham hocks, bones, vegetables and beans that were leftover from Sunday dinner, and
used them to create a scrumptious dish of spicy beans that were served with rice the
next day.
Cayenne pepper, Tabasco sauce, and other seasonings can turn up the heat on this hearty meal,
while some people like to add in sausage or other meats. Here's a tip, though, if you
boil bones to make a broth for the base, you'll get exactly the flavor you want without having
to add anything else.
Gumbo is sometimes confused with jambalaya, but it's not the same thing at all. The key
difference is that, with jambalaya, the rice is cooked with the rest of the ingredients.
With gumbo, however, the rice is cooked separately.
Gumbo is a stew created with a strong, robust stock, sausage, shrimp, other shellfish, and
the "Holy Trinity" of vegetables, bell peppers, celery, and onions. The most important aspect
of home-cooking a great gumbo is perfecting the roux that's used as its base. Or you could
just head down to New Orleans and get someone to make it for you. Your call.
"Where's my mac and cheese?!"
Everyone knows that real macaroni and cheese doesn't come out of a box; nor does it come
with a packet of powdered cheese. Real, good old fashioned, Southern mac and cheese is
a completely separate dish altogether. It's often created with a combination of cheeses,
and you can use anything from smoked cheddar and Monterey Jack to Gruyere and Velveeta.
Southern recipes usually feature heavy whipping cream, evaporated milk, or both. And the dish
is baked in the oven until the sauce is creamy and the top is crispy. No matter how much
you love macaroni and cheese, you've never really tried it until you've had it in the
South.
You might have seen sweet potato casserole at Thanksgiving dinner and passed it by, but
it's time to stop sleeping on this delicious dish. Though some folks love it topped with
charred marshmallows, others prefer a topping made with brown sugar and pecans. Give it
a go, and you'll soon realize that this often overlooked Thanksgiving side dish deserves
a place on your dinner table all through the year.
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