Food and Recipes 30 Classic Comfort Food Recipes That Can't Be Beat By Southern Living Editors Updated on July 20, 2022 Share Tweet Pin Email Trending Videos Photo: Greg DuPree; Prop Styling: Mindi Shapiro Levine; Food Styling: Torie Cox Some of the best recipes seen on Southern tables aren't new and shiny, but instead old and time-tested—handed down from generation to generation on stained recipe cards and in tattered notebooks. These passed-down recipes include the hard-working comfort foods we've turned to again and again for decades. We're talking cheesy casseroles, traditional stews, fried bites, and even scrumptious desserts. If you're feeling under the weather, we have just the thing: Old-Fashioned Chicken And Dumplings, just like Grandma made them. We've got desserts like Million Dollar Pound Cake that will wow any crowd, and we have barbecue favorites like Kettle Chip-Crusted Fried Green Tomatoes with Tasso Tartar Sauce. These are the weeknight staples for anyone wanting a hearty meal and a little taste of home, as well as standout centerpieces for holidays and family celebrations. One thing's for sure: You cannot go wrong with one of these classic comfort food recipes. 01 of 30 Mama's Fried Chicken Southern Living Recipe: Mama's Fried Chicken Skip the bucket of fast-food fried chicken and remember what it's like to eat "real" fried chicken like Mama used to make. 02 of 30 Double-Crust Chicken Pot Pies Hector Manuel Sanchez Recipe: Double-Crust Chicken Pot Pies Lose the big casserole dish for the day. These adorably mini pot pies are packed with major flavor. 03 of 30 Southern-Style Collard Greens Jim Franco; Prop Styling: Buffy Hargett Miller; Food Styling: Simon Andrews Recipe: Southern-Style Collard Greens Crispy bacon, sautéed onion, ham, and garlic perfect these collard greens, making them an essential part of your traditional Southern feast. 04 of 30 Classic Beef Pot Roast Jennifer Causey; Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Stylist: Claire Spollen Recipe: Classic Beef Pot Roast You can almost hear the dinner bell calling you in for this comforting meat-and-potatoes meal. 05 of 30 Classic Lasagna Recipe: Classic Lasagna This classic lasagna recipe perfectly matches traditional Italian ingredients with a homemade sauce. Layers of cheese, meat, and pasta make the tastiest trio. 06 of 30 Smoky Mountain Brunswick Stew Southern Living Recipe: Smoky Mountain Brunswick Stew Nothing is more satisfying than a big bowl of hearty Brunswick stew. Using frozen vegetables and prepared meats make it super easy to throw together. 07 of 30 Classic Chicken Tetrazzini Photo: Beth Dreiling Hontzas Recipe: Classic Chicken Tetrazzini Freshly-grated Parmesan adds the cheesiest flavor to this casserole recipe that's great for making ahead and freezing. 08 of 30 Old-fashioned Meatloaf Southern Living Recipe: Old-fashioned Meatloaf This Southern meatloaf recipe features Creole and Greek seasonings and a hint of garlic. A few tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce spice up the traditional ketchup topping. 09 of 30 Best Pecan Pie Greg DuPree; Prop Styling: Christine Keely; Food Styling: Torie Cox Recipe: Best Pecan Pie Any way you serve it―warm or cold, with or without ice cream―pecan pie is always a favorite. Feel free to use store-bought pie crust if in a pinch, because the filling is the star here anyway. 10 of 30 Southern Skillet Cornbread Southern Living Recipe: Southern Skillet Cornbread Great slathered with butter or for sopping up stews, cornbread is a must with hearty meals. Try this classic recipe and you'll never go back. 11 of 30 Pecan-Peach Cobbler Beth Dreiling Hontzas Recipe: Pecan-Peach Cobbler Showcase two of the South's most beloved products—peaches and pecans—in this old-fashioned peach cobbler recipe. 12 of 30 Pam Lolley's Crispy Chicken with Rice and Pan Gravy Hector Manuel Sanchez Recipe: Pam Lolley's Crispy Chicken with Rice and Pan Gravy You won't find a better weeknight meal than crispy chicken drenched in a savory pan gravy and herby rice. 13 of 30 Fried Pork Chops with Potatoes and Peas Greg DuPree Recipe: Fried Pork Chops with Potatoes and Peas Any dish with hearty potatoes and tasty gravy is bound to stay in the weeknight rotation, and these pork chops are no exception. 14 of 30 Chunky Beef Chili Beth Dreiling Hontzas Recipe: Chunky Beef Chili This hearty beef chili features boneless chuck roast and a medley of traditional chili seasonings. Serve with these cast-iron cornbread sticks for a complete meal. 15 of 30 Perfect Mashed Potatoes Beth Dreiling Hontzas Recipe: Perfect Mashed Potatoes Yukon gold potatoes yield a texture that's just right for holding a pool of flavorful turkey gravy or melted butter. 16 of 30 Classic Fried Catfish Beth Dreiling Hontzas Recipe: Classic Fried Catfish Catfish is an extremely popular fried treat throughout the South, and our fried catfish recipe is simple and oh-so crispy. 17 of 30 Two-Step Pound Cake Beth Dreiling Hontzas Recipe: Two-Step Pound Cake This recipe is so easy you may start serving this classic dessert with every meal. Top with ice cream or seasonal fruits for a tasty combination. 18 of 30 Homestyle Ground Beef Casserole Southern Living Recipe: Homestyle Ground Beef Casserole Packed with egg noodles, sour cream, cream cheese, and a delicious tomato-beef mixture, this might be our heartiest dinner casserole ever. 19 of 30 Grits and Greens with Brown Butter Hot Sauce Iain Bagwell Recipe: Grits and Greens with Brown Butter Hot Sauce You won't find a more Southern side dish to include on any spread, from brunch to dinner. 20 of 30 Slow-Cooker Cowboy Beans Slow-Cooker Cowboy Beans Recipe: Slow-Cooker Cowboy Beans Flavored with thick-cut bacon, these barbecue beans are a surefire way to jazz up any cookout. 21 of 30 Beef Tamale Pie Greg DuPree; Prop Styling: Heather Chadduck Hillegas; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall Recipe: Beef Tamale Pie A sauced-up ground beef mixture with tomatoes and black beans is made even better when topped with traditional corn muffin topping and jalapeños. 22 of 30 Strawberry-Rhubarb Pretzel Pie Iain Bagwell; Prop Styling: Mindi Shapiro Levine; Food Styling: Hadas Smirnoff Recipe: Strawberry-Rhubarb Pretzel Pie A dynamic duo in the Southern baking world, strawberries and rhubarbs are a tart-and-sweet match made in heaven. 23 of 30 Old-School Squash Casserole Greg DuPree Recipe: Old-School Squash Casserole Southerners cannot get enough of buttery, creamy, cheesy squash casserole in all of its glory. 24 of 30 Kettle Chip-Crusted Fried Green Tomatoes with Tasso Tartar Sauce Cedric Angeles; Food Styling: Tina Bell Stamos; Prop Styling: Buffy Hargett Miller Recipe: Kettle Chip-Crusted Fried Green Tomatoes with Tasso Tartar Sauce Watch these disappear from the snack plate or serve them on top of crusty white bread for the best po'boy ever. 25 of 30 Jessica Harris' Red Rice Victor Protasio, Food Styling: Rishon Hanners; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis Recipe: Jessica Harris' Red Rice This flavor-charged rice has been a staple of Lowcountry cuisine for centuries. 26 of 30 Egg Custard Pie Antonis Achilleos Recipe: Egg Custard Pie This Depression Era pie is simple and perfect every time. Serve with whipped cream, ice cream, or fresh peaches or berries. 27 of 30 Classic Beef Stroganoff Antonis Achilleos Recipe: Classic Beef Stroganoff We'll take this warm and comforting meal on any weeknight. This recipe is homemade and special without trying to be too fancy. 28 of 30 Easy Creamy Chicken Spaghetti Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Lydia Pursell; Food Styling: Chelsea Zimmer Recipe: Easy Creamy Chicken Spaghetti We love a vintage casserole, and this one has all the makings of a filling family meal. Feel free to use store-bought rotisserie chicken in lieu of cooking your own. 29 of 30 Cowboy Casserole Micah A. Leal Recipe: Cowboy Casserole It doesn't get any more tried-and-true than a tater tot-topped casserole, especially this recipe that includes a seasoned beef mixture with beans, corn, chiles, sour cream, and cheese. 30 of 30 Old-Fashioned Chicken And Dumplings Greg DuPree; Prop Styling: Mindi Shapiro Levine; Food Styling: Torie Cox Recipe: Old-Fashioned Chicken And Dumplings As the name suggests, this is an old-school staple that will be sure to satisfy the whole family. It's a simple recipe that delivers every time. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit