Out of the hundreds and hundreds of recipes that we published in 2016, we have narrowed down the list to the 50 that received the highest ratings from our editors and Test Kitchen professionals. From tasty breakfast dishes, to comforting soups, and indulgent desserts, we think this list of 50 recipes is a great representation of the kind of delicious and trusted recipes we have been sharing with our readers for the last 50 years.
Three-Bean Cassoulet with Cornmeal Dumplings
Recipe: Three-Bean Cassoulet with Cornmeal Dumplings
A medley of beans gives this dish contrasting textures and colors.
Ginger Shortbread Cookies with Lemon-Cream Cheese Frosting
Recipe: Ginger Shortbread Cookies with Lemon-Cream Cheese Frosting
Fight the winter chill with these sunny, spicy cookies. Make them sparkle by sprinkling the iced cookies with crystallized ginger.
Soulful Chicken Soup
Recipe: Soulful Chicken Soup
This homey chicken soup is perfect for the busy cook; simply combine the ingredients, switch on the slow cooker, and walk away.
Hummingbird Cake
Recipe: Hummingbird Cake
Mrs. L.H Wiggins of Greensboro, North Carolina, supplied us with this decadent–and frequently requested–recipe. We consider both the lady and her recipe to be Southern treasures.
Ham-and-Greens Pot Pie with Cornbread Crust
Recipe: Ham-and-Greens Pot Pie with Cornbread Crust
The great Southern staples of ham, greens, and cornbread are combined in one recipe. You will never want to separate this prized trio again.
The Lane Cake
Recipe: The Lane Cake
Emma Rylander’s signature cake won the blue ribbon more than 100 years ago, thanks in no small part to the rich, boozy filling. We pick up where she left off, giving her classic cake a peachy, spirited makeover.
Asparagus, Spring Onion, and Feta Quiche
Recipe: Asparagus, Spring Onion, and Feta Quiche
Think of this quiche as a celebration of spring produce. Sweet spring onions and tender asparagus are complemented by crumbled feta and a dash of nutmeg.
Breakfast Enchiladas
Recipe: Breakfast Enchiladas
Reimagined for easy weeknight cooking, this Tex-Mex breakfast mash-up has buttery eggs and a homemade cheese sauce to top it off.
Spring Pea Pasta with Ricotta and Herbs
Recipe: Spring Pea Pasta with Ricotta and Herbs
In this one-pot primavera, fresh herbs, crunchy sugar snap peas, and sweet peas combine with ricotta cheese and salty pasta water for a quick and easy main dish.
Spinach-and-Vidalia Dip
Recipe: Spinach-and-Vidalia Dip
The sweet, mellow flavor of Vidalia onions makes this creamy spinach dip an instant crowd-pleaser.
Strawberry Dream Cake
Recipe: Strawberry Dream Cake
Our frosting, made with a dreamy blend of mascarpone and whipping cream, tops this elegant, three-tiered white cake along with fresh sliced strawberries.
Mouthwatering Marinated Tomatoes
Recipe: Mouthwatering Marinated Tomatoes
Treat this recipe for juicy, flavorful tomatoes like a vinaigrette to be added to all kinds of salads or to top a plate of pasta.
Grilled Flat Iron Steak with Charred Tomato Relish
Recipe: Grilled Flat Iron Steak with Charred Tomato Relish
The secret to the smoky relish? Grill the tomatoes, as well as the steak, until they a nice char on both sides.
Grilled Peach Cobbler
Recipe: Grilled Peach Cobbler
Who says you can’t make dessert on the grill? The fire gives this favorite Southern stone fruit an extra-smoky, caramelized flavor.
Spiced Peach Galette
Recipe: Spiced Peach Galette
This versatile peach dessert can be made with any combination of spices. Consider cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, and nutmeg for different flavor profiles.
Cherry-Plum Pie with Cornmeal Crust
Recipe: Cherry-Plum Pie with Cornmeal Crust
Fine yellow cornmeal gives this piecrust a slightly crunchy and flaky texture.
Blackberry Cobbler with Almond-Ginger Biscuits
Recipe: Blackberry Cobbler with Almond-Ginger Biscuits
Southern, seasonal, and simple, this cobbler is best served in individual ramekins for the right berry-to-biscuit ratio.
Street Corn Salad
Recipe: Street Corn Salad
This fresh salad can be served as a quick and easy side or a fun dip with chips.
Raspberry and Fig Salad with Lemon-Thyme Dressing
Recipe: Raspberry and Fig Salad with Lemon-Thyme Dressing
Sweet, mellow figs are paired with bold blue cheese for an incredibly flavorful salad.
Cherry Pie Bars
Recipe: Cherry Pie Bars
For a classic cherry dessert baked into crowd-pleasing treats, drizzle these cherry bars with an almond-scented icing and sprinkle the top with pecan crumbles.
Chocolate-Coconut Layer Cake
Recipe: Chocolate-Coconut Layer Cake
Layers of coconut cream, dark chocolate frosting, and chocolate cake alternate in the stunning dessert.
Praline Layer Cake
Recipe: Praline Layer Cake
Topped with candied pecans and packed with praline-like filling, this nutty, caramelized layer cake is a certified showstopper.
Apple-Spice Bundt Cake with Caramel Frosting
Recipe: Apple-Spice Bundt Cake with Caramel Frosting
Our updated take on Bundt cake benefits from the warm flavors and spices found in the popular Indian chai tea.
Savory Sweet Potato Bread Pudding
Recie: Savory Sweet Potato Bread Pudding
Salty Parmesan custard and smoky bacon balance the richness of sweet potatoes in this company-worthy brunch pudding.
Cheesy Ham, Corn, and Grits Bake
Recipe: Cheesy Ham, Corn, and Grits Bake
With its puffy and golden appearance and the pockets of fresh corn and savory ham, you will think of this casserole as a soufflé without all the work.
Brown Butter Apple Pie
Recipe: Brown Butter Apple Pie
Browned butter adds a subtle nutty flavor to the crust, and the filling gets a sweet makeover from two types of apples, warming spices and rich brown sugar. To achieve the best flavor, use a combination of sweet and tart apples.
Hugh’s Southern Mac and Cheese
Recipe: Hugh’s Southern Mac and Cheese
We revived a Southern staple with slab bacon, leeks, and a flavorful mix of Gruyère and Cheddar cheeses.
Roasted Pumpkin Soup
Recipe: Roasted Pumpkin Soup
With oodles of pumpkin, carrots, and onions, this soup is like a serving of fall deliciousness in a bowl.
Classic Skillet Cornbread
Recipe: Classic Skillet Cornbread
The secret to our crunchy, buttery-crusted cornbread is a screaming-hot cast-iron skillet, yellow cornmeal, butter, and just a pinch of sugar.
Roasted Herb Turkey and Gravy
Recipe: Roasted Herb Turkey and Gravy
Simple yet just what you need for your holiday meal, this traditional roast turkey is basted in butter seasoned with sage, thyme, and fennel seeds.
Brown Butter Sweet Potato Pie
Recipe: Brown Butter Sweet Potato Pie
Often called “liquid gold” by chefs and bakers alike, brown butter is the secret, nutty ingredient in our update on this Southern pie.
Sweet Potato-Ginger Scones
Recipe: Sweet Potato-Ginger Scones
These tender, apricot-hued scones are filled with chunks of candied ginger and sprinkled with a cardamom and turbinado sugar spice mixture.
Green Tomato Mincemeat Pie
Recipe: Green Tomato Mincemeat Pie
With the tart combination of green tomatoes, Granny Smith apples, and cranberries, this mincemeat pie benefits from a boozy dollop of bourbon-pecan ice cream.
Pumpkin-Lemon Cream Cheese Chess Pie
Recipe: Pumpkin-Lemon Cream Cheese Chess Pie
We took the traditional concept of chess pie–a simple combination of butter, flour, sugar and eggs–and added pumpkin, spices, lemon, and cream cheese.
Cinnamon-Pecan Rolls
Recipe: Cinnamon-Pecan Rolls
Jam-packed with gooey cinnamon-pecan filling, these fragrant rolls are the ideal Sunday morning wake-up call.
Turkey Tortellini Soup with Greens
Recipe: Turkey Tortellini Soup with Greens
A rich stock made from the carcass of the Thanksgiving turkey serves as a delicious base for this soup. Cheesy tortellini and fresh spinach combine with leftover turkey to create a savory pot of soup.
Gumbo-Style Turkey Soup
Recipe: Gumbo-Style Turkey Soup
The gumbo element to this soup is the dark, caramelized roux we start with, not to mention the addition of cut okra. This soup feeds eight, making it ideal for a day-after-Thanksgiving meal.
Green Chile-Turkey Soup with Hominy
Recipe: Green Chile-Turkey Soup with Hominy
Tomatillos, hominy, green chiles, and fresh cilantro bring Tex-Mex flavor to after-Thanksgiving leftovers.
Baked Brie Bites
Recipe: Baked Brie Bites
This uncomplicated, five-ingredient appetizer packs sophisticated flavor in a simple phyllo pastry package.
Peppercorn-Crusted Standing Rib Roast with Roasted Vegetables
Recipe: Peppercorn-Crusted Standing Rib Roast with Roasted Vegetables
This prime rib roast is the show-stopping centerpiece of any holiday feast and is deceptively easy to prepare. Slather it with our special herbed butter the night before, and then let the oven do all the work.
Baby Hasselback Potatoes with Blue Cheese and Bacon
Recipe: Baby Hasselback Potatoes with Blue Cheese and Bacon
The thin slices of our elegant hasselback potatoes offer more surface area to crisp and more nooks and crannies for the cheesy bacon filling.
Red Velvet Cheesecake-Vanilla Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
Recipe: Red Velvet Cheesecake-Vanilla Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
We sandwich fluffy vanilla cake between two crimson layers of red velvet cheesecake, top with clouds of cream cheese icing, and garnish with thick white chocolate curls for and added wow factor.
Coconut Cake with Rum Filling and Coconut Ermine Frosting
Recipe: Coconut Cake with Rum Filling and Coconut Ermine Frosting
A tropical holiday cake that will have you thinking of spending Christmas on an island, our coconut cake gets crowned with sugar cookie Christmas trees and a lacy collar of shredded coconut.
Grits and Greens with Brown Butter Hot Sauce
Recipe: Grits and Greens with Brown Butter Hot Sauce
Any greens will do in this recipe but the spicy, nutty notes of our Brown Butter Hot Sauce are irreplaceable.
Stewed Tomato Shirred Eggs with Ham Chips
Recipe: Stewed Tomato Shirred Eggs with Ham Chips
Our crunchy ham chips might become your go-to topper for all breakfast fare.
Sausage-Stuffed Honey Buns
Recipe: Sausage-Stuffed Honey Buns
Melding sweet and savory into one breakfast dish, we rolled ground sausage in with the brown sugar-honey filling for a meaty surprise.
Red Velvet Crackle Sandwich Cookies
Recipe: Red Velvet Crackle Sandwich Cookies
This bite-sized, chewy sandwich cookie pays homage to one of our favorite Southern cakes.
Lemony Sandwich Cookies
Recipe: Lemony Sandwich Cookies
For these bright and tart, cookies, we pack fresh lemon buttercream in the middle of two citrusy crinkly cookies.
Spiced Stars with Cookie Butter
Recipe: Spiced Stars with Cookie Butter
Between two ultra-thin, crunchy spice cookies is a generous spread of speculoos, better know as cookie butter.
Oyster Casserole
Recipe: Oyster Casserole
A Christmas staple throughout the coastal South, this recipe uses plump, briny oysters, buttery breadcrumbs, and a velvety sauce to create a rich, decadent dish for the holiday table.
