30 Southern Recipes That Will Make Your Mouth Water

The Southern United States is famous for its unique regional cuisine. From shrimp and grits to moon pies, there's no shortage of tasty Southern recipes for you to make at home. We've rounded up some of the classics here, like cornbread and collard greens, made the old-fashioned way — but we've included a few fresh takes on traditional favorites, too. Whether you're hosting a summer cookout, filling your Thanksgiving table or simply rounding up the family for Sunday supper, you're sure to find all the recipe inspiration you need, right here.

One of our favorite places to start? This recipe for Southern-style mac and cheese. It's baked rather than made on the stovetop, meaning you can easily slice portions to serve. The combination of cheddar, mozzarella and gouda cheeses is accented by mustard and Cajun seasonings for a nice kick.

This original recipe from Kardea Brown is a refreshing salad starring black-eyed peas. Black-eyed peas originated in Africa and form a major part of Southern cuisine, especially for the Gullah people living in islands off the Atlantic coast.

Banana pudding is a favorite Southern dessert as it's cool, creamy and doesn't require the oven — perfect for those hot Southern summers! It's typically made with boxed pudding mix and vanilla wafers, but Trisha Yearwood's recipe includes instructions for a homemade vanilla pudding. The whole treat gets topped with fluffy meringue.

Biscuits are a favorite Southern quick bread that takes little time to prepare since they don't require yeast or proofing and get their rise from baking powder. These fluffy biscuits are great with any meal and can be the perfect vessels for sweet or savory fillings.

A Southern comfort classic, Tennessee Onions are made with layers of sweet onions, butter, pantry-friendly seasonings and a blanket of melty cheese. We use a combination of mild Cheddar, Gouda and Parmesan for the perfect combination of savory, salty and oh-so gooey. Baked until golden and bubbly, this easy side dish is rich, savory and pairs perfectly with barbecue, burgers, grilled meats or even your Thanksgiving dinner. It’s the kind of crowd-pleaser that takes just minutes to prepare but delivers big flavor.

If you’re on the fence about trying ambrosia salad for the first time, look no further than Kardea's recipe. A staple on Southern tables, this fruit salad is full of coconut, marshmallows, nuts and an assortment of canned fruit. Balanced with sour cream, this ambrosia is cool, not too sweet and a perfect light dessert to serve with your summer spread.

Collard greens aren't the only type of braised leafy green enjoyed in the South. While collards are certainly the most popular, mustard greens don't fall far behind. These greens have a peppery flavor that combines beautifully with the smokey bacon in this recipe.

Shrimp and grits originated in the Southern low country — the area around the South Carolina and Georgia coasts. This is also the territory of the Gullah people, an African-American community who have maintained a strong African cultural identity. Saucy, savory shrimps on a bed of creamy grits is a soul-warming classic!

Red velvet cake is said to have gotten its name because the Dutch process cocoa originally used in this recipe gave the cake a reddish-brown hue. Modern red velvet cakes, like this one, get a little helping hand from red food coloring. This classic Southern cake gets covered in rich layers of cream cheese frosting.

Recipe developer Martha Tinkler says, "Potato logs are delicious breaded and seasoned deep-fried potato wedges that are served only at gas stations throughout the South. With their ultra crispy coating that’s reminiscent of the exterior of fried chicken, they’re a true Southern-fried staple and are sometimes known as tater logs, jojos or tater boats, depending on where you’re from. Where I grew up in rural Tennessee, the hot bars of gas stations are the go-to spots for a quick bite of local specialties. Whatever else I ordered, I always got a side of potato logs, and this recipe is an homage to my beloved gas station favorite."

There are many variations on this iconic Southern spread, which at its most basic is made with Cheddar cheese, mayonnaise (preferably Duke’s) and diced pimento peppers. This recipe includes some cream cheese for a creamier texture and a little onion powder and cayenne for flavoring but otherwise keeps things simple. It’s addictive when eaten with crackers or crunchy raw vegetables and as a filling for sandwiches. Try to use freshly grated cheese, as the pre-shredded kind can be too dry and won’t have the right texture.

Kardea says, "It does not get any more NOLA than my go-to chicken and sausage gumbo recipe, and a one pot-meal? Cousins, you know how I love not having extra dishes. Stewed low and slow for a couple of hours, the deep rich flavor that develops is, to me, what comfort food is all about."

Peaches are one of the things that Southerners look forward to the most in the summer. While Georgia is famous for its sweet, juicy peaches, this fruit abounds throughout the South. Peach cobbler is a favorite way to prepare this summer fruit, enhancing the flavor of the peaches with a light batter.

Southern meals typically revolve around the meat-and-three format: a meat main dish with several vegetable side dishes. These veggies are usually simply prepared with just a little butter, salt and pepper. Lima beans are a traditional side dish, and this recipe from Trisha Yearwood preserves their natural flavor with a simple seasoning.

Chow chow is a uniquely Southern type of relish that can accompany any number of dishes or can be enjoyed on its own with chips or crackers. The combination of green tomatoes, peppers, sweet Vidalia onions and cabbage in a tart, vinegar dressing tickles the palate and can also go beautifully with other styles of food.

This is a simple recipe for pot roast that's braised in a slow cooker. All you need are six simple ingredients and some patience. In eight hours, you'll have fork-tender pot roast with a tangy, spicy kick from peppperoncini peppers.

These moon pies are made from graham cracker crumbs formed into a rich cookie dough. The cookies sandwich a gooey marshmallow creme filling, and the whole chewy sandwich cookie gets covered in a white chocolate glaze.

Brunswick stew is a dish that isn't very well known outside of the Southern United States, but this hearty stew deserves more attention. Trisha Yearwood's recipe includes three types of meat and potatoes and corn in a tomato-based sauce with just a touch of cayenne pepper.

Hush puppies are a favorite fritter enjoyed throughout the South and the perfect accompaniment to fried catfish. Traditional hush puppies are usually made with a plain cornmeal batter, but this recipe from Ayesha Curry incudes scallions for extra flavor.

Pecan trees grow wild throughout much of the Southern United States, and the trees' nuts feature in many local specialties. This iconic Southern pie makes use of these sweet nuts that form a crunchy crust over a layer of ooey-gooey filling.

Fried green tomatoes are a unique Southern specialty made with unripe tomatoes. The firm texture of these tomatoes makes them ideal for frying, while the tangy flavor balances out the richness of the breading. With Kardea Brown's spicy ranch dressing, this recipe is sure to be a regular favorite.

After biscuits, cornbread is perhaps the definitely bread of the Southern United States. There are many versions of cornbread throughout the South, and some would argue that every cook has his or her own cornbread recipe they stand by. Cat Cora's recipe leans more on the savory side and has a bit of tang from the addition of buttermilk.

This recipe is a less common type of Southern gravy compared to the red-eye gravy that traditionally accompanies biscuits. Made with turkey drippings, the addition of chopped hard-boiled eggs not only thickens the gravy but also enhances the richness of the drippings.

This bread pudding recipe is soft and custardy and infused with warming cinnamon spice. It gets a tart contrast from a mixed berry topping. Vanilla ice cream or whipped cream complete this sweet treat.

Slow-cooked colard greens are a Southern staple. The process of cleaning and prepping the greens is key for making them deliciously tender and tasty. Cut the leaves from the tough center rib before slicing — the thinner, the better. Collards are traditionally cooked with smoked meat like ham hocks or turkey wings, adding an extra dimension of flavor to the bitter greens.

Barbecue is one of the South's most famous culinary treasures, and there are many regional styles of barbecue from the whole-pig Carolina style to the white sauce-smothered Alabama style. This recipe is made in the oven and calls for boneless pork shoulder, making serving a breeze!

Potato salad is a very popular summertime Southern side dish and an important part of picnics. But you can enjoy this creamy, rich salad any time of year. Pickle relish gives this salad a touch of sweetness.

Sweet potato pie used to be a lot more common in the South and was favored over pumpkin pie, which was considered a more northern dessert. After the Civil War, pumpkin pie ended up replacing sweet potato pie in popularity. Thankfully, African-Americans throughout the US kept the sweet potato pie tradition alive.

Grits are almost synonomous with the American South and a mainstay at breakfast time, although you can enjoy them at any time. At some point in time, someone had the genius idea of adding cheese to grits and a new Southern tradition was born. This rich recipe includes two types of cheese and is cooked in milk for an extra cramy mouthfeel.