Quick and Easy Dinner Recipes: Southern Classics Made Simple

These recipes deliver the authentic Southern flavor of their labor-intensive counterparts with super short prep time.

When we think of Southern food, we think of comfort food and the classics. These southern dinner recipes bring the tastes of the South to your table. From Crunchy Pan-Fried Chicken to Slow-Cooker Red Beans and Rice, these quick Southern recipes make fixing delicious meals a breeze. So if you are in the mood for Shrimp and Grits, think you might like a Stovetop Chicken Pie, just filled a pan with Pork Chops with Pepper Jelly Sauce, or know its time to dig into a sandwich slathered with Bacon Pimiento Cheese, these easy Southern recipes will have you sitting down and filling your plate faster than you can say lickety-split.

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Slow-Cooker Red Beans and Rice

Photo: Howard Lee Puckett

Recipe: Slow-Cooker Red Beans and Rice

Smoked turkey sausage, bell peppers, and red beans come together in this classic, easy slow-cooker recipe. Serve over long-grain rice for an amazing meal.

Cooking Video: Quick-Fix Red Beans and Rice

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Classic Fried Catfish

Recipe: Classic Fried Catfish

Red pepper and garlic seal the flavor of the cornbread mixture that coats these catfish fillets. For an extra-crispy crust, use stone-ground yellow cornmeal.

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Easy Chicken and Dumplings

Photo: Beth Dreiling Hontzas

Recipe: Easy Chicken and Dumplings

Deli-roasted chicken, cream of chicken soup, and canned biscuits make a quick-and-tasty version of classic chicken and dumplings.

Step-by-Step Video: Our Easiest Chicken and Dumplings

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Chicken-fried Steak

Photo: Van Chaplin

Recipe: Chicken-fried Steak

Make this iconic Southern chicken-fried steak recipe and savor every bite of this simple and delicious dish. Serve with green beans, mashed potatoes, and plenty of gravy.

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Shrimp and Grits

Photo: Beth Dreiling Hontzas

Recipe: Shrimp and Grits

This dish mixes flavor-packed shrimp, bacon, mushrooms, green onion, and garlic with creamy cheese grits. It’s perfect for brunch or for dinner. The original recipe for this hearty shrimp and grits dish is from Bill Smith, executive chef at Crook's Corner, the landmark Southern restaurant in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.

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Easy Brunswick Stew

Recipe: Easy Brunswick Stew

Nothing is more comforting than a big bowl of hearty Brunswick stew. Sop up every flavorful last bit with crusty bread or crispy cornbread crackers.

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Pork Chops with Pepper Jelly Sauce

Photo: Jennifer Davick

Recipe: Pork Chops with Pepper Jelly Sauce

The sweet and spicy pepper jelly sauce creates a beautiful glaze on the pork chop and keeps the meat moist and tender.

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Easy Chicken Gumbo

Photo: Beth Dreiling Hontzas

Recipe: Easy Chicken Gumbo

Cajun seasonings make the flavor of this gumbo complex, but the prep work is easy enough for a weeknight dinner. The gumbo and our Okra Pilau can be ready in 48 minutes. This easy chicken gumbo calls for a flavorful roux made by cooking flour in hot oil.

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Chicken Cobbler Casserole

Photo: William Dickey

Recipe: Chicken Cobbler Casserole

This dish combines the robust flavors and cheesy bread topping of French onion soup with chicken pot pie. It’s so quick and easy to make you’ll hardly notice it requires ten ingredients. Substitute an equal amount of buttermilk for wine, if desired. Serve with a green salad tossed with fresh citrus, sliced avocados, toasted pecans, and bottled raspberry vinaigrette.

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Chicken-and-Artichoke Salad

Photo: William Dickey

Recipe: Chicken-and-Artichoke Salad

For a hot weeknight supper, bake Chicken-and-Artichoke Salad spread on thick-sliced Texas toast and topped with shredded Colby-Jack cheese.

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Hamburger Steak With Sweet Onion-Mushroom Gravy

Photo: Beth Dreiling Hontzas

Recipe: Hamburger Steak With Sweet Onion-Mushroom Gravy

This ground beef recipe helps you make the most of your busy weeknights. You can make the patties ahead, then simply thaw them in the fridge overnight before using. You’ll love how the gravy keeps these moist and tender, while the onion adds just the right hint of sweetness and the garlic adds that little bit of spice. Mushrooms make this burger even richer, and sop up that gravy to make your burger even better. We love ground round for this burger. So get your skillet ready to brown this burger and cover it in sweet onion-mushroom gravy. You’ll love how good this burger tastes.

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Crunchy Pan-Fried Chicken

Photo: William Dickey

Recipe: Crunchy Pan-Fried Chicken

Seasoned breadcrumbs and self-rising cornmeal give Crunchy Pan-Fried Chicken a crisp golden-brown crust without a skillet full of extra oil. This crispy coating is also terrific on skinned and boned chicken thighs or pork chops.

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Slow-Cooker Barbecue Beef Sandwiches

Recipe: Slow-Cooker Barbecue Beef Sandwiches

Make your favorite creamy coleslaw to serve with or on this barbecue sandwich. Freeze any leftover meat for up to one month.

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Turnip Greens Stew

Photo: Tina Cornett

Recipe: Turnip Greens Stew

Frozen vegetables provide a shortcut to making this savory stew. Sautéed ham and chicken broth give the greens plenty of flavor.

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Bacon Pimiento Cheese

Photo: Beth Dreiling Hontzas

Recipe: Bacon Pimiento Cheese

Spread homemade Bacon Pimiento Cheese on whole wheat bread with lettuce and tomato. Use leftover spread on crackers or celery for a snack.

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Honey Barbecue Chicken

Recipe: Honey Barbecue Chicken

Crank up the grill and get cooking to savor this sweet-and-tangy chicken dish. The Honey Barbecue Sauce, made with Worcestershire, lemon juice, and honey, adds bold flavor to the grilled chicken pieces.

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Bayou Fried Shrimp

Photo: Beth Dreiling Hontzas

Recipe: Bayou Fried Shrimp

For these Cajun-flavored fried shrimp, peel the shrimp but leave the tails on and coat the shrimp in fish fry mix to get a crispy brown coating.

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Stovetop Chicken Pie

Photo: Jennifer Davick

Recipe: Stovetop Chicken Pie

Update your chicken pot pie with this recipe that includes buttermilk biscuits for the crust and sauteed mushrooms and baby peas. A family-size rotisserie chicken yields the perfect amount of chopped cooked chicken for this recipe.

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Pan-Fried Pork Chops

Photo: Tina Cornett

Recipe: Pan-Fried Pork Chops

You only need five ingredients to make these old-fashioned fried pork chops. Serve with turnip greens, mashed potatoes or grits and biscuits for a down-home dinner.

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Supper Ideas from the Pros

Quick and Easy Dinner Recipes: Southern Classics

Jump start supper in no time with more classic Southern recipe ideas from Test Kitchen Professional Shirley Harrington.
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Quick-Fix Southern Classics

1 of 21

Slow-Cooker Red Beans and Rice

2 of 21

Classic Fried Catfish

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Easy Chicken and Dumplings

4 of 21

Chicken-fried Steak

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Shrimp and Grits

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Easy Brunswick Stew

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Pork Chops with Pepper Jelly Sauce

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Easy Chicken Gumbo

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Chicken Cobbler Casserole

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Chicken-and-Artichoke Salad

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Hamburger Steak With Sweet Onion-Mushroom Gravy

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Crunchy Pan-Fried Chicken

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Slow-Cooker Barbecue Beef Sandwiches

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Turnip Greens Stew

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Bacon Pimiento Cheese

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Honey Barbecue Chicken

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Bayou Fried Shrimp

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Stovetop Chicken Pie

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Pan-Fried Pork Chops

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Supper Ideas from the Pros

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