Family Reunion Recipes We Stole From Mama

RX_1905_Recipes We Stole From the Family Reunion_Cream Cheese Brownies

Micah A. Leal

Family reunions are about getting together with the family members you don’t see every day and catching up on old times and new. As with most Southern events, however, family reunions quickly become about something more. Kinship? Gratitude? Love? Well, yes, but we were thinking of another word—food. Like any good Southern potluck, family reunions are full of incredible homemade dishes, many of which are nostalgic for attendees. You look forward to Maw Maw’s batch of decadent fudge cut into thick squares. Everyone knows they have to take a bite of Aunt Nancy’s congealed salad to save her feelings. And Cousin Sarah who isn’t the best chef of the bunch will always have the drinks covered. Family reunion recipes are part of what make those gatherings special. As they’re passed down, tweaked, reused, and loved, family reunion recipes bring generations closer together. Even 99-year-old Grandpa and 2-year-old Baby Mae can find common ground around a batch of homemade baked mac and cheese. And we hear that a fresh peach cobbler can soften even the most heated sibling arguments. Trust us: These all-time favorite family reunion recipes will please even your pickiest relatives.

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Basic Deviled Eggs

Southern Living

Recipe: Basic Deviled Eggs

Is it even a family gathering without a plate of deviled eggs? Never.

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Sausage Balls

Southern Living

Recipe: Sausage Balls

There always seems to be a basket of sausage balls at the family reunion, and it always seems to be empty by the end of it.

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Cocktail Meatballs

Hector Sanchez

Recipe: Cocktail Meatballs

Even if the family reunion is planned for the middle of summer, there’s always a batch of cocktail meatballs sitting in a slow cooker to stay warm.

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Make-Ahead Yeast Rolls

Laurey W. Glenn

Recipe: Make-Ahead Yeast Rolls

We bet you can’t find a family reunion in the South that doesn’t have a basket of warm rolls on the buffet.

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New Tuna Casserole

Greg Dupree

Recipe: New Tuna Casserole

Tuna noodle casserole has been gracing Southern tables for decades. This recipe has all the comforting flavors you love with a lighter calorie count.

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Tee's Corn Pudding

Jennifer Davick

Recipe: Tee’s Corn Pudding

Corn pudding is a classic Southern side that will always have a spot on Thanksgiving and potluck tables.

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Mama's Fried Chicken

Southern Living

Recipe: Mama’s Fried Chicken

When Mama makes fried chicken, you better believe she does it well.

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Potato Salad with Sweet Pickles

Southern Living

Recipe: Potato Salad with Sweet Pickles

Classic Southern potato salad gets a welcome zip from sweet pickles.

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Herbed Breadcrumb-Topped Macaroni and Cheese

Photo: Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Ginny Branch Stelling; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall

Recipe: Herbed Breadcrumb-Topped Macaroni and Cheese

No one would ever dare show up to the family reunion with boxed mac and cheese in tow—only a cheesy, creamy, baked version will do.

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Poppy Seed Chicken

Southern Living

Recipe: Poppy Seed Chicken

Poppy seed casseroles are a staple of Southern potlucks, whether filled with turkey, chicken, or ham.

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Squash Casserole

Photo: Aaron Kirk; Prop Styling: Sarah-Elizabeth Cleveland; Food Styling: Julia Levy

Recipe: Squash Casserole

Fresh summer squash, butter, cheddar cheese, and buttery crackers on top taste like summer nostalgia to us.

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Old-Fashioned Chicken Salad

Southern Living

Recipe: Old-Fashioned Chicken Salad

People get heated about what does and doesn’t belong in chicken salad (Grapes, apples, nuts? None of the above? All of the above?), but this simple, old-school recipe will keep everyone at the reunion happy.

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Skillet Cornbread

Jennifer Causey

Recipe: Skillet Cornbread

Southerners know the best homemade cornbread comes straight from a cast-iron skillet.

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Tuna Pasta Salad

Caitlin Bensel

Recipe: Tuna Pasta Salad

This lightened up, brightened up version of old-school tuna pasta salad will still delight Maw Maw, we promise.

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Classic Buttermilk Mashed Potatoes

Photo: Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Ginny Branch Stelling; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall

Recipe: Classic Buttermilk Mashed Potatoes

If someone is bringing fried chicken (which they will), then someone has to bring mashed potatoes to go with it.

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Home-style Green Bean Casserole

Photo: Jennifer Davick

Recipe: Home-style Green Bean Casserole

Of all the vegetable casseroles Southerners love to serve at holidays and beyond, green bean casserole is king.

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Baked Beans

Antonis Achilleos

Recipe: Baked Beans

Backyard family reunions require a piping hot dish of baked beans with bacon.

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Hashbrown Casserole

Southern Living

Recipe: Hashbrown Casserole

Even novice cooks are expected to show up to the family reunion with a homemade dish in tow, and this classic is the easiest way to get a crowd-pleasing result.

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Pineapple Casserole

Southern Living

Recipe: Pineapple Casserole

To those outside the South, “pineapple casserole” might sound bizarre, but to many, it’s just as much a potluck staple as fried chicken.

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Classic Macaroni Salad with Ham

Jen Causey

Recipe: Classic Macaroni Salad with Ham

Pasta salad is a must at family reunions, and this recipe will taste like pure nostalgia.

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Permanent Slaw

Photo: Hector Manuel Sanchez; Prop Styling: Lydia Pursell; Food Styling: Toni Brogan

Recipe: Permanent Slaw

A heaping bowl of coleslaw belongs right alongside the baked beans at a Southern cookout.

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Turkey Tetrazzini

Tina Cornett

Recipe: Turkey Tetrazzini

Mama has had this recipe for years, and no one ever complains when it shows up to the family reunion.

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Classic Fresh Field Peas

Photo: Iain Bagwell

Recipe: Classic Fresh Field Peas

Summer brings an abundance of fresh veggies, including field peas. We love to prep them old-school style with smoked ham hocks for rich flavor.

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Old-Fashioned Tomato Pie

Iain Bagwell

Recipe: Old-Fashioned Tomato Pie

Old-Fashioned Tomato Pie is summer perfection thanks to garden fresh tomatoes and herbs.

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Chubba Bubba's Broccoli Salad

Photo: Beth Dreiling Hontzas

Recipe: Chubba Bubba’s Broccoli Salad

Southerners know that “salad” is a fluid term, and this is one of our favorite iterations of it.

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Au Gratin Potato Casserole

Southern Living

Recipe: Au Gratin Potato Casserole

Whether your family prefers potatoes au gratin or scalloped, we can bet one of the two will show up at the reunion.

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Pan-Fried Okra with Cornmeal

Photo: Alison Miksch; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Torie Cox

Recipe: Pan-Fried Okra with Cornmeal

Although you usually receive deep-fried okra in restaurants, Southern grandmothers have been pan-frying it like this for years.

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Strawberry Pretzel Salad

Southern Living

Recipe: Strawberry-Pretzel Salad

Is it a dessert? Is it a side dish? The beauty of this classic gelatin salad is that no one really knows, but we enjoy it nonetheless.

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Banana Pudding

Jennifer Davick

Recipe: Banana Pudding

One of the South’s most beloved desserts, banana pudding is a cookout staple.

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Kitchen Sink Cookies

Jennifer Causey

Recipe: Kitchen Sink Cookies

Why bring plain chocolate chip cookies when you can offer wow-worthy cookies full of sweet and salty goodness?

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Coca-Cola Cake

Micah A. Leal

Recipe: Coca-Cola Cake

Southerners have been cooking with Coca-Cola for years, and it’s one of the most popular ways to make chocolate cake even more delicious.

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Heavenly Key Lime Pie

Jennifer Davick

Recipe: Heavenly Key Lime Pie

Your relatives will insist that this key lime pie was sent straight from heaven.

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Hello Dolly Bars

Photo: Jennifer Davick; Styling: Lydia DeGaris Pursell

Recipe: Hello Dolly Bars

Southern grandmothers know there’s much to be done with a can of sweetened condensed milk, including this favorite bar recipe.

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Peach Cobbler

Photo: Iain Bagwell; Prop Styling: Mindi Shapiro Levine; Food Styling: Torie Cox

Recipe: Easy Peach Cobbler

Even beginner cooks can pull of a classic peach cobbler recipe, just don’t forget the vanilla ice cream.

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Mamie Eisenhower’s Chocolate Fudge

Southern Living

Recipe: Mamie Eisenhower’s Chocolate Fudge

Easy to make and easier to pick up at parties, indulgent chocolate fudge will never last long.

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Pecan Pie

Southern LIving

Recipe: Pecan Pie

Pecan pie is basically the queen bee of the dessert table.

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Luscious Lemon Bars

Southern Living

Recipe: Luscious Lemon Bars

There always needs to be an option for non-chocolate lovers, and more often than not, it’s a plate full of beautifully bright lemon bars.

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Chocolate Lasagna

Southern Living

Recipe: Chocolate Lasagna

Who else’s grandmother had a layered chocolate-and-whipped cream dessert? All hands should go up.

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Cheesecake Cookies

Caitlin Bensel

Recipe: Cheesecake Cookies

No one will hesitate to add one of these bite-size cookies to their already-full plate.

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Cream Cheese Brownies

Micah A. Leal

Recipe: Cream Cheese Brownies

If you’re wary of making a complicated layer cake or homemade piecrust, warm, gooey brownies will always satisfy a crowd.

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Recipes We Stole From the Family Reunion

1 of 41

Basic Deviled Eggs

1 of 41

2 of 41

Sausage Balls

2 of 41

3 of 41

Cocktail Meatballs

3 of 41

4 of 41

Make-Ahead Yeast Rolls

4 of 41

5 of 41

New Tuna Casserole

5 of 41

6 of 41

Tee's Corn Pudding

6 of 41

7 of 41

Mama's Fried Chicken

7 of 41

8 of 41

Potato Salad with Sweet Pickles

8 of 41

9 of 41

Herbed Breadcrumb-Topped Macaroni and Cheese

9 of 41

10 of 41

Poppy Seed Chicken

10 of 41

11 of 41

Squash Casserole

11 of 41

12 of 41

Old-Fashioned Chicken Salad

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13 of 41

Skillet Cornbread

13 of 41

14 of 41

Tuna Pasta Salad

14 of 41

15 of 41

Classic Buttermilk Mashed Potatoes

15 of 41

16 of 41

Home-style Green Bean Casserole

16 of 41

17 of 41

Baked Beans

17 of 41

18 of 41

Hashbrown Casserole

18 of 41

19 of 41

Pineapple Casserole

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20 of 41

Classic Macaroni Salad with Ham

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21 of 41

Permanent Slaw

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22 of 41

Turkey Tetrazzini

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Classic Fresh Field Peas

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Old-Fashioned Tomato Pie

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Chubba Bubba's Broccoli Salad

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26 of 41

Au Gratin Potato Casserole