Big Flavors, Bigger Helpings – Ultimate Southern Comfort Food

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If you’re craving the kind of food that’ll have you loosening your belt and asking for seconds, you’ve hit the jackpot. Think Carolina-style Chicken and Waffles Eggs Benedict—because why settle for boring when you can have two awesome breakfast dishes merged into one big old Southern breakfast? Baked Popcorn Shrimp practically screams “snack time,” and a hearty bowl of Seafood Gumbo Recipe will warm you from the inside out. And if you’re not dipping crispy Southern Buttermilk Onion Rings into ranch while eating Buttermilk Fried Chicken, are you even living? Add a side of Sweet Potato Cornbread or Cajun Baked Sweet Potato Fries to keep things interesting. Ready to eat like a Southern superstar?

Carolina-style Chicken and Waffles Eggs Benedict

A knife cuts into a runny fried egg yolk resting on a piece of crispy fried chicken atop a waffle. The dish is garnished with a sprinkle of herbs and placed on a white plate with a green rim.
Photo credit: Not Entirely Average

Carolina-Style Chicken and Waffles Eggs Benedict flips the script on the classic. Crispy fried chicken, cornmeal waffles, a runny egg, and Havarti cheese—because who needs hollandaise when you have the added kick of hot honey?
Get the Recipe: Carolina-style Chicken and Waffles Eggs Benedict

Breakfast Succotash with Poached Eggs and Herb Oil

This healthy summery Breakfast Succotash is made with zucchini, corn and peppers,  then topped with pillow poached eggs and flavorful herb oil.
Photo credit: Feasting at Home

Who says veggies can’t kick off your day? This healthy Breakfast Succotash with corn, zucchini, and peppers, topped with poached eggs and a punch of herb oil, will have you wondering why you didn’t eat your greens sooner.
Get the Recipe: Breakfast Succotash with Poached Eggs and Herb Oil

Fresh Oysters with Mignonette Sauce

A plate of opened oysters on ice is displayed on a wooden surface. The oysters are garnished with chopped green herbs. A lemon wedge and a small bowl of dipping sauce with a spoon are also on the plate.
Photo credit: Feasting at Home

Ready to impress with fresh oysters? Learn how to shuck like a pro, serve ‘em up just right, and whip up a tangy Mignonette Sauce that’ll have everyone slurping in style.
Get the Recipe: Fresh Oysters with Mignonette Sauce

Baked Popcorn Shrimp

Skinny Popcorn Shrimp Recipe | gimmesomeoven.com #appetizer
Photo credit: Gimme Some Oven

This baked popcorn shrimp recipe is nice and crispy, lightened up by being baked instead of fried, and SO flavorful and delicious!
Get the Recipe: Baked Popcorn Shrimp

Crawfish Etouffee

crawfish etouffee.
Photo credit: The Big Man’s World

My mouthwatering crawfish etouffee recipe features tender crawfish smothered in an aromatic Cajun stew. It makes an easy and cozy dinner.
Get the Recipe: Crawfish Etouffee

Crispy Southern Buttermilk Onion Rings

A close-up of a plate of crispy, golden-brown onion rings arranged on parchment paper. The rings are well-fried, showing a textured, crunchy coating. In the background, blurred hints of other food items can be seen.
Photo credit: Not Entirely Average

Crispy Southern Buttermilk Onion Rings are the ultimate Southern sidekick. With a crunchy, buttermilk-coated exterior, they add the perfect crispy bite to burgers or stand alone as a snack that’s impossible to resist.
Get the Recipe: Crispy Southern Buttermilk Onion Rings

Cheese Grits

Fresh bowl of cheese grits served with a spoon
Photo credit: Grandbaby Cakes

Warm and creamy cheese grits are a delicious Southern favorite that can be served as a breakfast, side dish, or main entrée. The perfect combination of quick grits, butter and shredded gouda cheese create a comforting dish that’s simple to make and endlessly versatile.
Get the Recipe: Cheese Grits

Buttermilk Fried Chicken

A basket filled with crispy fried chicken and golden French fries, wrapped in printed paper, is placed on a wooden table. Side bowls contain crushed red pepper and a seasoning mix.
Photo credit: Not Entirely Average

Buttermilk Fried Chicken is the ultimate crispy contender. With a tangy marinade and a perfectly spiced, crunchy crust, this chicken makes all others look like amateurs.
Get the Recipe: Buttermilk Fried Chicken

Seafood Gumbo Recipe

Vintage blue bowl filled with seafood gumbo recipe over rice with gold spoon ready to serve.
Photo credit: Grandbaby Cakes

This vintage Seafood Gumbo Recipe is chock-full of tender shrimp, oysters and crabmeat swimming in a spiced broth that began with a deep medium flavorful roux.
Get the Recipe: Seafood Gumbo Recipe

Sweet Potato Cornbread

Sweet potato cornbread squares with butter and honey on a plate.
Photo credit: The Cookie Rookie

This easy Sweet Potato Cornbread has a warm fall flavor and that moist, crumbly texture that makes it so satisfying!
Get the Recipe: Sweet Potato Cornbread

Fried Catfish

Fried catfish on a wire rack over a baking sheet with hush puppies.
Photo credit: House of Nash Eats

The crispy exterior breading of this Southern Fried Catfish is perfectly seasoned with tender, delicious fried fish underneath.
Get the Recipe: Fried Catfish

Chicken, Crab and Andouille Sausage Gumbo Recipe

Chicken, Shrimp and Andouille Gumbo Recipe | foodiecrush.com
Photo credit: Foodie Crush

A Southern favorite, gumbo is a relatively easy recipe to master so long as you take it low and slow, in making a roux that creates its signature flavor.
Get the Recipe: Chicken, Crab and Andouille Sausage Gumbo Recipe

Crockpot Black Eyed Peas

A bowl of black-eyed pea stew garnished with fresh thyme. The stew is filled with beans, chunks of tomato, and pieces of sausage, creating a hearty and colorful dish. A spoon rests in the bowl.
Photo credit: The Cookie Rookie

Filled with Cajun spices, smoked sausage, and jalapeños, these crockpot black eyed peas are the perfect comfort food for New Year’s!
Get the Recipe: Crockpot Black Eyed Peas

Sweet Potato Biscuits

A close-up of a basket filled with freshly baked biscuits, nestled in a yellow and white checkered cloth. The biscuits are golden brown with a flaky, crumbly texture.
Photo credit: Baking a Moment

Old-fashioned sweet potato biscuits! Fluffy, light, and so easy to make. A perfect addition to your fall menu. Made the southern way, with tangy buttermilk!
Get the Recipe: Sweet Potato Biscuits

Cajun Baked Sweet Potato Fries

A metal container filled with crispy, charred sweet potato fries.
Photo credit: Minimalist Baker

I’m kind of a sweet potato fiend. Sweet potato oats, granola, muffins, tater tots, smoothies, salads, soups, chips, burgers, Mediterranean
Get the Recipe: Cajun Baked Sweet Potato Fries

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About Jenny deRemer

I am a Charleston, South Carolina-based culinary novice, an ardent authority on all things travel, a designer by trade, and the creator of Not Entirely Average. I have a weakness for farmers' markets, delight in adventures way off the beaten path, enjoy documenting my many moods through photography, and have been known to conquer the occasional yard sale with gusto!

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