BellaOnline Forums Food and Wine Southern Cooking Favorite Southern meal!

My favorite Southern meal is dressing (not stuffing), fried chicken, fresh white peas (straight from the field), potato salad (like mine warm), fried corn bread, and chocolate cake with the icing made on the stove to finish. I love sweet ice tea to go with it. Can you tell I am needing a mom's cooking fix?

Chicken and dumplings (real dumplings made with flour and chicken broth), white rice, and biscuits. And, yes, sweet iced tea is the only beverage that will satisfy!

Fried pork-chops, mashed potatos (with lumps) and white gravy, corn salad or 3-bean salad, and buttermilk biscuits. My husband would add greens to that list, but I'm not a fan mushy green stuff. For dessert, sweet-potato pie.

I spent Easter with my husband's family, so I didn't get my Mom's Easter meal. It was good, but it just isn't the same.

fried chicken and waffles...

Oh bepart, you've to it!

My great-grandmother's chicken and dumplins - nobody can make them like she could (not even my brother the chef!)
But for me you have to have fried okra (hand made with corn meal - not those frozen things that are all dough!), and fresh tomatoes and corn from the garden. And of course iced sweet tea. Homemade banana puddinf for dessert (my great-grandmother's as well).

And natturally, since my bypass, I can't eat any of this! <img src="/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" />

You can't beat a bit of sausage. Bit of mustard, bit of gravy*, can't go wrong with that matey. Have it with a huge flagoon of beer, or wine if you're posh.

*Gravy is a thickened sauce, usually made from a base of juices and extractives. There are two basic types of meat gravy: thickened and unthickened. Nice if contains plenty of fat and runny meat.

corn on the cob, fried patty pan squash, sliced tomatoes, fried chicken.

Fried green tomatoes, sweet potato pie, chicken fried steak, mashed potatoes, sawmill gravy & biscuits.

Ok, now I'm hungry.

I've got a brilliant recipe for sawmill gravy:

1/2 lb big juicy pork sausage (or a carrot if you're a vegetarian)
1/4 cup butter or any old fat
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
3 1/4 cups milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/8 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning (optional*)

Cook your big sausage in a large skillet over medium heat, crumbling and cooking until no longer pink (we don't want to eat a raw sausage, do we ladies?).
Remove sausage and wipe skillet (this is like a frying pan).
Melt butter or fat in same skillet (see above) over low heat.
Whisk in flour and stir until smooth, about 1 minute (although obviously this depends how fast you stir....I go like a rocket but you're probably slower**).
Whisk in milk gradually and cook, stirring constantly until thickened and bubbly (about 12 minutes).
Stir in sausage, salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning if desired. Then cock-a-doodle-do you've got brilliant gravy. pour it over any old meat you have and serve with beer.

* you don't have to if you don't want to...if you really think it'll taste better than my brillaint recipe

** no offence

Forgot to add that you can substitue the butter for fat. Oh I did that already...forget this.

[color:"green"]Skillet fried corn bread, beans and ham with chopped onions, and sliced tomatoes. [/color]

With a bit of sawmill gravy that'd be dandy.

My husband's favorite meal is chicken fried steak, mashed potatoes, cream gravy, green bean casserole and big ol' buttermilk biscuits.

Mine is pork roast, slow roasted with pan drippin' gravy, baby peas, white rice and skillet cornbread.

I'm the "home cookin'" expert in my family... My hubby's a retired chef, but if you ask him if he cooks he'll tell you "Hell no, my wife's cookin' rocks!" *grins*

Fried chicken, mashed potatoes, black eyed peas, mustard and turnip greens mixed (not quite as bitter), sweet tea, buttermilk cornbread, and banana pudding or cobbler (blackberry,peach,plum or muscadine)!

Y'all are making me really hungry!

OK, has anyone heard of this Southern breakfast?
This is famous in my ex-mother-in-law's family. They are from Tennessee. I first had this when I met my exhusband when I was 16. I have to say that I love it too.

Chocolate sauce and biscuits.
The chocolate sauce is not real sweet. It is made with cooking coco.
The biscuits are Hungry Jack and you have to top them with real butter and then pour the chocolate sauce over them.

These are served with a serving of bacon.

Terribly fattening and unhealthy but soooooo good. <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

I had something similar in New Mexico at a B&B run by texans. They put jam and goo all over my fried egg and bacon, totally disgusting, and the knives and forks were in little gun holsters. I told them I'd had enough of this and said no more.

How is the chocolate sauce made? I've never heard of using cocoa for "gravy". Just wondering.

Stick the chocolate in with a bit of fat in a pan and heat it up. God, EVERYONE knows that! Or cocoa and a bit of water, and a bit of fat...oh I can't remember now*

*forget this

1/4 cup water
1/4 cup sugar
6T cocoa
2T oil
Blend over heat
Sift in 3 rounded teaspoons of flour or cornstarch
Add a little milk and cook until it thickens

My mom used to make that to go with pancakes!
Ohhhhhh, there goes another one down the drain. <img src="/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" />

There is nothing in the Southern Food Belt that is on the low carb menu, LOL!

"There is nothing in the Southern Food Belt that is on the low carb menu, LOL! "

There's salad, unless you put chocolate sauce over it.

Mine is my gramma's Sunday dinner. Chicken fried steak, gravy, mashed potatoes, fried okra and black-eyed peas, green beans and a plate of home grown tomatoes. Oh, and peach cobbler for dessert!

I'm gaining weight just reading everyone's favorite meals.

Just a little aside - here in The Netherlands, for breakfast kids eat buttered bread with chocolate sprinkles (like you sprinkle on cupcakes in America).

And, for lunch, buttered bread with a product that is a swirl of peanut butter and chocolate of the same consistency.

I'll stick with my lunch of buttered bread with peanut butter - is that southern enough. he he he

Breakfast--Fried grits (cook the grits the usual way, pour them into a loaf pan, let 'em get cold, slice them and fry golden brown); bacon or sausage; johnny cakes (corn meal pancakes) topped with sorghum/black strap molasses and chicory coffee (the kind you can stand a spoon up in).

Tastes great, but you feel pretty darned loaded and heavy afterwards.

Thanks for posting the recipe, Lynne! It triggered a memory of a childhood favorite of mine!
My grandmother would make the usual fried fruit pies like apple and peach. But she also had a chocolate filled fried pie.
She would mix (I think) sugar and cocoa and maybe a little butter in the "pocket" of the fried pie rather than fruit and once it was fried in oil it would become a thick chocolate filling! It was SO good!
Does anyone else remember those kind of fried pies? I was wondering because I've never known of anyone else that made them with a chocolate filling like that.

My god listen to you all! I have a fruit smoothie for breakfast (just fruit and water) and I'm still a bit old lardarse.

<img src="/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" /> I ususally have a protein shake for breakfast and save the chocolate and biscuits (and the like) for special times or times when I'm really tired of being <img src="/images/graemlins/angel.gif" alt="" /> good!

On the upside, research is now showing that a little chocolate may help your heart! Yay! Let's break out the chocolate sauce!

Chocolate fried pies --- yum!!! Yep, here in SW Tennessee we enjoy all kinds of fried pies, but the chocolate ones are the favorite hereabouts.

As to breakfast - grits or white beans, country ham, eggs and french toast stuffed with cream and strawberries then sprinkled with confectioner's sugar.......

Now that I have gained a pound, off to the gym!!!

a little chocolate may help your heart

My heart must be very strong. <img src="/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />

Sandwich_Chef do you have an actual recipe for the chocolate filling? I was just making a guess at what may have been included.

Do y'all think that chocolates will begin to be sold in heart shaped boxes year round? As for me, I keep a bag of chocolate M&Ms in my desk with a "hands off" note taped on just for emergencies! HA!

I have a banana smoothie for breakfast. I make 2 servings and pour one of the servings in a thermos for hubby to take to work.

Here's my recipe:

- 2 medium to large ripe bananas sliced in half inch thick slices, put in plastic bag and freeze at least overnight. Spread pieces out in bag so it is not a big lump and can be broken apart by hand when ready to use.

- In blender put 12 ounces orange juice, 12 ounces plain yogurt and the 2 frozen banana pieces.

- Whirl about 10-15 seconds until it looks like a thick shake.

That's it.

I've started my day like this for at least 10 years. 2nd course - a cup of coffee. hahahaha

Susan,
That sounds wonderful. I take the easy way and just shake my protein shake but I may try your recipe.

Here's a recipe that seemed to be similar to the ones I was talking about. I don't recommend using canned biscuits. I just don't like the taste.

Chocolate Fried Pies
1 can flaky biscuits
1/2 c. cocoa
Oil
1 c. sugar
1 stick butter

Combine sugar and cocoa; mix well. Roll out individual biscuits flat. Add 1 part butter and 1 or 2 tablespoons cocoa mixture. Fold over and seal edges. Brown in hot oil.

WOW. That sounds wonderful!

I've made these many times and they're very delicious!

Chocolate Fried Pies

1/2 c. sugar
1/4 c. flour
1 T. cocoa
1/2 c. milk
2 T. butter
1/2 tsp. vanilla
2 c. packaged biscuit mix (like Bisquick)
1/3 c. milk

Filling:
Combine sugar, flour and cocoa in a small saucepan. Stir in the 1/2 c. milk and butter. Cook and stir until bubbling; cook and stir 1 minute more. Stir in vanilla. Cool.

DOUGH:
In a small bowl, stir together the biscuit mix and the 1/3 c. milk. On a floured surface roll the dough to 1/8 inch thickness. Cut 10 (4-inch) circles. Place about 1 Tablespoon filling in center of each circle. Fold over; press edges together with a fork. (You may have to brush a little water or egg white around the edges to make it stick)

In a skillet, heat 1 inch of cooking oil to 375 degrees F. Fry pies several at a time 2 minutes per side or until golden. Cool and sprinkle with powdered sugar.

YIELD: 10 pies

Sharon

Thank you and I never heard of 'em. My hubby is from the south and never had these either. So glad you posted this recipe as I am having company in a few weeks and want to try these. Have a great day

Summer

Summer, hope you enjoy this recipe. Let me know how they turn out. <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Sharon

My favorite southern meal would have to be fried chicken, gourmet mashed potatoes, cream gravy, green beans & homemade rolls. After a few hours, top it off with coffee and banana pudding. <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Sharon