Best Southern Home Cooking

Southern Home Cooking is defined as the regional culinary form of states generally south of the Mason-Dixon Line westerly to the state of Texas.  This cuisine manifests influences from traditions of various indigenous peoples and settlers that have inhabited this region of the USA.

• A

  • Appetizer Recipes

• B

  • Beverage Recipes

  • Bread Recipes

  • Breakfast Recipes

• C

  • Casserole Recipes

• D

  • Dessert Recipes

    • Bar Cookies

    • Brownie Recipes

    • Cake Recipes

    • Cookie Recipes

    • Pie Recipes

• F

  • Fish & Shellfish Recipes

• M

  • Meat Recipes

    • Beef Recipes

    • Ham & Pork Recipes

• P

  • Pasta, Egg & Cheese Dish Recipes

  • Poultry Recipes

    • Chicken Recipes

    • Turkey Recipes

• S

  • Salads & Dressing Recipes

  • Sandwich Recipes

  • Side Dish Recipes

  • Soup, Stew & Chowder Recipes

Includes: Cajun and Creole cooking, Low country cooking, and Appalachian Mountain cooking.

The most notable influences come from British, Scots-Irish, French, Native American, African American , and to a lesser extent Spanish cuisines. Soul food, Creole, Cajun, Lowcountry, and Floribbean are examples of Southern cuisine. In recent history, elements of Southern cuisine have spread north, having an effect on the development of other types of American cuisine.

Many items such as squash, tomatoes, corn (and its derivatives, including grits), as well as the practice of deep pit barbecuing were inherited from the southeastern Native American tribes such as the Caddo, Choctaw, and Seminole. 

Many foods associated with sugar, flour, milk, eggs (many kinds of baking or dairy products such as breads and cheeses) are more associated with Europe. The South's propensity for a full breakfast (as opposed to a Continental one with a simple bread item and drink) is derived from the British fry up, although it was altered substantially. 

Much of Cajun or Creole cuisine is based on France, and on Spain to a lesser extent. Floribbean is more Spanish-based with obvious Caribbean influences, while Tex-Mex has considerable Mexican and native tribes touches.