Southern Side Dish Recipes

This is a recipe handed down by my mother and is a local favorite back in West Virginia, up in the Appalachian Mountains. This recipe consists of picking the largest dandelion flowers and leaving the entire stem behind, battering the flowers up and frying them in butter. Has a flavor similar to that of mushrooms. One word of caution...to avoid a bitter taste, make sure the dandelion flowers you're picking have not been sprayed by dogs or pesticides.

Traditional seasonings for southern greens are bacon grease or ham. This healthier version is a delicious alternative. Serve as-is or with sauteed bell peppers, onions, and garlic.

My family would drink the sauce to this green bean dish, if I would let them! Your family will never look at Green Beans the same again. These beans are sweet and savory and smell fabulous in the oven.

Why take something that normally takes 5 minutes to cook and cook it for 2 hours? Because it produces one of the most delicious things you'll ever taste. There's going to be a lot of juice, and that's what you dip your corn bread into.

I coaxed this easy (and forgiving) recipe from its maker after tasting it at a pot luck, and was surprised by its simplicity. Just a few ingredients make a delicious summer side dish for anything barbecued, grilled, or smoked - especially if the squash is home grown!

A simple and elegant, EASY side dish made from an exotic, but inexpensive squash. Paired with chicken or fish, it rounds out a weeknight supper.

A delicious mixture of greens. The washing process is the most important part for these tender, tasty greens. Don't forget the sugar! If you follow directions exactly, you'll have the most perfect greens ever!

This is my grandmother's macaroni and cheese recipe that we all crave and only get to have twice a year, if we play our cards right. Fairly simple and straightforward. The key is cooking time more than anything.

Simple recipe for fried green tomatoes, perfect for appetizers or a unique fried green tomato B.L.T.!

This is a seafood stuffing that has been in my family for a while. We have never actually stuffed the bird with this to avoid the turkey having a 'fishy' taste. We tend to like our dressing very moist, but if you prefer a drier stuffing, only use half of the broth.

There's a short way and a long way, so no excuses will be accepted for tough, bitter greens!

Crispy bacon tops pan-fried cabbage and mushrooms for a deliciously rich side dish.

A good pot of cabbage can be served stand-alone with some cornbread or as a side dish to your favorite meal. Preparing cabbage in a pressure cooker preserves most of the nutrients and produces a very sweet yet savory dish. This recipe is quick, flavorful and easy!

If you've never tried grits...you haven't lived!

Not your usual baked beans! Green chiles and hot pepper sauce give zest to these eat-'em up sweet-and-hot baked beans.

A wonderful side-dish for any southern-style-meal. Goes great with cornbread and fried pork chops!

This is a yummy side dish with rice. Using two types of tomato gives the dish texture and is a tasty explosion of flavors with lots of garlic and crushed red pepper.

This is as Southern as you can get.

Fried green tomatoes are about as southern as you can get, comfort food at its best. An air fryer will allow you to put a healthier, but still totally delicious, version on the table.

Delicious, and easy to prepare. Great Southern dish. Can be served with any meat as a side dish. Great with cornbread.

A favorite recipe for great Southern sweet and spicy onion rings.

Lowcountry style shrimp and grits at its best!

These fried okra patties are made from fresh okra and onion in a cornmeal batter. A delightful southern-style snack.

This recipe came from my Grandmother and is a family tradition--a great dish which is eaten instead of stuffing here in the South.