Whether you are new to the south or have been here a long time, certain southern favorites deserve a spot on your table any time of the year. We’ve highlighted some here to make putting your next menu together as easy as pie.
Southern Fried Chicken has to be on any southern menu. This recipe adds some special flair with a touch of Cajun spice. If you want something from the deep south, try this recipe for Andouille Cheese Grits with Crawfish from Emeril Lagasse. He takes cheese grits to the next level, practically making it another main dish. For the Best Green Beans Ever, check out this simple, yet delicious, recipe from The Pioneer Woman.
Everything is better with pie, and nothing is more southern than Sweet Potato Pie. If your guests are used to pumpkin pie, keep them on their toes with this recipe from Trisha Yearwood. You might also want to add Chocolate Bourbon Pecan Pie to warm up your fall party. Chocolate and pecans sprinkled into the crust before the filling make this a gooey delight.
If your outdated kitchen appliances keep you from truly shining as a southern cook, come into Friedman’s Appliances today, and let us help you create your dream kitchen. With our innovative appliances, great recipes, and your special touch, fall entertaining will be laid back and easy, just like everything else in the south.
The complete recipes are posted below
Southern Fried Chicken
Andouille Cheese Grits with Crawfish
The Best Green Beans Ever
Sweet Potato Pie
Chocolate Bourban Pecan Pie
Southern Fried Chicken
Ingredients
- 1 dozen eggs, whipped
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 2 tablespoons Cajun spice
- 16 pieces fresh bone-in chicken (2 to 3 pounds)
- 8 cups vegetable oil
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
Directions
In a large bowl, blend the eggs, buttermilk and Cajun spice. Mix well, and then pour over the chicken pieces, mixing and coating well. After coating the chicken, cover and refrigerate overnight, or for a minimum of 4 hours.
Preheat the oil to 300 degrees F in a deep-fryer. Remove the chicken from the marinade and allow to sit on a baking screen for 5 minutes. This will allow any excess marinade to drip off.
Next, in a large bowl, blend the flour, salt, and pepper, mixing well. Dredge the marinated chicken in the flour. Coat the chicken well with flour, and then tap off any excess. Add to the heated oil. Fry the chicken in batches until it reaches 165 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer, 13 to 15 minutes. Then remove from the oil and allow any excess to drip off before serving. This will allow the meat to rest before serving. Repeat the cooking process with the remaining chicken. (Hold the cooked chicken in the oven on low temperature if doing in batches.)
Recipe and image from Robert Irvine on Food Network
Andouille Cheese Grits with Crawfish
Ingredients
- 1/2 pound chopped andouille sausage
- 4 1/2 cups whole milk
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 2 cups quick white grits
- 1 cup grated white cheddar cheese
- 1 cup flour
- 1 cup bread crumbs
- Essence, recipe follows
- 2 eggs, beaten with 1 tablespoon of milk
- 1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 12 cup minced yellow onions
- 1 tablespoon chopped garlic
- 1 pound Louisiana crawfish tails (NO CHINESE CRAWFISH)
- 1 cup heavy cream
- Dash of Crystal hot sauce
- Dash of Worcestershire sauce
- 1/4 cup chopped green onions, green part only
- 2 ounces grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
Essence (Emeril’s Creole Seasoning)
- 2 1/2 tablespoons paprika
- 2 tablespoons salt
- 2 tablespoons garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon onion powder
- 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
- 1 tablespoon dried leaf oregano
- 1 tablespoon dried thyme
Directions
Render the sausage in a saucepan, over medium-high heat, cooking about 4 minutes. Add the milk, salt, cayenne, and butter and bring to a boil. Stir in the grits and reduce the heat to medium. Stir for 30 seconds, then add the cheese and stir until the cheese melts. Cook, uncovered, for 4 to 5 minutes, or until the grits are tender and creamy. Pour the grits into a greased square glass pan. Refrigerate the grits until firm. Using a 2-inch round cutter, cut the grits into six rounds. Season the flour and bread crumbs with Essence. Dredge the cakes in the seasoned flour. Dip each cake in the egg wash, letting the excess drip off. Dredge the cakes in the seasoned bread crumbs, coating each cake completely. Heat 1/4 cup of the olive oil in a large skillet. When the oil is hot, pan-fry the cakes for 3 minutes on each side. In saute pan, heat the remaining olive oil. When the oil is hot, add the onions. Season the onions with Essence. Saute for 1 minute. Add the garlic and crawfish tails. Season with Essence. Saute for 1 minute. Add the cream and bring up to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, or until the cream has thickened. Season the sauce with hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce, salt, and pepper. Stir in the green onions and cheese. To serve, spoon the Crawfish sauce over the Andouille Grit cakes.
Essence (Emeril’s Creole Seasoning):
Combine all ingredients thoroughly. Yields 2/3 cup.
Recipe from Emeril Lagasse on Food Network
The Best Green Beans Ever
Ingredients
- 1 pound green beans
- 2 tablespoons bacon grease (can substitute 2 tablespoons butter)
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 1 cup chicken broth, plus more if needed
- 1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper
- 1/2 to 1 teaspoon kosher salt (can substitute regular table salt, use 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon)
- Ground black pepper
Directions
Snap the stem ends of the green beans, or cut them off in a big bunch with a knife if you’d prefer.
Melt the bacon grease in a skillet over medium-low heat. Add the garlic and onions and cook for a minute. Then add the green beans and cook until the beans turn bright green, about a minute. Add the chicken broth, chopped red pepper, salt, and pepper to taste. Turn the heat to low and cover the skillet with a lid, leaving the lid cracked to allow steam to escape. Cook until the liquid evaporates and the beans are fairly soft, yet still a bit crisp, 20 to 30 minutes. You can add more chicken broth during the cooking process, but don’t be afraid to let it all cook away so the onions and peppers can start to caramelize.
Recipe and image from Ree Drummond on Food Network
Sweet Potato Pie
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups canned sweet potatoes or 2 to 3 roasted, peeled and pureed sweet potatoes
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter, softened
- 1/4 cup milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- Pinch salt
- 1 unbaked 9-inch pie shell, homemade or store-bought
Directions
Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.
In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the sweet potatoes and 1/2 cup of the sugar, as well as the eggs, butter, milk, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Beat until thoroughly blended and smooth. Pour the mixture into the pie shell and sprinkle with the remaining 1/4 cup sugar. Allow the pie to stand for 15 minutes before baking to allow the sugar to melt.
Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 1 hour. Cool before serving.
Recipe and image from Trisha Yearwood on Food Network
Chocolate Bourbon Pecan Pie
Ingredients
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 1 1/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
- 4 ounces (8 tablespoons) cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
- 2 to 4 tablespoons ice water
- 1/3 cup firmly-packed light brown sugar
- 3 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
- 3/4 cup sorghum (See Cook’s Note)
- 3 to 4 tablespoons bourbon
- 1 1/2 cups roughly chopped pecans
- 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips
Directions
Special equipment: baking weights or beans
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Combine the salt, granulated sugar, and 1 1/4 cups of the flour in the bowl of a food processor and pulse a few times. Add the butter and pulse until there are pea-size pieces. Add the ice water, a few tablespoons at a time, and pulse until the mixture barely comes together. Turn it out onto a piece of parchment paper and press into a disc. Refrigerate for 1 hour.
Roll out the dough on a lightly-dusted surface so it is large enough to fit into a 9-inch pie pan with a slight overhang. A little trick to make sure the pie crust is round: Roll out the dough from the center outward, like the rays of the sun. Place the dough in the pie pan and fold over the overhang to create a nice crust no need to cut off scraps. Pierce the base all over with a fork, line with foil and fill with baking weights or beans. Bake on the bottom rack of the oven for 12 minutes. Remove the foil and pie weights. Return the pie crust to the oven and bake for an additional 5 minutes to ensure the crust will be crisp. Allow to cool, about 30 minutes.
Lower the oven temperature to 350 degrees F.
Beat the brown sugar and eggs in a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the coconut oil and remaining 2 tablespoons of flour and mix for another 2 minutes. Add the sorghum and bourbon and mix until combined. Finish by stirring in half of the pecans.
Sprinkle the bottom of the crust with the chocolate chips and remaining pecans. Gently pour in the pie filling. Bake until the top is firm but the center is slightly gooey, 35 to 45 minutes. Cool on the counter for 4 hours or in the fridge for 2 hours before serving.
Note: Sorghum syrup is made from the sweet juice of the sorghum plant, a variety of cereal grass. You can find it at natural food stores or specialty online retailers.
For this recipe, you can substitute a very mild molasses or 2 tablespoons blackstrap molasses mixed with 10 tablespoons light corn syrup.
Recipe and image from Damaris Phillips on Food Network
