OYSTERS BIENVILLE
New Orleans chef Justin Devillier shares his favorite recipe for baked oysters.
photo: PETER FRANK EDWARDS
SHRIMP ON THE ROCKS
Forgo the fry basket in favor of salt-baked shellfish dipped in tangy comeback sauce.
photo: JOHNNY AUTRY
VIVIAN HOWARD’S PARTY MAGNET
“Cheese balls are so clichéd they’ve actually become cool,” Howard says. “Socially acceptable or not, when this thing is put out at a party of any kind, people hover over it like it’s a crystal ball.”
photo: REX MILLER
SOUTHERN SOUL BARBEQUE’S SMOKED OYSTER SPREAD
This winter recipe is a party favorite, especially paired with a big stack of Saltines and a cold can of your favorite beer.
photo: COURTESY OF SOUTHERN SOUL
DEVILED HAM & BISCUIT CRACKERS
James Beard Award–nominated Virginia chef Ian Boden spins two Southern classics into one tasty appetizer.
photo: BRENNAN WESLEY
PIMENTO CHEESE STRAWS
For Georgia chef Mimi Maumus, the only thing better than a cheese straw is one stuffed with pimento cheese.
photo: JOHNNY AUTRY
THE POOLE’S DINER MAC AND CHEESE
Chef Ashley Christensen shares the recipe for the most requested dish at Poole’s Downtown Diner in Raleigh, North Carolina.
photo: JOHNNY AUTRY
SWEET POTATO CASSEROLE WITH SORGHUM
Tandy Wilson of City House, in Nashville, Tennessee, shares his recipe for sweet potato casserole, a dish inherited from his grandmother.
photo: PETER FRANK EDWARDS
One day a year, enjoy the most decadent grits ever, courtesy of Charleston chef Kevin Johnson.
photo: PHILLIP RHODES
PEAR SALAD
“You got pears out of a deviled egg tray with cheese and mayo or you didn’t get pears at all,” says chef Justin Burdett of Local Provisions in Asheville, North Carolina. Here’s his elevated version of the Southern classic.
photo: JOHNNY AUTRY
CANDIED SWEET POTATOES WITH PECAN BACON SYRUP
A seasonal recipe from Vivian Howard of Chef & the Farmer in Kinston, North Carolina.
photo: SQUIRE FOX
CORNBREAD OYSTER DRESSING
Chef Edward Lee of 610 Magnolia in Louisville, Kentucky, shares his recipe for oyster dressing—a complex balance of salt and sweet that will stand up to all the other flavors at the holiday table.
photo: PETER FRANK EDWARDS
EASY ROAST DUCK LEGS WITH PRESERVED LEMON AND HONEY
Bright flavors punch up a classic game dish for a brag-worthy weeknight dinner.
photo: RICK POON
SWEET TEA-BRINED COUNTRY HAM
A holiday ham recipe rooted in Southern tradition.
photo: PETER FRANK EDWARDS
GLAZED HAM WITH BUTTERMILK DROP BISCUITS
Billy Allin, chef-owner of Cakes and Ale in Decatur, Georgia, shares his tangy-sweet upgrade to traditional holiday ham.
photo: JOHNNY AUTRY
photo: JOHNNY AUTRY
DUCK WITH SATSUMA SAUCE
Duck and sweet satsumas combine in a centerpiece dish that can upstage any Thanksgiving turkey.
photo: PETER FRANK EDWARDS
Turn one of the season’s best ingredients into a warming winter meal.
photo: ANDREW CEBULKA
A simple, highly adaptable recipe for adding some wild game flavor to your holiday table.
photo: T. EDWARD NICKENS
BOURBON PECAN PIE
It’s hard to beat a fresh pecan pie, unless you add a little bourbon.
photo: JOHNNY AUTRY
APPLE JACK STACK CAKE
Originally, each layer was baked at home by individual cooks, likely in cast-iron skillets, then brought together and assembled for church suppers and gatherings. This rustic Appalachian Apple Stack Cake is communal cooking at its finest.
photo: PETER FRANK EDWARDS
ROSETTES
A sweet West Virginia tradition, these melt-in-your mouth fried pastries are like a cross between donuts and funnel cakes.
photo: EMILY HILLIARD
BENNE SEED PEANUT BUTTER BALLS
Benne seeds and chocolate kicked up with chile raise the bar on a traditional party-time treat.
photo: JOHNNY AUTRY
PECAN-PRALINE ROLLS
Sugary, nut-studded rolls with European influences and Texas roots.
photo: SANDY WILSON
CARAMEL CAKE WITH PECANS
A decadent treat from a heralded Virginia bakery features layers of rich caramel.
photo: JOHNNY AUTRY
SPICED DARK CHOCOLATE CHERRY SALTINE TOFFEE
Virginia Willis transforms a basic cracker into a classic holiday treat.
photo: HÉLENE DUJARDIN
Not a fan of pumpkin pie? Make this easy layered beauty your sweet of the season.
photo: JONATHAN BONCEK
