There’s nothing quite like Southern food—not only is it super-comforting, but also super-versatile. Thanks to influences from around the world, from France to West Africa, it’s adaptable enough to serve at everything from casual family weeknight dinners to big holiday BBQs. Even if you don’t go whole hog and fill your table with Southern mains, desserts, and more, we think that you really can’t go wrong with serving up Southern-influenced sides, no matter the occasion. Who’s going to say no to a heaping pile of mac & cheese, right? Check out our top 29 Southern sides for ideas, then watch out—trust us, everyone’s going to be running for seconds.
Southern culture calls for big celebrations, which means big bakes that can feed a crowd. Casserole dishes will be your friends here—fill them with our Southern baked mac & cheese, our corn casserole, our oyster stuffing, or our spoonbread. Once you’ve got those going in the oven, it’s time to fill out your plate with bites or breads, like our homemade biscuits, our Southern cornbread, our hush puppies, our corn fritters, or our fried okra. Add a little pimento cheese, sausage gravy, or baked beans, and you’ll have a nearly perfect spread.
You may have noticed that a lot of these recipes are all a (delicious-looking!) shade of yellow or beige. While we’re not mad about it, we do know that eating a wider variety of colors is good for us. Luckily, the South’s got some incredible classic recipes that’ll bring a little color to your plate, like our sautéed mustard greens, our coleslaw, or our Southern collard greens. Their freshness will help cut through all the richness of the other recipes here, so we definitely recommend them (even if you’re not a huge fan of veggies).
Southern Baked Mac & Cheese
Millie Peartree's baked mac & cheese is famous for a number of reasons. Our major takeaway—layering cheese and an eggy custard makes for the MOST creamy, saucy, and decadent dish ever. We might never make it another way again.
Get the Southern Baked Mac & Cheese recipe.
Southern Collard Greens
We have to agree with chef Millie Peartree: There’s nothing quite like Southern collard greens. All you need are a couple of hours, a handful of staple ingredients, smoked turkey, and your collard greens, of course, for an easy side (or meal on its own!) you can serve all year long.
Get the Southern Collard Greens recipe.
Pimiento Cheese Corn Muffins
The flavor squad is here to provide standard corn muffins with a mega boost which takes its cues from classic Southern pimento cheese. Packed with shredded cheddar, diced pimiento peppers, garlic powder, and a generous amount of cayenne, the result is a savory delight.
Get the Pimiento Cheese Corn Muffins recipe.
Southern Potato Salad
Tender Yukon Gold potatoes paired with hard-boiled eggs, celery, sweet pickles, and red onion make this Southern-style potato salad the perfect sidekick for your next BBQ.
Get the Southern Potato Salad recipe.
Corn Casserole
This corn casserole transcends other commonplace casseroles into a league of its own. It’s packed with sweet corn, balanced by a pinch of paprika and herby chives, and has a super-tender and custardy texture that will have you on your third helping before you even know what hit you.
Get the Corn Casserole recipe.
Fried Green Tomatoes
When green tomatoes are in season, this Southern staple is the first dish we think of. A classic remoulade is our condiment of choice, but if you don’t feel like whipping one up from scratch, making a simple two-ingredient spicy mayo will absolutely do the trick.
Get the Fried Green Tomatoes recipe.
Spoonbread
Spoonbread is cross between a soufflé and cornbread and meant to be served by scooping out servings with a big, well, spoon! True purists might say sugar doesn't belong in spoonbread—if you agree, cheddar cheese folded into the mixture instead would also be just as good.
Get the Spoonbread recipe.
Pimento Cheese
If you love party dips like Buffalo chicken or spinach artichoke, you’ll LOVE pimento cheese. This soft, creamy spread loaded with shredded cheddar cheese and spiked with diced pimento peppers and hot sauce can be served hot or cold (so make it ahead of time!).
Get the Pimento Cheese recipe.
Fried Okra
We think this Southern recipe is the best way to enjoy this tricky little vegetable. Dredging in buttermilk and cornmeal, then frying in a small amount of oil achieves that extra-crispy and golden crust that'll convert even the most ardent of okra-haters. Anti-frying? Try our air fryer okra instead!
Get the Fried Okra recipe.
Southern-Style Cornbread
Southern-style cornbread starts with bacon fat and is (almost) always baked in a cast-iron skillet. Don't be intimidated by baking in your cast iron—here's how we like to season ours to guarantee it won't stick.
Get the Southern-Style Cornbread recipe.
Southern Fried Corn
Fried corn is a classic side dish from the American South. It's not fried as in deep-fried, but rather in the Southern sense of the word "sautéed." It's perfect served at any barbecue, alongside oven-baked ribs, potato rolls, and a summer salad.
Get the Southern Fried Corn recipe.
Sautéed Mustard Greens
Akin to a stir-fry, these finely shredded greens retain a wonderful bite, with a balance of tender pieces and crispy edges. We particularly love cooking mustard greens this way, but you can sub in collards, turnip greens, kale, or any combination with equal success.
Get the Sautéed Mustard Greens recipe.
Hush Puppies
Hush puppies—or fried balls of savory cornmeal batter—are a welcome addition to any seafood spread or fried food feast. Trust us, once you try them, you won't be able to keep hushed about 'em!
Get the Hush Puppies recipe.
Oyster Stuffing
If you're new to the oyster stuffing game, let us tell you, you're in for a treat. Oysters lend a briny, super-savory flavor to your stuffing that will keep your guests coming back for second and third helpings.
Get the Oyster Stuffing recipe.
Corn Fritters
Fluffy and crispy, corn fritters are our new favorite Southern-fried side (sorry, hush puppies). Littered with fresh sweet corn, these are the perfect addition to countless summer dinners, from a crab leg feast to a rack of saucy BBQ ribs or a taco spread.
Get the Corn Fritters recipe.
Dirty Rice
Dirty rice (or rice dressing) is a delicious Louisiana staple made mainly of rice, ground pork sausage, ground beef, and the holy trinity of vegetables (onion, bell pepper, and celery). It's the perfect use for old rice, so feel free to use that box of takeout rice here!
Get the Dirty Rice recipe.
Deviled Eggs
Nothing says party like some classic deviled eggs! They're a Southern holiday staple, especially for Easter brunch, but we love making them year-round.
Get the Deviled Eggs recipe.
Lobster-Shrimp Cakes
This lobster-and-crab-filled recipe was adapted from the new 20th anniversary edition of Patti's cookbook, LaBelle Cuisine: Recipes to Sing About. You can make smaller patties to serve as an appetizer or side, or form larger portions for a more substantial dinner.
Get the Lobster-Shrimp Cakes recipe.
Black-Eyed Pea Salad
Black-eyed peas have a rich tradition in the South. Eaten during New Year’s for good luck and prosperity, they also make an easy, delicious salad that gets better as it sits. Feel free to use dried or canned beans too!
Get the Black-Eyed Pea Salad recipe.
Air Fryer Crab Cakes
Crab cakes are the best because you get all the deliciousness of crab without all of the tedious, messy work of pulling meat from the shells. Since you're already skipping that mess, go even further and skip the pan-fry too and cook 'em in your air fryer!
Get the Air Fryer Crab Cakes recipe.
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