Food & Drink

Holidays in the South: 50 Festive Recipes

Celebrate the season with friends, family, and these timeless holiday favorites
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THE CONTINENTAL GINGERBREAD FRENCH TOAST 

It might be the perfect holiday brunch dish.

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Photo: Kayla Cook

SAVORY MONKEY BREAD 

If you love the cinnamon-and-sugar original, give this cheesy, bacon-studded version a spin.

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Photo: Michael Kartes

COUNTRY QUICHE LORRAINE 

A favorite dish from a historic Nashville bed and breakfast.

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Photo: DANIELLE ATKINS

HACHLAND HILL SCONES 

A Nashville chef pays tribute to his famous grandmother with this adaptable recipe.

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Photo: DANIELLE ATKINS

BRIOCHE MONKEY BREAD 

A slightly grown-up recipe for monkey bread.

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Photo: Margaret Houston Dominick

FRENCHIE’S FRENCH ONION DIP

A simple favorite for feeding your guests.

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Photo: Courtesy of Frenchie's

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.”

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Photo: REX MILLER

RUM-SEARED DUCK APPETIZER 

Sweet mango chutney and duck come together over crispy bread for a bite-size snack.

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Photo: Johnny Autry

PIMENTO CHEESE STRAWS

For Georgia chef Mimi Maumus, the only thing better than a cheese straw is one stuffed with pimento cheese.

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Photo: JOHNNY AUTRY

PECAN-CRUSTED BEEF TENDERLOIN WITH HORSERADISH-PECAN SAUCE 

A classic holiday crowd-pleaser uses pecans two ways for added texture and flavor. 

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Photo: LEIGH-ANN BEVERLEY

ROASTED COFFEE-RUBBED DUCK 

Louisiana’s Grosse Savanne Lodge dresses up duck with tangy pomegranate sauce and a Cajun flair.

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Photo: Johnny Autry

CHRISTMAS ENCHILADA SAUCES 

Pitmaster John Lewis shares his recipes for the borderland red and green chile sauces of his childhood.

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Photo: Cat Taylor

PAT MARTIN’S HOLIDAY HAM GLAZE 

The celebrated pitmaster shares an easy enhancement to store-bought ham, plus other preparation tips.

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Photo: COURTESY OF MARTIN’S BAR-B-QUE

GREEN MIGNONETTE  

A flavorful sauce for oysters on the half shell. 

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Photo: RINNE ALLEN

FÈLIX MAC ET CHEESE 

An upgraded classic featuring gruyère cheese and béchamel sauce.

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Photo: Andrew Cebulka

SQUASH CASSEROLE 

A classic Southern make-and-take casserole.

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Photo: Peter Frank Edwards

WINTER CITRUS SALAD 

Fresh grapefruit and oranges with olives and herbs.

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Photo: Margaret Houston Dominick

OYSTERS BIENVILLE

New Orleans chef Justin Devillier shares his favorite recipe for baked oysters.

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Photo: PETER FRANK EDWARDS

SHRIMP ON THE ROCKS

Forgo the fry basket in favor of salt-baked shellfish dipped in tangy comeback sauce.

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Photo: JOHNNY AUTRY

CHEESE GRITS CAKES

A savory treat for breakfast and beyond.

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Photo: THE VOORHES

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.

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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.

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Photo: BRENNAN WESLEY

A PERFECT POT OF GREENS

The Southern soul food classic rediscovered.

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Photo: MARGARET HOUSTON

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.

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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.

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Photo: PETER FRANK EDWARDS

CHEESY GRITS CASSEROLE

One day a year, enjoy the most decadent grits ever, courtesy of Charleston chef Kevin Johnson.

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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.

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Photo: JOHNNY AUTRY

CANDIED SWEET POTATOES WITH PECAN BACON SYRUP

A seasonal recipe from North Carolina–based chef Vivian Howard.

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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.

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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.

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Photo: RICK POON

SWEET TEA-BRINED COUNTRY HAM

A holiday ham recipe rooted in Southern tradition.

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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.

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Photo: JOHNNY AUTRY

SPICED QUAIL WITH CHOCOLATE GRAVY

A sweet secret from the Ozarks.

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Photo: JOHNNY AUTRY

DUCK WITH SATSUMA SAUCE

Duck and sweet satsumas combine in a centerpiece dish that can upstage any Thanksgiving turkey.

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Photo: PETER FRANK EDWARDS

OYSTER SPAGHETTI

Turn one of the season’s best ingredients into a warming winter meal.

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Photo: ANDREW CEBULKA

BARBECUE DOVES

A simple, highly adaptable recipe for adding some wild game flavor to your holiday table.

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Photo: T. EDWARD NICKENS

DAY-AFTER GUMBO

Turn your holiday turkey into a next-day feast.

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Photo: PETER FRANK EDWARDS

BOURBON PECAN PIE

It’s hard to beat a fresh pecan pie, unless you add a little bourbon.

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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.

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Photo: PETER FRANK EDWARDS

GINGERBREAD CUPCAKES WITH MOLASSES BUTTERCREAM 

A perfectly sweet and spiced pairing for fall.

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Photo: COPYRIGHT © 2022 BY AUBRIE PICK

PECAN HAND PIES 

A family recipe inspired chef Brandon Carter’s nutty and delicious dessert.

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Photo: GABRIEL HANAWAY

ROSETTES

A sweet West Virginia tradition, these melt-in-your mouth fried pastries are like a cross between donuts and funnel cakes.

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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.

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Photo: JOHNNY AUTRY

BROWN SUGAR, PEAR, AND PISTACHIO CAKE

A winter pear cake with ginger and brown butter. 

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Photo: Squire Fox

BOURBON BALLS

What’s not to love about bourbon, chocolate, and pecans?

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Photo: MARGARET HOUSTON

PECAN-PRALINE ROLLS

Sugary, nut-studded rolls with European influences and Texas roots.

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Photo: SANDY WILSON

CARAMEL CAKE WITH PECANS

A decadent treat from a heralded Virginia bakery features layers of rich caramel. 

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Photo: JOHNNY AUTRY

LOUISIANA PILLOWCASE COOKIES

A sweet delight with a great Southern backstory.

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Photo: DENNY CULBERT

SPICED DARK CHOCOLATE CHERRY SALTINE TOFFEE

Virginia Willis transforms a basic cracker into a classic holiday treat.

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Photo: HÉLENE DUJARDIN

PUMPKIN BUTTER ICE CREAM CAKE

Not a fan of pumpkin pie? Make this easy layered beauty your sweet of the season.

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Photo: JONATHAN BONCEK