Southern-Style Summer Comfort Food

Jenny deRemer

Jul 28, 2025

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Get ready to embrace Southern comfort for the season with a lineup of crowd-pleasing favorites that bring smiles to every table. Only something like Copycat Cracker Barrel Country Fried Steak or Beer Braised Beef Brisket will do. This is a lineup for those who don’t flinch at a bubbling French Onion Noodle Casserole or a soul-soothing Homemade Meatloaf with Creamy Onion Gravy. Craving something fresh but still Southern? Try the juicy Peach and Tomato Caprese Salad with Burrata, zesty Jamie Oliver’s ‘Mothership’ Tomato Salad, or smoky-sweet Alabama Chopped Chicken Sandwiches. From Crispy Southern Buttermilk Onion Rings to Chicken-Fried Chicken with Creamy Country Gravy, this collection brings the bold, the buttery, and the deeply satisfying—because real comfort doesn’t wait for sweater weather!

Table of Contents

Crispy Southern Buttermilk Onion Rings

A pile of crispy, golden-brown onion rings on parchment paper.
Image Credit: Not Entirely Average.

Get ready to dunk into golden perfection—Crispy Southern Buttermilk Onion Rings start with sweet Vidalia onions bathed in tangy buttermilk and dredged in a spiced flour mix for that irresistible crunch. They’re so satisfying you might just pretend they’re calories‑free.

Get This Recipe: Crispy Southern Buttermilk Onion Rings

Jamie Oliver’s ‘Mothership’ Tomato Salad

A rectangular plate of sliced tomatoes, mozzarella, red onions, basil, and oregano on a white surface. Four forks are placed beside the dish.
Photo credit: Not Entirely Average.

This no‑cook beauty brings together juicy heirloom tomatoes, ripe peaches, fresh basil and creamy burrata in the kind of harmony that could make Jamie Oliver herself swoon. Jamie Oliver’s ‘Mothership’ Tomato Salad is your summer sidekick—bright, bold, and begging for seconds.

Get This Recipe: Jamie Oliver’s ‘Mothership’ Tomato Salad

Smoky Oven-Braised Pulled Pork Sandwich

A pulled pork sandwich with melted cheese, pickled vegetables, and coleslaw on a bun is served on brown paper. In the background, there is a glass of beer and a yellow drink.
Image Credit: Not Entirely Average.

Sink your teeth into Smoky Oven‑Braised Pulled Pork Sandwich, where tender, saucy pork meets melty cheese on a toasted bun that whispers “more, please.” This is the kind of sloppy, sauce‑soaked sandwich you’ll brag about later.

Get This Recipe: Smoky Oven-Braised Pulled Pork Sandwich

Homemade Meatloaf with Creamy Onion Gravy

A meatloaf topped with gravy, garnished with fresh rosemary, accompanied by mashed potatoes on a patterned plate.
Image Credit: Not Entirely Average

Think meatloaf is stale? Homemade Meatloaf with Creamy Onion Gravy swoops in wearing gravy like it’s haute couture, marrying savory meat with silky onion sauce. One forkful and you’ll forget all about takeout.

Get This Recipe: Homemade Meatloaf with Creamy Onion Gravy

Copycat Cracker Barrel Country Fried Steak

Crispy fried chicken topped with creamy white gravy and sprinkled with chopped herbs.
Image Credit: Not Entirely Average.

Golden, crispy, and dripping with nostalgia—Copycat Cracker Barrel Country Fried Steak delivers the comforting crunch of saltine-coated steak smothered in creamy gravy, just like your Cracker Barrel dreams. It’s the Southern dinner that never disappoints.

Get This Recipe: Copycat Cracker Barrel Country Fried Steak

Country Captain Chicken

A plate of white rice topped with a piece of chicken in sauce, garnished with chopped herbs and slivered almonds, with a gold fork next to the plate.
Image Credit: Not Entirely Average.

Country Captain Chicken is like a Southern curry that got charmingly comfortable at the dinner table—curried chicken thighs with raisins and almonds in a tomato‑rich stew, all spooned over rice with a side of “did someone order the best history lesson ever?”

Get This Recipe: Country Captain Chicken

S​​​​autéed Beet Greens with Crispy Prosciutto & Croutons

Sautéed beet greens topped with golden raisins, pine nuts, crispy croutons, and slices of prosciutto on a patterned plate, with a fork beside the food.
Image Credit: Not Entirely Average.

If you think beet greens are boring, think again—Sautéed Beet Greens with Crispy Prosciutto & Croutons turns leafy garnish into the main event, with salty prosciutto crunch and garlicky greens that taste like they’ve been invited to a flavor party.

Get This Recipe: S​​​​autéed Beet Greens with Crispy Prosciutto & Croutons

Peach and Tomato Caprese Salad with Burrata

Burrata cheese, sliced tomatoes, and peaches arranged together, with a light dressing being poured over the salad.
Image Credit: Not Entirely Average.

When summer produce gets fancy, it shows up in Peach and Tomato Caprese Salad with Burrata, where juicy peaches, ripe tomatoes, basil and creamy burrata unite in a lemon‑warmed drizzle. Sweet, tart, and decadently dreamy—that’s farm‑to‑table flirting right there.

Get This Recipe: Peach and Tomato Caprese Salad with Burrata

French Onion Noodle Casserole

A casserole dish containing creamy pasta topped with crispy fried onions and chopped parsley, with a wooden spoon inside. An onion and sprigs of parsley are on the table beside the dish.
Image Credit: Not Entirely Average.

Meet the cozy marriage of French onion soup and carb comfort: French Onion Noodle Casserole layers caramelized onions, cheesy goodness, and noodles into one bubbling, soul‑soothing bake. It’s like a hug in casserole form.

Get This Recipe: French Onion Noodle Casserole

Sweet Southern Cornbread

The image features slices of golden cornbread placed on parchment paper, with honey drizzled on top and sage leaves used as a garnish.
Image Credit: Not Entirely Average.

Warm, fluffy and just sweet enough—Sweet Southern Cornbread is the Southern side that’ll steal hearts and absorb gravy like a sponge on sugar. Add a pat of butter and you’ve got heaven in a skillet.

Get This Recipe: Sweet Southern Cornbread

Alabama Chopped Chicken Sandwiches

Two sandwiches with chopped chicken, creamy sauce, and pickle slices on toasted buns, arranged on a patterned plate.
Image Credit: Not Entirely Average.

Alabama Chopped Chicken Sandwiches pile shredded chicken and tangy white sauce onto a soft bun—and yes, this sandwich does come with a degree in comfort food engineering. It’s the kind of lunch that makes you want to high‑five the cook.

Get This Recipe: Alabama Chopped Chicken Sandwiches

Chicken-Fried Chicken with Creamy Country Gravy

A plate with breaded fried chicken topped with white gravy, mashed potatoes on the side, and a fork and knife next to the plate.
Image Credit: Not Entirely Average.

Double down on Southern satisfaction with Chicken‑Fried Chicken with Creamy Country Gravy—juicy chicken dredged, fried, and showered in silky peppery gravy until you’re second‑guessing health goals. This dish wears its indulgence on its crunchy sleeve.

Get This Recipe: Chicken-Fried Chicken with Creamy Country Gravy

Strawberry Bacon Salad

A plate of mixed greens topped with sliced strawberries, yellow cherry tomatoes, crumbled feta cheese, bacon pieces, and a pink dressing, with gold utensils placed beside the plate.
Image Credit: Not Entirely Average.

Sweet meets savory in Strawberry Bacon Salad, where crisp greens are dressed up with juicy strawberries, smoky bacon, creamy cheese and a vinaigrette with attitude. It’s the kind of salad that converts even self‑proclaimed non‑salad eaters.

Get This Recipe: Strawberry Bacon Salad

Beer Braised Beef Brisket

Sliced beef brisket on parchment paper, accompanied by onion rings, pickles, and slices of white bread.
Image Credit: Not Entirely Average.

Beer Braised Beef Brisket is a slow‑cooked symphony in every bite: tender brisket bathed in rich, malty sauce until it practically falls apart on your fork. Serve it and watch people fight for seconds.

Get This Recipe: Beer Braised Beef Brisket

Swedish Meatballs in Creamy Gravy

A plate of egg noodles topped with meatballs and creamy brown gravy, garnished with chopped parsley. Fresh parsley leaves are placed on the wooden table next to the plate.
Image Credit: Not Entirely Average.

Tiny but mighty, Swedish Meatballs in Creamy Gravy bring together seasoned beef-pork bites swimming in velvety gravy—comfort food with a Scandinavian passport. Grab a fork and prepare to get gravy‑face proudly.

Get This Recipe: Swedish Meatballs in Creamy Gravy

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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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