r/southernfood

Zucchini and pepper veggie side. And yes, I could have used a bigger plate. :)

Creamy cucumber, tomato & Vidalia onion salad we’ve made every Southern summer,  I can remember. 

This is one of those simple summer dishes that showed up at just about every meal growing up right alongside grilled chicken, barbecue, or Sunday lunch after church.

It doesn’t look like much, but cold out of the fridge on a hot day, it’s hard to beat.

We always made it with cucumbers, ripe tomatoes, and a good sweet Vidalia onion. The creamy dressing pulls everything together, and after it chills a bit, the flavors just settle into something really special.

Here’s the way I still make it:

Servings: about 6

Prep time: 15 minutes (plus chill time if you have it)

Ingredients:

1 large English cucumber (or 2 small homegrown), peeled or partially peeled and thinly sliced

3 medium ripe tomatoes, cut into wedges

1 large Vidalia onion, thinly sliced (about 1 cup)

½ cup mayonnaise (we always used Duke’s)

2 tablespoons sour cream

1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

1 teaspoon sugar

½ teaspoon salt

¼–½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons fresh dill (optional)

How to make it:

In a large bowl, combine cucumbers, tomatoes, and sliced onion.

In a separate bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, sour cream, vinegar, sugar, salt, and pepper until smooth.

Pour the dressing over the vegetables and gently toss until everything is coated.

Stir in fresh dill if you’re using it.

Chill for about 30 minutes if you can—it’s even better once it’s cold, but it’s good right away too.

It won’t last long once it hits the table.

Curious, do y’all make yours more sweet or more tangy?

I’ve written out a more detailed version with a few extra tips if anybody wants it.

Middle Tennessee edition! This is how my Momma makes hers, so it’s how I make mine. I use white meat, red grapes, pecans, hard boiled eggs, celery, half Miracle Whip/half Duke’s, and seasonings. It must be served on a croissant with dill pickle Lays in my house - sometimes the chips go directly on the sandwich! This is straight comfort food for me.

Our neighbors are from Texas and said they don’t use grapes, but instead use apples… which I have never seen before! But it makes me wonder…. How do other Southerners make their chicken salad?

Purchased from on the hook food truck.

One of my favorite cakes! You are in for a treat if you have never experienced eating a strawberry cake. My daughter always requests this cake for her birthday. It’s her favorite. Her birthday is this month so I’ll be making another one again soon. We enjoy strawberry cake all though the month of May. It makes a perfect cake for Mother’s Day, showers, luncheons or any special occasion.
INGREDIENTS
Cake
1 (18.25-ounce) box white cake mix

1 (3-ounce) package strawberry flavored gelatin

1 cup vegetable oil

4 large eggs, separated

½ cup of strawberry puree (you can puree fresh or frozen strawberries)

¼ cup strawberry juice Note: If using fresh strawberries, gently press strawberries until they release 1/4 cup of juice)

¼ cup whole milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting
½ cup (1stick butter), softened

1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened

6 cups confectioner’s sugar, sifted

¼ cup heavy whipping cream

½ cup strawberry puree

1 to 2 drop red food coloring (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour 3 8 or 9-inch round cake pans. (Tip: For cake layers not to stick to pans, after greasing pans place a small circle of wax paper or parchment paper in the center of each cake pan.)

In a large mixing bowl, add cake mix, dry gelatin, and oil. Beat UNTILL just blended.

In a separate bowl, beat egg whites until stiff and set aside in the refrigerator.

Beat egg yolks in a separate bowl and add them to the cake mix mixture. Beat just enough to mix well. Sir in ½ cup pureed strawberries, strawberry juice, milk and vanilla. (Stir do not beat)

Fold in stiffly beaten egg whites. Pour into the prepared cake pans and bake for 16 to 18 minutes or until done. (Be careful not to over bake) cool cake completely before frosting.

To make the Frosting, cream butter and cream cheese until light and fluffy. Add 3 cups confectioners’ sugar and ¼ cup heavy cream. Continue to beat; add the remaining 3 cups of confectioners’ sugar, vanilla beat until smooth and creamy. Stir in the strawberry puree and a few drops of red food coloring.

I have more tips on this recipe if you want them.
#strawberrycake

It’s my dad’s 82nd and his favourite cake is chocolate with dark chocolate icing.
I made this entirely from scratch
It won’t win any beauty contests, but it tastes lovely and dad was very happy 😊

I just used some hush puppy mix with beer and added diced jalapeños. Coated little chunks of crappie in that batter and fried it up!

This Chocolate Oatmeal Pie is more than just a recipe to me.
It’s a reminder of long days in our restaurant kitchen.
Of customers who became friends.
Of recipes passed down and shared.
Of simple ingredients turned into something special.
It’s proof that sometimes the best desserts don’t come from fancy techniques—just good Southern know-how and a whole lot of love.
I hope this pie becomes a favorite in your home the way it has been in ours for so many years.
I grew up around a lot of pies in the South, but this one right here… this is the one people don’t forget.
It’s rich, chocolatey, and gooey in the center with that crackly top, almost like a brownie. But the twist is the oatmeal. You don’t taste it as oatmeal, but it gives the pie the best texture… kind of like a cross between a fudge pie and a chocolate oatmeal cookie.
It’s all simple pantry ingredients and comes together easy. The kind of recipe you can make without thinking too hard, but people will think you did.

Now I’m curious… what’s your all-time favorite pie?
Are you more of a fruit pie person, or do you go straight for chocolate?

Here’s the recipe if you want to try this one:

Ingredients
3 large eggs, well beaten

¾ cup (1½ sticks) salted butter, melted

1 ¾ cups white granulated sugar 

6 Tablespoons of unsweetened cocoa

½ cup quick-cooking oatmeal

1½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1 (9-inch) unbaked pie shell

Freshly whipped cream, vanilla ice cream, chocolate shavings or chocolate fudge syrup for topping (Optional)

How to make this Old Fashioned Chocolate Fudge Pie
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees

In a large mixing bowl, whisk the eggs until light and fluffy.

In a separate bowl, melt the butter in the microwave and add the hot melted butter to the sugar. (make sure the butter is really melted and hot) Stir until the sugar is dissolved. Stir the sugar and butter mixture into the beaten eggs.

Next add the cocoa powder, oatmeal, and vanilla extract. If you are adding nuts or chocolate chips, add them now to the batter.

Stir with a wooden spoon or spatula until smooth and well combined.

Pour the filling into the unbaked pie shell.

Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, or until the edges are set and the center is just slightly soft.

Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely before slicing. Enjoy!!

If you want any extra tips for getting that perfect gooey center or making it ahead, just let me know. I’m happy to share what I’ve learned making it over the years.

This was from a serious eats recipe. Came out so good! Served with hot horseradish cocktail sauce.

Heading into the weekend, I was in the mood for fish. So, we got some skillet-fried pangasius/basa catfish. The filets were big, so I cut them in half before cooking. Came out about perfect on seasoning and doneness this time.

Instead of the usual hot water cornbread with chopped onion "hush puppies" to use up the rest of the seasoned cornmeal? This time I threw it into some fritters with a big zucchini that needed used up, plus an onion and part of a big grated carrot that didn't go into the slaw. These are basically just zucchini pakoras, but made with Creole seasoning and the little leftover cornmeal. Turned out delicious!

I may have to try mixing cornmeal in with straight onion bhajis next time I make some. That would about have to be good.

Thought about frying up some potatoes too, but I didn't feel like it today. The slaw I put together last night. This was PLENTY of food without the added taters!

Gotta mix cornstarch with the flour to get that crispy crust. I mix about 70/30 flour to cornstarch. And then I add granulated garlic, onion powder, a little cayenne, salt and black pepper. Marinate steaks in hot sauce overnight in a ziploc in the fridge. ( I used Crystal's Garlic with a little Tabasco Scorpion) Drain but don't rinse then coat in flour mixture and put on a wire rack back in the fridge for a couple hours for the crust to set.

I didn’t grow up eating chocolate gravy, but I had it for the first time at a friend’s house in high school and I’ve loved it ever since. It’s one of those old-fashioned recipes that just sticks with you.
How many of y’all grew up on chocolate gravy?

Southern Chocolate Gravy
Ingredients
1 ½  cups sugar

4 ½ Tablespoons cocoa powder

3 Tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 cups whole milk

2 Tablespoons salted butter

1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract

1 tablespoon white Karo syrup

Instructions
Whisk sugar, cocoa, and flour together in a bowl. Add milk and whisk smooth.

Pour into a saucepan; cook over medium-high heat 8 to 10 minutes until bubbly and thickened, ( and coats the back of the spoon. This is a great old- fashioned way to tell if it’s done.) whisking constantly.

Remove from heat; stir in butter, vanilla, and Karo syrup.

Serve hot over biscuits. Enjoy!

If you want more tips on how to make chocolate gravy, let me know. I’ll be happy to share.

This is one of my husband and I’s favorite comfort meals. Fried fish, coleslaw, white beans, and I mixed up some tartar sauce to go with the fish. We both enjoyed this meal with a cold beer.🍻

Adapted recipe from AB’s: https://smokinandgrillinwitab.com/easy-one-pot-jambalaya-recipe/