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Vintage Southern recipes are the ones I keep coming back to, and these thirty-three classics get made at my house more than anything else on the site. My Granny’s fried chicken, buttermilk biscuits, squash casserole, butter beans, chess pie, and Chocolate Coca-Cola Cake are all in here. Church suppers and Sunday dinners ran on this food, and most of it takes nothing but pantry staples and a hot oven.

Every one of these uses ingredients you can find at any grocery store, and most of them need nothing more than a skillet or a casserole dish. You can double the mac and cheese or the green beans without any trouble if you’re feeding a crowd. The pound cake, the cobblers, and the deviled eggs can all be made the day before.

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1
A slice of red velvet cake with three layers and white cream cheese frosting on a white plate, with a fork and red napkin in the background.
Southern Red Velvet Cake Recipe
A guide to making the best red velvet cake with cream cheese frosting. It's tender, moist, and always delicious.
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2
A bowl filled with cucumber onion salad.
Cucumber Onion Salad
Cucumber Onion Salad is a simple, classic recipe of sliced crisp cucumbers, sweet onions, and tangy vinegar to create a side dish that's refreshing and full of flavor.
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3
Three jars of strawberry jam sit on a white surface, with fresh strawberries and a container of strawberries in the background.
Strawberry Freezer Jam Recipe
Easy Sure-Jell strawberry freezer jam is fresh, sweet, and so easy to make. The yield for this recipe is 5-6 jars.
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4
Southern Sweet Potato Casserole features a traditional pecan and brown sugar streusel topping rather than melted marshmallows.
Sweet Potato Casserole
A creamy sweet potato casserole that’s topped with crunchy pecan and brown sugar streusel.
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5
Slices of pound cake on a plate.
Southern Cream Cheese Pound Cake
This cream cheese pound cake is perfect every time, with a buttery, moist, and tender crumb.
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6
A stack of freshly baked old-fashioned buttermilk biscuits displayed on a cooling rack.
Buttermilk Biscuits Recipe
Soft, flaky Southern buttermilk biscuits made the cathead way. Hand-rolled with White Lily flour, cold butter, and full-fat buttermilk. Ready in 25 minutes.
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7
serving dish of cheesy grits
Recipe: Baked Cheese Grits
Baked cheese grits casserole is a Southern favorite and this version is the best! Cheddar cheese, heavy cream, and eggs make it rich and creamy.
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8
Butter beans with bacon and a wooden spoon.
Butter Beans Recipe
Butter beans cooked the old-fashioned way with bacon and just a little sugar.
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9
three salmon burgers stacked on a white platter
Salmon Patties Recipe
Salmon patties are a delicious and economical way to feed your family.
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10
Strawberry cobbler topped with ice cream on a plate.
Strawberry Cobbler Recipe
A quick and easy Southern crowd-pleaser made with fresh strawberries.
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11
Sliced meatloaf on a white platter.
Southern Meatloaf Recipe
This Southern meatloaf recipe with a brown sugar glaze is classic comfort food. Ideal for family meals and leftover sandwiches.
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12
A bowl of ham and bean soup
Navy Bean and Ham Soup Recipe
Navy Bean and Ham Soup made with canned beans, ham hocks, carrots, celery, dried rosemary and thyme, and a little bacon for flavor.
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13
Overhead view of half a sweet potato pie in a white plate.
Southern Sweet Potato Pie
Sweet potato pie is an old-fashioned Southern dessert that’s economical and easy to make and quite delicious.
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14
A slice of fudge pie on a stack of two plates, with a golden flaky crust and rich, creamy filling, set on a marble surface. A blue cloth is in the background.
Fudge Pie Recipe
Rich, chocolatey fudge pie with a smooth, gooey center and a crisp, buttery crust.
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15
A bowl of potato salad garnished with paprika, parsley, and sliced boiled eggs, placed on a woven mat with a fork nearby.
Southern Potato Salad Recipe
Creamy, old-fashioned Southern potato salad with Duke's mayonnaise, yellow mustard, sweet pickle relish, hard-boiled eggs, and a soft, partly mashed texture. An easy make-ahead side for cookouts and potlucks.
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16
A piece of chocolate cake with gooey chocolate frosting and marshmallow topping on a white plate.
Easy Mississippi Mud Cake Recipe
This easy Mississippi mud cake recipe is made the old-fashioned way with marshmallows and a fudgy frosting.
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17
Tea cakes stacked on a plate with a glass of milk.
Tea Cakes
A soft, slightly crispy on the bottom, buttery cookie that’s not too sweet and brings back memories of yesteryear.
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18
Cheese Straws — crispy, buttery, homemade crackers that are easy to make and a great appetizer!
Southern Cheese Straws
Cheese Straws — crispy, buttery, homemade cheese straws are easy and a great appetizer!
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19
Closeup of a spoon of squash casserole held over the baking dish.
Squash Casserole
Squash Casserole with grated Cheddar cheese, crumbled buttery crackers, and fresh yellow squash.
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20
A square piece of chocolate Coca-Cola cake with rich chocolate frosting sits on a white plate, while the rest of the cake rests in a glass dish in the background.
Chocolate Coca-Cola Cake
Chocolate Coca-Cola Cake: old-fashioned chocolate cake made with Coca-Cola–it’s rich, moist, and delicious!
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21
A slice of strawberry jello cake topped with a thin layer of pink frosting and a strawberry slice on a white plate, with a gold fork beside it.
Strawberry Jell-o Cake Recipe
Classic strawberry sheet cake with strawberry Jell-o and a tangy strawberry frosting.
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22
A plate of golden-brown fried okra sits on a white paper towel with fresh green herbs in the background.
Southern Fried Okra Recipe
Fried okra with a light and crispy cornmeal batter is a tasty side dish for any of your favorite Southern meals.
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23
A plate with a slice of chess Pie which is an old-fashioned Southern favorite custard-type pie made from a few simple ingredients. It's easy and everyone loves it!
Chess Pie
Chess Pie is an old-fashioned Southern favorite custard-type pie made from a few simple ingredients. It's easy and everyone loves it!
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24
A white dish with cornbread dressing. 
Southern Cornbread Dressing
Made with cornbread, celery, onion, sage, and lots of good chicken stock–this classic Southern Cornbread Dressing is great for Thanksgiving dinner and as a side dish anytime! 
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25
A white plate holds a serving of peach cobbler topped with a dollop of whipped cream. A silver fork is placed on the plate, resting on top of a blue cloth napkin.
Easy Southern Peach Cobbler
The best Southern peach cobbler made with fresh peaches, cinnamon, brown sugar, and a little half-and-half to make the crust rich and delicious.
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26
A dish of cooked pulled pork.
Oven Pulled Pork
Oven Pulled Pork, made with a zesty BBQ rub and dark beer, is cooked at a low temperature in the oven for hours to reach tender perfection.
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27
A dish of green beans seasoned with herbs and pieces of bacon, served with a fork.
Southern Green Beans Recipe
Southern green beans are easy to make, tender beans that are flavored with bacon or ham hocks. These green beans are a must-have side dish on every Southern table.
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28
overhead of deviled eggs on a board.
Deviled Eggs Recipe
Deviled Eggs are creamy with just a touch of sweetness from pickle relish and a sprinkle of paprika.
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29
A fork holds a bite of creamy macaroni and cheese above a bowl, with another full bowl in the background next to a striped cloth.
Creamy Mac and Cheese Recipe
This creamy mac and cheese is rich, cheesy, and easy to make. With a smooth, velvety sauce, it’s the perfect side or main dish for any meal!
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30
A glass and a pitcher of Southern Style sweet tea with lemon slices sit on a white embroidered cloth, accompanied by two whole lemons.
Sweet Tea Southern Style
A Southern staple, sweet tea is a simple, refreshing every day drink to have on hand.
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31
A platter of fried chicken.
Southern Fried Chicken Recipe
Crispy, golden Southern fried chicken made the traditional way with simple ingredients and plenty of flavor.
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32
Pimento cheese in a small white bowl with celery.
Pimento Cheese Recipe
Pimento Cheese recipe that's a classic Southern favorite, made with extra-sharp Cheddar cheese, mayonnaise, pimentos, and cayenne pepper.
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33
Fried Green Tomatoes
Fried Green Tomatoes
A crunchy, tangy, savory appetizer for a special occasion or every day dinner.
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A woman with shoulder-length blonde hair, wearing a white T-shirt and dark jeans, stands in a kitchen with a brick backsplash and stainless steel appliances. She is smiling and resting her hands on the counter.

About the author

Hi, I’m Lucy! I’m a home cook, writer, food and wine fanatic, and recipe developer. I’ve created and tested hundreds of recipes so that I can bring you the best tried and true favorites.

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