Now let’s start by gathering your ingredients for the cornbread. You’ll need the following items:

• 2 cups self-rising cornmeal
• 1 cup self-rising flour
• 1 stick softened butter
• ¼ cup vegetable oil
• 1½ cups buttermilk
• 4 eggs

This is a classic Southern cornbread recipe, and it’s very easy to make.

While the oven is pre-heating to 350˚F, combine the cornmeal and flour in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, combine the remaining ingredients. Then, mix your wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until fully incorporated.

Pour the batter into a prepared 13x9x2 casserole dish and bake until golden brown, approximately 25 minutes. Let it cool before crumbling the cornbread into a bowl and setting it aside to be used later in the dressing.

If you prefer, you can use your own favorite cornbread recipe, but it’s important that you not use a sweetened cornbread, as that will drastically change the flavor profile of this dressing.

Once your cornbread is ready, gather the rest of the ingredients for the dressing:

• 1 pound bulk breakfast sausage
• 2 sticks butter
• 3 chicken bouillon cubes
• 4-5 stalks chopped celery
• 1 large sweet onion, chopped
• 8 green onions, chopped, using both the white and green parts
• 3 tablespoons chopped parsley
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 3-4 cups chicken stock (you’ll add a bit at a time)
• salt, to taste
• pepper, to taste
• 4 eggs, lightly beaten

To get started on the dressing, brown the sausage for 5 minutes over medium heat. Then, remove the sausage from the pan, leaving some of the drippings behind.

Add the butter to the pan with the drippings, letting it melt, before adding the chicken bouillon, celery, and sweet onion, cooking until the celery and onion are translucent—this should take around 5 to 10 minutes. Then stir in the green onions, garlic, and parsley, cooking for another 2 to 3 minutes.

Now pour the sausage, the veggie mixture, and some of the chicken stock over the cooled cornbread, gently folding so as not to break up the cornbread and sausage further. Continue adding chicken stock until it’s your desired moistness—keep in mind that as it bakes, it will dry out some, so make it a little wetter than you might think. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Then, pull some of the mixture out to combine with the beaten eggs before mixing it all back together. Adding the eggs last ensures you can safely taste the dressing to ensure your seasonings are correct.

Now pour the dressing into a greased 13x9x2 baking dish and bake at 350˚F for 45 to 60 minutes, until the dressing is cooked through. If you’re worried about over-browning, add tinfoil towards the end.

A homemade Southern cornbread dressing with sausage may be a labor of love, but you’ll surely have a table full of thankful guests once they get a scoop of this Southern favorite next to their turkey and taters.

Will you be making a homemade dressing this Thanksgiving? Will you be making this one? Let us know in the comments below!

The post How to Make Paula’s Southern Cornbread Dressing Recipe with Sausage appeared first on Paula Deen.

You’ll need the following ingredients:

• 4 quarts water
• 1 (10¾-oz) can condensed cream of celery or cream of chicken soup
• 1 teaspoon Paula Deen’s House Seasoning
• 2 chicken bouillon cubes
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 3 ribs celery, chopped
• 1 (2½-lb) chicken
• 2 cups all-purpose flour mixed with 1 teaspoon salt
• ¾ cup ice water
• 2 tablespoons corn starch (optional)

You’ll start with the homemade chicken broth. Be sure to cut the chicken up, but leave the skin on—you’ll remove the skin and bones later, but in the meantime, they add a lot of flavor! Add the chicken, celery, onion, bay leaves, bouillon, and House Seasoning to a large stock pot with four quarts of water. Cook it at a low boil for 30 to 45 minutes, until the meat starts falling off the bones. At that point, you can remove the skin and bones, along with the bay leaves. Return the skinned and de-boned chicken back to the pot.

While the chicken is boiling, start prepping the dumplings.

Put the flour and salt mixture in a mixing bowl, form a bowl in the flour, and start adding a little dribble of ice water to the center of it. Using your hands, work the water, flour, and salt mixture from the center of the bowl to the sides of the bowl, adding a bit more water at a time until all the flour is incorporated. The batter should feel tough at this point.

Now, start to knead the dough and form it into a ball. Flour your counters or dough board and use a rolling pin to roll it until it’s 1⁄8-inch thick. The dough will be firm, and you should be sure to work from the center when rolling. Set the dough aside to air dry for a few minutes.

Once your dumplings are prepped and you’ve returned the chicken to the pot, you’ll add the condensed soup to the stock pot, letting it continue to boil. It’s your choice whether you prefer cream of celery or cream of chicken soup—both create a thick, creamy, and flavorful base for your chicken & dumplings. At this time, you can decide if you want a thicker stock. If you do, create a slurry by combining the cornstarch with ¼ cup of water. Add this slurry to the stock.

Now, return to your dumpling dough, cutting them into 1-inch-wide strips. Add the dumplings to the pot one at a time to prevent sticking. Do not stir after the dumplings have been added to the pot. Instead, shake the pot gently in a circular motion until the dumplings are submerged.

Cook the dumplings until the dumplings float and are no longer doughy. This should take approximately 3 to 4 minutes, but be sure not to overcook them. Once they’re finished, you’re ready to serve!

Making a Southern chicken and dumplings recipe from scratch is a labor of love, but after just one bite, you’ll realize why it’s worth it!

Of course, that doesn’t mean there aren’t great shortcuts if you really need them. Instead of starting the dumplings from scratch, you can swap out the dough by using 3 cups of Paula Deen Original Recipes Mix combined with 1½ cups of buttermilk. Then roll out the dough and cut into strips. You can also purchase frozen dumplings in most supermarkets if you don’t have time to make them yourself. In fact, even Paula uses frozen dumplings at times!

If you want to see the Queen of Southern Cuisine make her Southern chicken & dumplings recipe for herself, you can watch her here.

Have you tried making Paula’s recipe from scratch or do you employ some shortcuts, like store-bought dumplings? Let us know in the comments below!

The post How to Make Paula’s Famous Southern Chicken and Dumplings Recipe appeared first on Paula Deen.

As with other proteins, environment, texture, and fat content will determine which cooking methods are best, but as a general rule, fish with darker flesh have higher oil content and stronger flavor, though many people, even children, find salmon and tuna surprisingly palatable. Most fish fall into the category of flat (flounder, fluke, sole, turbot), round (sea bass, snapper, grouper, tilefish, salmon, tuna, pompano, mahi-mahi), or cartilaginous (swordfish, shark, monkfish, skate). They can also generally be classified as saltwater, freshwater, or anadromous (migrating between the two through rivers, like eel, salmon, or ocean trout).

Your fishmonger and recipe can help find the type, cut, and accompanying ingredients that are right for you. Zesty sauces, deep-frying, and butter are reliable ways to get almost anyone to appreciate fish, but healthier, easy options, like steaming, poaching, grilling, and baking with herbed lemon or a light vegetable topping, can also produce delicate, enjoyable results.

Here are some fun recipes, highlighting Southern standards…

Whip up an elegant fish dish just like a restaurant chef by searing and finishing in the oven, like this Pecan Coated Fish with Remoulade Sauce. We like grouper, but you can play around with other fish, like flounder, or go even healthier and faster by omitting these standard nut crusts and side sauces.

Or make it a club or po’ boy sandwich:
Grouper Club
Grilled Tilapia Po Boys with Homemade Tartar Sauce

Tilapia is a mild and widely available fish, commonly used in baking or grilling or for the popular Southern specialty of a blackened fish sandwich:

Blackened Tilapia Sandwich with Cilantro Lime Mayonnaise
Bobby’s Baked Tilapia
Zesty Grilled Tilapia

Another excellent grilling fish is tuna, which provides a tasty alternative to a high-cholesterol red-meat steak, Grilled Tuna with Olive Tapenade.

Southerners are known for catfish, fried or baked with Old Bay seasoning or heavily sauced:
Southern Fried Catfish
Oven Fried Catfish
Saucy Catfish

For some large-pot Southern group meals, consider a gumbo or a seafood stew:

Savannah Seafood Gumbo
Seafood Cioppino Stew

And remember these tips for the freshest and most delicious fish (aka, for some, the least “fishy” tasting):

• Look for bright, clear, bulging eyes; tight scales and shiny (not slimy) skin; elastic flesh with a clean, pink belly; and no strong odor—essentially, as close to alive as possible.
• Fish degrades extremely fast in the air, so most chefs prefer to buy their fish the day of or the day before cooking. It should be chilled, if not iced, for display, storage, and transport.
• Frozen fish should be properly thawed and gently dried before cooking.

The post Learn All About Fish appeared first on Paula Deen.

First, be sure to buy proper storing containers and zip top baggies. These will be helpful for your own storing purposes and also for packing up leftovers for your guests to take home.

Freeze, freeze, and freeze! Freezing food is a perfect way to preserve your holiday leftovers. And, you’ll be so happy on a busy day down the road when you remember you have a ready-to-go meal in the freezer. Use these tips for keeping your frozen foods safe and fresh:

1. Be sure to freeze in an airtight container or wrapping to prevent freezer burn. Zip-top freezer bags are the best, but be sure to get as much air out of the bag as possible before sealing.
2. Cool food completely before freezing. Begin the cooling processes on the counter, and then finish it in the refrigerator before freezing. Do not leave food at room temp longer than 2 hours.
3. Freeze in small portions for quick defrost.
4. Freeze within 3 days of cooking.
5. Don’t keep frozen meats or gravy longer than 4 months.
6. Re-heat frozen pie in a 350-degree oven while still frozen for about 20-25 minutes.
7. Defrost food in the refrigerator, microwave or a cold-water bath (in a sealed zip-top bag). If using cold water bath, change water every 30 minutes to keep it cold.

Make soups and stocks. Leftover turkey carcasses and vegetables make wonderful homemade stocks, which freeze well for a rainy day. Try one of these delicious soups to use up your leftover ham or turkey:
Turkey Minestrone
Yellow Squash and Ham Soup
Senate Bean Soup
Butter Bean Soup
Sweet Potato Date Soup

Make breakfast or lunch for all of your house guests. Everyone knows the leftover Thanksgiving sandwich is almost better than the meal itself! Fill your friends and family up with one of these next-day recipes:
Turkey Hash
Turkey Cranberry Monte Cristo
Turkey Pot Pie
Gobbler Cobbler Pie
Smashed Potato Pancakes
Ham Salad
Hungry Brothers Biscuits
Potato Casserole

Donate! And lastly, remember those less fortunate in your community. Donate leftover canned food and non-perishable items to a food pantry in your area. Or, make up a plate of food and deliver it to an elderly person in your neighborhood.

The post Leftover Thanksgiving Recipes and Ideas appeared first on Paula Deen.

During the cool fall and even colder winter months there’s absolutely nothing better than sitting down to a piping hot, ooey, gooey, helping of a cheesy, creamy casserole. They’re great time- and money-savers too, as you can save large portions for later and simply reheat them.

Our test kitchen knows that you love casseroles too, so we’ve collected Paula’s favorite time-tested casserole recipes to come to your rescue. Go ahead, pop one of these southern casserole recipes in the oven for dinner tonight!

The post 24 Ultimate Casserole Recipe Ideas appeared first on Paula Deen.

To help when you have that hankering, we’ve pulled together fifteen potato recipes that are sure to satisfy your craving. From homemade potato chips to Southern potato salad recipes, potato soup recipes to twice baked potato recipes, air fryer potato recipes, and a whole lot more, you’ll find tons of great recipes with potatoes right here.

Have you tried some of these recipes before? If so, which ones and how did you like them! If you haven’t, which are you planning on trying? Let us know in the comments below!

Want to learn more about potatoes? Get some interesting facts and info about potatoes here.

The post Hot Potato! 15 Recipes with Potatoes appeared first on Paula Deen.

The thigh also happens to be a more forgiving cut than a chicken breast as they don’t dry out as easily, which means they’re generally easier to cook. And in honor of those juicy thighs being easy to cook, we thought we’d share some easy Southern chicken thigh recipes from Paula’s collection.

There’s so much to love about chicken thighs. Do you love them? What’s your favorite part of the chicken to eat? Let us know in the comments below!

P.S. Try using the bones from chicken thighs to make homemade chicken stock—you’ll be amazed by the bolder flavor!

The post 8 Southern Chicken Thigh Recipes appeared first on Paula Deen.

Southern food often gets a bad rap for being unhealthy, and while we do love a good Southern fried chicken recipe, we also incorporate a wide variety of vegetables & legumes in our diet—collard greens, okra, tomatoes, black-eyed peas—you name it! Plus, we love to embrace our local harvests as much as we can, especially in our desserts, utilizing ingredients like peach and pecan.

If you’re looking for the ultimate comfort food that can bring back memories of dinners with grandma, cooking with your mama, or Sunday suppers spent with the whole family, look no further than Paula’s traditional Southern recipes.

Do you have some Southern food recipes you or your family love? Let us know in the comments below!

The post Traditional Southern Food Recipes appeared first on Paula Deen.

What really makes a breakfast casserole easy is that children who love to help out in the kitchen can get involved. Whether it’s sprinkling in cheese, pouring in milk, tearing up bread, or measuring seasonings, it sure does help to have a few extra hands in the kitchen. Not only is it a great way to teach an important life skill, like cooking, but it also gets them excited to eat it. If your kids are anything like ours, they’ll get up a lot easier in the morning if they have something to look forward to, and sampling their own handiwork is truly something to look forward to!

Whether your family prefers a classic ham and egg breakfast casserole, a breakfast casserole with hash browns, an oatmeal breakfast bake, or something sweet, like Paula’s wonderful French toast breakfast casserole, Paula has a hearty and delicious easy breakfast casserole recipe for you.

What kind of breakfast does your family prefer—sweet or savory? Let us know in the comments below!

The post Easy Breakfast Casserole Recipes appeared first on Paula Deen.

First up, grab your ingredients. You’ll need the following:

• 1 (9-inch) pie plate
• 1 (9-inch) baked pie crust (Make your own pie crust or pick up a pre-made pie shell from your grocery store.)
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 4 tomatoes, peeled & sliced (Use your favorite tomatoes—roma, beefsteak, or on-the-vine or really dress it up and use a variety of colors and sizes of beautiful heirloom tomatoes!)
• Salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 4 ounces grated white cheddar cheese
• 4 ounces grated yellow cheddar cheese
• ½ cup mayonnaise
• ⅓ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Once your ingredients are prepped and together, preheat your oven to 350˚F. Place your pie crust into your pie pan and then spread the inside of the pie crust with the Dijon mustard.

Next up, layer in half of the tomatoes (pro-tip: save the prettiest slices for later) before sprinkling them with a little salt and pepper, to taste. Now top the seasoned tomatoes with both the white and yellow Cheddar cheese. Paula likes to grate her own, but if you’re looking to save time, the already shredded cheese in the bag works just as well.

Next up, you’re going to mix the mayonnaise with the Parmesan cheese before spreading it over the top of the pie. This step adds the creaminess that is so important to a Southern tomato pie. 

Now you’re going to bake the tomato pie for approximately 20 minutes. Once it’s bubbly, remove it from the oven and let it cool completely. Lastly, you’ll top it with the remaining, tomato slices. This will be the top of the pie, which is why we like to save the prettiest slices for the end. 

And that’s it folks—just serve it at room temperature with anything from burgers and ribs to fried chicken and pork chops. We love serving this traditional Southern Tomato Pie recipe at brunches, picnics, bridal showers, and barbecues. It’s such a versatile summer side dish!

Does your tomato pie vary from Paula’s recipe? Let us know in the comments below!

The post How to Make a Traditional Southern Tomato Pie appeared first on Paula Deen.