Southern Comfort Recipes Like Mama’s

Jenny deRemer

Jul 23, 2025

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If you’re craving the kind of meal that feels like a warm hug, start with Copycat Cracker Barrel Country Fried Steak—crispy, golden, and smothered in creamy gravy. Then keep the comfort coming with Biscuits and Gravy, Smothered Pork Chops, and Best Southern Ham Gravy with Cheesy Biscuits and Eggs. This collection also includes classics like Brown Sugar Cake, Benne Seed Brittle, and Hummingbird Poke Cake, plus hearty favorites like Chicken, Crab, and Andouille Sausage Gumbo, Beef and Sour Cream Noodle Casserole, and Best-Ever Breakfast Casserole. Whether you’re serving up Green Bean Casserole with Bacon, Million Dollar Bacon, or One Pan Chicken Drumsticks and Potatoes, these Southern comfort recipes bring the flavor—and the feelings—of home.

Table of Contents

Chicken-Fried Chicken with Creamy Country Gravy

A piece of chicken fried chicken topped with gravy sits on a mound of mashed potatoes on a patterned plate, accompanied by a gold fork and knife.
Image Credit: Not Entirely Average

Crispy chicken, silky gravy—this Southern-style favorite serves up diner vibes with a from-scratch twist. It’s comfort food you’ll want to plate up every week.

To learn more: Chicken-Fried Chicken with Creamy Country Gravy

Benne Seed Brittle, the Peanut Brittle of The South

A glass jar filled with benne seed brittle, with pieces of brittle arranged on a tray surrounding the jar.
Photo credit: Not Entirely Average

Swap peanuts for nutty sesame seeds in this classic Southern treat. It’s crisp, buttery, and the perfect topper for ice cream—or snack straight from the tin.
Get the Recipe: Benne Seed Brittle, the Peanut Brittle of The South

Brown Sugar Cake

A round, glazed bundt cake with a golden brown exterior and drip glaze topping is displayed on a clear surface.
Image Credit: Erren Hart for Erren’s Kitchen.

Sticky, rich, and dripping with caramel notes, this Brown Sugar Cake is a deep dive into dessert decadence. Sorry vanilla—you’ve been replaced.

GET THE RECIPE: Brown Sugar Cake

Biscuits and Gravy

A skillet with biscuits and gravy in it.
Photo credit: Culinary Hill

Buttery, flaky biscuits meet creamy sausage gravy in this classic Southern breakfast. It’s the kind of comfort that makes every morning feel like Sunday.
Get the Recipe: Biscuits and Gravy

Sweet & Spicy Southern Jezebel Sauce

A jar filled with yellow relish containing a spoon, a metal cup holding white dip, several pieces of crispbread, and scattered peppercorns arranged on a wooden board.
Photo credit: Not Entirely Average

Jezebel Sauce brings the sass—pineapple, mustard, and horseradish swirl into a bold spread perfect for ham, cheese boards, or sneaky spoonfuls.
Get the Recipe: Sweet & Spicy Southern Jezebel Sauce

Coconut Cake

Best coconut cake recipe, baked and frosted with marshmallow frosting and coconut, sliced and served on its side.
Photo credit: Baking a Moment

This triple-layer Coconut Cake is all about drama—fluffy marshmallow frosting, clouds of coconut, and celebration-worthy flair in every bite.
Get the Recipe: Coconut Cake

Alabama Chopped Chicken Sandwiches

Sandwiches with chopped chicken, pickles, and creamy white sauce on toasted buns, arranged on a decorative plate.
Image Credit: Not Entirely Average

Smoky chopped chicken piled high and drenched in tangy Alabama white sauce—this no-grill-needed sandwich delivers backyard BBQ flavor in a bun.

To learn more: Alabama Chopped Chicken Sandwiches

A Sweet, Sticky, Spicy Bourbon Glaze

A spoon with thick, golden-brown sauce containing small dark particles hovers over a stainless steel pot partially filled with the same liquid.
A Sweet, Sticky, Spicy Bourbon Glaze. Photo credit: Not Entirely Average.

This bourbon glaze is equal parts sweet heat and Southern swagger. Brush it over chicken, ribs, or veggies—it makes everything taste bold.
GET THE RECIPE: A Sweet, Sticky, Spicy Bourbon Glaze

Chicken, Crab and Andouille Sausage Gumbo Recipe

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

This rich, Louisiana-style gumbo layers smoky sausage, tender chicken, and sweet crab in a roux-based stew that’s pure comfort in a bowl.
Get the Recipe: Chicken, Crab and Andouille Sausage Gumbo Recipe

Best Southern Corn Pudding

A baked corn casserole with chopped peppers and herbs is presented in a white oval dish on a wooden surface, with a patterned cloth nearby.
Image Credit: Jenny DeRemer for Not Entirely Average

Creamy, sweet, and just a little savory, this Corn Pudding is the ultimate sidekick—whether it’s Thanksgiving or Tuesday.

GET THE RECIPE: Corn Casserole

Smothered Pork Chops

Close-up of smothered pork chops in a skillet, topped with melted cheese, sliced mushrooms, and herbs in a savory sauce. The dish appears golden and flavorful with visible seasoning.
Photo credit: Erren’s Kitchen

Golden chops, slow-simmered onions, and a luscious gravy—this dish is proof that weeknight dinners can still feel like a warm hug.
Get the Recipe: Smothered Pork Chops

Pecan Pie Bars

A large shrimp in gravy over cheese grits.
Image Credit: Ally Roomberg for Baking A Moment

Everything you love about pecan pie—gooey, rich, and nutty—without the fuss. These bars travel well but disappear fast.

GET THE RECIPE: Pecan Pie Bars

Red Velvet Cheesecake

Macaroni and cheese.
Image Credit: Ally Roomberg for Baking A Moment

This dessert goes all in—red velvet cake layered with tangy cheesecake for a sweet that’s rich, dramatic, and guaranteed to impress.

GET THE RECIPE: Red Velvet Cheesecake

Oven Baked Home Fries Recipe with Sausages and Sunny Eggs

a sheet pan, with baked home fries, sausages and sunny eggs
Home Fries with Sausages and Eggs. Image Credit: Not Entirely Average

One pan, three breakfast favorites: golden home fries, sizzling sausage, and sunny eggs. This is the sheet pan breakfast that does it all.

GET THE RECIPE: Sheet Pan Breakfast

Best-Ever Breakfast Casserole

A serving of savory bread topped with chopped parsley on a white plate, with a fork beside it.
Photo Credit: The Forked Spoon.

Loaded with eggs, cheese, and sausage, this breakfast casserole brings the flavor—and vanishes fast. Brunch or brinner, it delivers.
GET THE RECIPE: Best-Ever Breakfast Casserole

One Pan Chicken Drumsticks and Potatoes

An iron skillet filled with hot chicken drumsticks and potatoes and carrots.
Photo Credit: Not Entirely Average.

Crispy chicken. Roasted potatoes. Zero hassle. This sheet pan dinner is a weeknight win with minimal cleanup and maximum flavor.
GET THE RECIPE: One Pan Chicken Drumsticks and Potatoes

Beef and Sour Cream Noodle Casserole

A close-up of a spatula lifting a serving of baked pasta with tomato sauce and melted cheese from a casserole dish.
Image Credit: Jenny DeRemer for Not Entirely Average

Retro and irresistible, this casserole layers seasoned beef, tender noodles, and a tangy sour cream sauce. It’s pure nostalgia in a dish.

GET THE RECIPE: Sour Cream Noodle Bake

Green Bean Casserole with Bacon

A spoonful of green beans, bacon pieces, creamy sauce, and breadcrumb topping.
Photo credit: Erren’s Kitchen

Classic green bean casserole gets a savory upgrade with smoky bacon and extra crunch. It’s a holiday must—with extra flavor.

GET THE RECIPE: Green Bean Casserole with Bacon

Million Dollar Bacon Recipe

Several crispy candied bacon strips, coated with sugar and black pepper flakes, arranged vertically. Blurry background with more bacon on a cooling rack.
Million Dollar Bacon Recipe. Photo credit: Quiche My Grits.

Crispy, sticky, spicy, sweet—this candied bacon lives up to its name. Perfect for brunch spreads or straight from the tray.
GET THE RECIPE: Million Dollar Bacon Recipe

Beef Tips in Creamy Mushroom Pan Sauce

A dinner plate loaded with mashed potatoes and beef tips in brown gravy with mushrooms.
Image Credit: Jenny DeRemer for Not Entirely Average

Juicy beef tips swim in a velvety mushroom sauce that tastes like it took hours—but comes together in 30 minutes flat.

GET THE RECIPE: Beef Tips in Gravy

Creamy Mashed Sweet Potatoes

A bowl of mashed sweet potatoes topped with melted butter and a sprinkle of herbs.
Image credit: Erren Hart for Erren’s Kitchen.

These whipped sweet potatoes are buttery, smooth, and kissed with maple—ideal for fall feasts or any weeknight plate.

GET THE RECIPE: Creamy Mashed Sweet Potatoes

Hummingbird Poke Cake

A dinner plate filled with rice and topped with a fried chicken cutlet and scratch-made country gravy.
Image Credit: Lyuba Brooke for Will Cook for Smiles

Banana, pineapple, and pecan flavors soak into this rich, cream cheese-filled cake. Southern roots, tropical twist, unforgettable taste.

GET THE RECIPE: Hummingbird Poke Cake

Southern Oven-Roasted Pork Tenderloin with Herb Crust

The image shows oven-roasted pork tenderloin sliced on a wooden board, garnished with herbs. A jar of mustard and scattered peppercorns are also present.
Image Credit: Not Entirely Average

Tenderloin gets the Sunday treatment with a savory herb crust and juicy center—no marinade, no stress, just roasted perfection.

To learn more: Southern Oven-Roasted Pork Tenderloin with Herb Crust

Best Southern Ham Gravy with Cheesy Biscuits and Eggs

A plate of cheesy eggs and biscuits smothered in southern ham gravy.
Image Credit: Jenny DeRemer for Not Entirely Average

Savory ham gravy, cheddar biscuits, and scrambled eggs—it’s a Southern brunch dream you’ll want to eat with a fork and brag about later.

GET THE RECIPE: Ham Gravy

Copycat Cracker Barrel Country Fried Steak

Country fried steaks on a platter smothered in white gravy.
Image Credit: Jenny DeRemer for Not Entirely Average

Copycat Cracker Barrel Country Fried Steak brings all the crispy, gravy-smothered comfort of the roadside favorite straight to your kitchen. In under an hour, you’ll have golden-fried steak and classic country gravy worth every bite.

To learn more: Copycat Cracker Barrel Country Fried Steak

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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!

Read More About Me

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