Home Recipes Cooking Style Comfort Food
Caroline StankoUpdated: Nov. 10, 2023
This Thanksgiving, try a little down-home comfort. Give your classic Thanksgiving menu a twist with recipes like Southern sweet potato pie, corn bread dressing, collard greens and more.
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Honey Pecan Pie
Looking for a sweet ending to a special meal? This attractive pecan pie is bound to please with its traditional filling and honey-glazed pecans. —Cathy Hudak, Wadsworth, Ohio
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Bacon Collard Greens
Collard greens are a staple vegetable of southern cuisine. This side dish is often made with smoked or salt-cured meats, such as ham hocks, pork or fatback. —Marsha Ankeney, Niceville, Florida
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Skillet Herb Bread
We had a lot of family get-togethers while I was growing up. My grandmother, aunts and mom were all good cooks, and each had her own specialty when it came to bread. Mom's was my favorite—she created this recipe more than 40 years ago. The flavors call to mind the taste of cornbread stuffing! —Shirley Smith, Yorba Linda, California
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Coconut-Bourbon Sweet Potatoes
What is it about sweet potatoes that unnerve some people? For those who firmly state they hate a yam because of the color or texture, the rich addition of coconut, bourbon and spices might just win them over. —Rebecca Anderson, Driftwood, Texas
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Holiday Ham
When I was a young girl, ham make appearances at all of our holiday dinners. The old-fashioned flavor reminds folks of Grandma’s kitchen.
—Betty Butler, Union Bridge, Maryland
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Roasted Sage Turkey with Vegetable Gravy
There’s no prep like home-style when roasting the big bird. Instead of sage stuffing with turkey, fill this bird with fresh sage and thyme sprigs for the same delicious flavors. —Beth Jacobson, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
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Bourbon Candied Bacon Deviled Eggs
At our house, it doesn’t get any better than deviled eggs with bacon—bourbon candied bacon, that is. See if you can resist them. We can’t. —Colleen Delawder, Herndon, Virginia
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Southern Green Beans with Apricots
Green beans and apricots have become a family tradition. Enhanced with balsamic vinegar, this dish will make your taste buds pop. —Ashley Davis, Easley, South Carolina
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Grandma's Cornbread Dressing
Growing up, we didn’t have turkey. We had chicken, chopped and baked in my grandmother’s dressing. Now we leave out the chicken and keep the cornbread dressing. —Suzanne Mohme, Bastrop, Texas
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Mom's Sweet Potato Bake
Mom loved sweet potatoes and fixed them often in this creamy, comforting baked sweet potato casserole. With its nutty topping, this side dish could almost be served as a dessert. It's a yummy treat! —Sandi Pichon, Memphis, Tennessee
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Homemade Buttermilk Biscuits
The recipe for these four-ingredient homemade buttermilk biscuits has been handed down for many generations. —Fran Thompson, Tarboro, North Carolina
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Harvest Sweet Potato Pie
Years ago, we baked pies a few days before holiday gatherings and placed them in a tall pie safe on our back porch. My father called this sweet potato pie recipe "royal pie," because he thought it was fit for a king. It's a treasured hand-me-down family recipe. —Fae Fisher, Callao, Virginia
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Hot Collards and Artichoke Dip
Anyone can pull off spinach and artichoke dip—so brighten it up using collard greens for a southern twist. Serve this dish with warm garlic naan or tortilla chips. —Billie Williams-Henderson, Bowie, Maryland
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Cheesy Slow-Cooked Corn
My family really likes this creamy, cheesy side dish—and it's so easy to make. Even those who usually don't eat much corn often ask for a second helping. —Mary Ann Truitt, Wichita, Kansas
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Cinnamon-Sugar Apple Pie
Cinnamon apple pie baked in a cast iron skillet is a real stunner. This beauty, with its flaky, tender crust, also works in a 9-inch deep-dish pie plate. —Renee Schettler Rossi, New York, New York
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20/45
In the South, everyone loves three things: bacon, cheese and grits! After playing around with this recipe, I took it to my first family party as a newlywed, and it was a huge hit. This recipe has become a family tradition that I'm sure will be passed down for generations. —Melissa Rogers, Tuscaloosa, Alabama
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Vibrant Black-Eyed Pea Salad
My black-eyed pea salad reminds me of a Southern cooking class my husband and I took while visiting Savannah, Georgia. People go nuts for it at picnics and potlucks. —Danielle Lee, Charleston, South Carolina
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Parmesan Kale Casserole
I tried coming up with a creative way to use kale, and the result was a cheesy casserole. When my husband sampled it, he absolutely loved it. Bits of summer sausage add heartiness. —Diana Johnson, Auburn, Washington
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Sugar-Glazed Ham
This old-fashioned ham glaze gives a pretty golden brown coating—just like Grandma used to make. The mustard and vinegar complement the brown sugar which adds a tangy flavor to this glazed ham recipe. Be prepared to serve seconds! —Carol Strong Battle, Heathville, Virginia
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Potluck Candied Sweet Potatoes
To make it easier to bring this traditional southern staple to a potluck or gathering, I updated it so that it can be cooked in a slow cooker. It's hard to go wrong with candied sweet potatoes when it comes to pleasing a crowd. —Deirdre Cox, Kansas City, Missouri
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Grandma's Southern Collard Greens
My grandmother made the best southern collard greens recipe in the world. Eating them with a slice of buttermilk cornbread is pure bliss. —Sherri Williams, Crestview, Florida
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26/45
Potato Pan Rolls
My family loves these rolls and requests them often. They don't take long to make because you use quick-rise yeast. —Connie Storckman, Evanston, Wyoming
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I love creating dishes with few ingredients and easy steps, like squash with Brussels sprouts. Maple syrup adds a slight sweetness, and pecans give it a toasty crunch. —Angela LeMoine, Howell, New Jersey
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After the turkey’s done, I dial up the oven temp and roast carrots and squash for this yummy side. That frees me up to start the gravy. —Lily Julow, Lawrenceville, Georgia
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Banana Pudding
I didn’t see my son, Lance Corporal Eric Harris, for more than two years after he enlisted in the Marines after high school. And when I saw him arrive at the airport, I just grabbed hold of him and burst out crying. When we got home, the first thing he ate was two bowls of my easy banana pudding recipe. He’s a true southern boy! It’s a dessert, but you can have it for breakfast, lunch or dinner. —Stephanie Harris, Montpelier, Virginia
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Creamed Green Beans
A family favorite for years, this special green bean recipe is a cinch to double and can be assembled ahead of time. When my nephews are coming for dinner, it’s an absolute must! —Betty Shaw, Weirton, West Virginia
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Confetti Cornbread
My grandmother Virginia always served Southwest cornbread. To honor her, I created a recipe that cuts down on the chopping but never skimps on flavor. —Angie Price, Bradford, Tennessee
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Charlotte's Green Tomato Pie
Green tomato pie makes an awesome conversation piece. I took it to a potluck and it was a delight to share. —Charlotte McDaniel, Jacksonville, Alabama
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Cranberry Cheese Crumb Pie
My mind works overtime to plan treats that surprise the family. They give this cranberry pie a “wow” and invite friends over to share it. —Lorraine Caland, Shuniah, Ontario
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Crescent Dinner Rolls
These light, golden rolls have a heavenly homemade flavor and aroma. Mom never hesitates to whip up a batch of these from-scratch rolls, since they're a delightful way to round out a meal. —Debra Falkiner, St. Charles, Missouri
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Billie's Southern Sweet Potato Cake
I made sweet potato cakes for my kids when they were younger and they told me in their little voices, "Mommy, you're the best baker." Little did they know that was Mommy's first attempt at homemade cake! —Billie Williams-Henderson, Bowie, Maryland
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Cranberry Cornmeal Dressing
This moist dressing is perfect when paired with poultry or even pork. The sweet-tart flavor of the dried cranberries really complements the dish's turkey sausage. —Corinne Portteus, Albuquerque, New Mexico
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Buttermilk Pecan Pie
This is the treasured "golden oldie" that my grandmother made so often whenever we'd come to visit. Grandma grew her own pecans, and we never tired of cracking them and picking out the meat when we knew we'd be treated to her special pie! —Mildred Sherrer, Fort Worth, Texas
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Grandma's Cranberry Stuff
What could taste better than turkey and cranberry on Thanksgiving Day? My grandmother's classic recipe makes the best cranberry stuff to share with your family and friends this holiday. —Catherine Cassidy, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
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Bananas Foster Sundaes
I have wonderful memories of eating bananas Foster in New Orleans, and as a dietitian, wanted to find a healthier version. I combined the best of two recipes and added my own tweaks to create this southern treat. —Lisa Varner, Charleston, South Carolina
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Blue-Ribbon Herb Rolls
These rolls have been a favorite of ours for nearly 25 years. I even baked them in an old wood stove when we lived on a farm. I developed the recipe using several techniques I learned while studying the art of bread making. The recipe won a blue ribbon at our county fair. —Mary Ann Evans, Tarpon Springs, Florida
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Southern Pimiento Cheese Spread
A classic southern comfort food, this spread is used as an appetizer with crackers, corn chips or celery. It is also smeared between two slices of white bread for sandwiches and as a topping for hamburgers and hot dogs. —Eileen Balmer, South Bend, Indiana.
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Originally Published: November 21, 2022
Caroline Stanko
Caroline has been with Taste of Home for the past seven years, working in both print and digital. After starting as an intern for the magazine and special interest publication teams, Caroline was hired as the third-ever digital editor for Taste of Home. Since then, she has researched, written and edited content on just about every topic the site covers, including cooking techniques, buzzy food news, gift guides and many, many recipe collections. Caroline also acts as the editorial lead for video, working with the Test Kitchen, videographers and social media team to produce videos from start to finish.When she’s not tip-tapping on a keyboard, Caroline is probably mixing up a killer co*cktail, reading a dog-eared library book or cooking up a multi-course feast (sometimes all at once). Though she technically lives in Milwaukee, there is a 50/50 chance Caroline is in Chicago or southwest Michigan visiting her close-knit family.
