This is the geographically largest regional cuisine, as well as the oldest, and many would say the best. Certainly southern cooks consider their food unequaled in flavor and tradition, and it's hard to argue. So many of America's favorite dishes and recipes were born and raised in the steamy and soulful south. The unique blend of European, Native American, Caribbean, and African cultures has produced an almost endless array of great food.
These beautiful fresh peach tartlets are easy to make and look like something from a fancy pastry shop.
Take advantage of fresh peaches with this super easy fresh peach ice cream topping recipe.
Traditional southern fried chicken recipes are simply chicken dusted in flour and fried crisp, but this delicious variation uses a buttermilk bath for a tangy twist.
This tasty shrimp recipe is a cousin to the southern classic "barbecued shrimp."
Shrimp and grits are an old-time southern favorite, and this delicious recipe will show you why it’s so popular.
This Kentucky butter cake recipe features a moist, old-fashion Bundt cake soaked with a beautiful buttery glaze.
America's favorite sauce, sweet and spicy barbecue sauce, makes these Buffalo wings a party favorite. The secret to this barbecue chicken wings recipe is how the well-coated wings hold the sauce, instead of dripping all over the place.
These delicious stuffed corn muffins bring together two American favorites - barbecued pork and cornbread. The cornbread forms a perfect package for the pork, and since it keeps the fingers clean, it's great for parties.
Take a break from traditional Buffalo wings with this addictive, sweet and spicy mustard-glazed chicken wings recipe. The chicken wings are simply browned, then glazed in the no-cook sauce for a super-easy party snack that needs no dip.
This very simple, but very delicious honey mustard pork chops recipe is quick to make and requires no slicing or dicing.
Black-eyed peas are a traditional southern New Years Day meal and are said to bring prosperity and good fortune. This black-eyed peas recipe features a tasty combination of pork, bacon, ham, and braised greens.
This delicious savory dressing/stuffing recipe combines rich pecans, with sweet, tart dried apricots. You can use it for stuffing turkey, or other poultry, or serve it along side roast pork, or even a prime rib of beef.
This creative pumpkin pie recipe from Kim Carlson of Culinate, is perfect for those of you that can't decide whether to have a slice of pecan, or pumpkin pie after the turkey. Now have both, in one delicious pie!
Is there anything homier than a bowl of chicken and biscuits? The slowly simmer vegetables, tender chicken, and rich gravy, topped with a hot buttermilk biscuit is the definition of comfort food. Don't let the ingredient list fool you, this chicken and biscuits recipe is very simple to make, and works every time!
Are looking for a super-easy holiday side dish recipe? Then this low-fat, highly nutritious buttermilk mashed yams recipe is for you. Three simple ingredients combine to make yam magic! You can also use sweet potatoes for a delicious variation.
This easy meatloaf recipe sure lives up to its name. The buttermilk works its tangy magic to make this meatloaf tender and delicious. This great recipe is finished with a glossy brown sugar glaze that's a perfect compliment to the flavorful meat.
This barbecued shrimp recipe is great when you want grilled shrimp, but don't feel like building a fire that you are only going to need for five minutes. These barbecued shrimp are seared in a pan, and are cooked in the shell for extra flavor and moistness.
Fried green tomatoes are an American classic, and one of the most famous southern recipes of all-time. The great thing about this fried green tomatoes recipe is that the same technique can be used for other vegetables like eggplant and squash. Fried green tomatoes are often served as side dishes, or as a snack with hot sauce.
This recipe features mild, meaty grilled swordfish, enhanced with a quick ginger and citrus marinade. This grilled swordfish recipe is perfect when you want something light, but still satisfying.
This spicy grilled shrimp recipe is an easy, but impressive, seafood dish. A few hours in the spicy marinade, and these shrimp are ready for the fire. The recipe calls for shell-on shrimp for extra flavor, but these grilled shrimp can be done with peeled ones as well.
This honey mustard coleslaw recipe is sweet, tangy and delicious. It's a perfect coleslaw recipe to pair with almost any grilled meat or chicken.
A peach crisp recipe, served with melting vanilla ice cream, is one of the great summer dessert recipes of all time. This peach crisp recipe features a traditional oatmeal and brown sugar topping for a classic, old-fashion dessert.
This sweet-hot carrot and cabbage coleslaw recipe is simple, crunchy and fresh tasting. A perfect all-purpose coleslaw recipe for any picnic or barbecue.
By cooking this beef brisket recipe in the oven first, and then glazing with barbecue sauce on the grill after, you get a deliciously moist, smoky, and perfectly cooked piece of meat. This beef brisket recipe is called "lazy man's" because it's so easy, but you'll call it "smart cook's" beef brisket when you taste the results.
This white barbecue sauce recipe from the northern part of Alabama may be America's most unusual barbecue sauce recipe. It doesn’t contain any tomato, but uses mayonnaise as the base, which is where this barbecue sauce recipe gets its name.
This barbecue sauce recipe gets it's kick from Kentucky's famous bourbon. This is a great all-purpose barbecue sauce recipe that goes well with almost any barbecued meat.
Sweet and tangy, this honey Dijon barbecue sauce recipe is perfect when you feel like a tasty break from the usual tomato-based barbecue sauce recipes.
Memphis barbecue sauce is considered by many barbecue enthusiasts to be the best all-purpose barbecue sauce recipe. It has a great balance between hot, sweet and tangy. It's traditionally served with pork, but works just fine with beef and chicken.
When it comes to barbecue sauce recipes, mustard and vinegar is king in this part of the country. There's no ketchup allowed in this delicious and tangy South Carolina barbecue sauce recipe.
A garlic and herb marinade, and the smoky juices from grilled oranges, makes this fennel-crusted flank steak recipe special. This flank steak recipe is a tasty way to try something out of the ordinary for your next barbecue.
This gumbo recipe is a spicy, meaty, comforting Cajun stew, usually served with rice. Andouille sausage is a traditional ingredient in gumbo recipes, but any spicy, smoked sausage will work in this classic American recipe.
This crawfish etouffee recipe is a delicious Creole classic. Spicy etouffee recipes are wonderful served over rice, and can be made as hot or mild as you wish.
This shrimp etouffee recipe is an easy home-style version of the Creole classic. Etouffee recipes are usually served over rice, and can be made with all types of shellfish. Also, the heat in this etouffee recipe is simple to adjust to your tastes.
This jambalaya recipe is an easy, delicious version of one of America's great dishes. Jambalaya is soul food at its finest - hearty, satisfying, and deeply comforting. There are many variations of this Creole classic, but this sausage and shrimp version is my favorite jambalaya recipe.
This easy cream cheese frosting recipe is perfect for almost any cupcake, or layer cake recipe. By adjusting the powdered sugar at the end you can easily control the thickness, depending on what you're using it for.
These red velvet cupcakes will make quite an impression with their great taste and unusual color. Red velvet cake is well known in the American South, and there are as many different recipes as there are stories about this unique cake's origins.
This colorful, healthy, and delicious roasted beet and arugula salad is a wonderful combination of tastes and textures. The earthy, sweet beets, the spicy greens, the tangy cheese, and the crunchy pecans all shine in this impressive salad recipe.
This mashed potato recipe is perfect to serve along side any poached, grilled, or roasted chicken recipes. The tang of the Dijon, and the sweet, aromatic tarragon gives this mashed potato recipe it's deliciously different flavor.
This delicious Kentucky bourbon chocolate walnut pie is traditionally served at the annual Kentucky Derby Horse race. This pie recipe is similar to the Melrose Inn's famous "Derby Pie," which has been served at the race for over 50 years.
This mashed potato recipe is perfect for those times when plain mashed potatoes just won't do. Unlike many garlic mashed potato recipes, this version cooks the garlic with the potatoes for a more mild, sweeter flavor.
The sugar topping gives this old-fashion orange cornmeal cake a nice crunch, and the orange flavor works perfectly with the subtle sweetness of the corn. This orange cornmeal cake recipe is perfect for a brunch buffet.
Looking for a pancake recipe that's delicious and good for you? This recipe for whole wheat banana pancakes just might fit the bill.
If you like gingerbread, and you like pancakes, you'll love this gingerbread pancake recipe! This is the perfect pancake recipe for those special occasion brunches.
The term “Jerk” comes from the term “Jerky,” which comes from the Spanish “Charqui” (char-key), which is meat cooked over a slow wood fire. Today “Jerk” doesn’t refer to the cooking method, but the fiery spice mix rubbed on the meat before it’s grilled.
Try this tangy chicken thigh recipe next to a green salad for a quick and healthy meal. This chicken recipe is also great for entertaining, and can be served at room temperature. It also makes a great sandwich when served on a soft roll.
Since it uses canned peaches, this peach and mustard glazed pork chop recipe is a taste of summer anytime of the year. The sweetness of the peaches, and the tangy mustard are perfect with pork chops.
Straight from New Orleans' famous French Quarter, this Creole favorite is a descendant of the Spanish paella. Featuring local ingredients, and a healthy dose of French flair, Jambalaya has been a Louisiana favorite for over a century. This simple Jambalaya recipe is easy to make, re-heats beautifully, and is great for entertaining.
A great, old fashion, Southern-style meatloaf recipe that uses pork and beef for very moist, flavorful results. The molasses and ketchup glaze gives this meatloaf a beautiful, shiny finish. Get those buttermilk mashed potatoes ready!
A low-fat Southern fried chicken? Yes! That's compared to other fried chicken recipes, not celery sticks! By using skinless chicken thighs, a low-fat buttermilk coating, and frying quickly in hot oil, this Southern fried chicken is significantly lower in fat than the traditional fried chicken recipes.
Apricot preserves and fresh sage make a delicious glaze for this easy roast chicken recipe. If you want something a bit different from the usual roast chicken recipes, give this apricot glazed chicken a try.
This cornbread recipe is more on the moist and tender side than the dry and crumbly texture that many traditional recipes feature. This is a very easy to make cornbread recipe that always gets rave reviews.
This honey and lime flavored butter spread is perfect to top warm cornbread. It also can be used to finish a grilled chicken breast or pork chop.
This barbecue meatloaf recipe uses a smoky sauce, with a pork and beef mixture, for a differently delicious twist on the classic meatloaf.
This great buttermilk jalapeno cornbread recipe has just the right balance between heat and sweet. Also, this cornbread has no baking powder, which gives many cornbread recipes an aftertaste. If you don't like jalapenos, feel free to leave them out and this moist, easy cornbread recipe will still come out wonderfully.
It's hard to come up with a more nutritious soup recipe than this fat-free kale and sweet potato soup. No butter or oil is needed when you're using the delicious combination of satisfying sweet potatoes and the flavorful kale. Not only is this fat-free soup nutritious and tasty, it's incredibly easy and fast to prepare. Both the main ingredients are on many of the "super foods" lists and this kale and sweet potato soup is a great way to enjoy them.
This is not your typical French toast recipe. Most of us are used to French toast being thin-sliced bread, dipped in egg, fried and served. This is New Orleans-style French toast, made using thick slices of bread soaked in a custard batter, then after being browned lightly in a pan, they're baked golden brown.
So simple and delicious, these sweet potato fries are a great way to enjoy one of nature's most nutritious foods. Since these are done in a hot oven, they don't need lots of oil to "fry." These sweet potato fries are great with burgers, steaks and almost anything else you would serve with regular fries.
Is there a better way to enjoy blueberries than a blueberry crisp? The dark, sweet-tart berries and that chewy, crisp top is one of the great combinations of all time. This blueberry crisp recipe is a tasty way to get these nutritious berries into your diet. Blueberries are on all the "super foods" lists due to their high levels of anti-oxidants. This is delicious
and good for you!
This simple scalloped potatoes and ham recipe is perfect for using up that leftover ham. This can be served as a side dish, or paired with a salad as a main course. Scalloped potatoes and ham also make a great brunch item, as they are wonderful served with any style of eggs.
This peach and Bourbon glazed roast chicken recipe is an easy, and very delicious, taste of the south. The peach and Bourbon glaze gives the roast chicken a beautiful, shinny skin. If you're tired of the same old roast chicken recipes give this a try.
Most lentil soup recipes are very good, but a lentil soup recipe slow-cooked with a smoked ham hock is a something really special. This southern pork delicacy gives the lentil soup that down home country flavor that will have you reaching for another ladle.
This very traditional chicken stew, named for Brunswick, Georgia or Brunswick County, Virginia, depending on whom you believe, is a delicious taste of old-fashion southern cooking at it's best. This recipe is from Diana Rattray, About.com's Southern Food guide.
