Southern-Style Collard Greens

A step-by-step recipe for cooking the best authentic Southern collard greens.

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So, if you didn't know this already, we Southerners are pretty set in our ways when it comes to cooking certain dishes.

Oh, we’ll eat it your way and be polite about it but we’re secretly talking smack about it under our breath.

Did that heifer put Miracle Whip in the potato salad? Bless her heart.

I shred the cheese by hand when I make my macaroni and cheese but I reckon some people like it dry.

I think those boiled peanuts could've done with way less salt, but I'm not judging. 

And cooking greens is no exception. We all do it differently. I've seen more than one Southern food “expert” on television cook them in ways that made me think, Well no wonder the rest of the world doesn't like greens if y'all cooking them like that.

One was so bad I had to lean up against the door frame for a minute and give thanks, once again, to my late grandma for showing me and Mama how to cook good Southern food.

I’m going to tell you how I cook them. This is how I was raised to cook them. And this is how I like them best!

NOTES ABOUT THIS RECIPE FOR COLLARD GREENS

• When I get collards, they’re usually given to me by someone who grew them in their own garden so I have to take extra care when cleaning them (it's not uncommon to find leaves, pine straw, dirt or maybe even a small critter in the bag). If yours came from a grocery store, you likely won't need to wash them twice like this recipe.
• It is my VERY strong opinion that you must cut the midrib (center vein that divides each leaf) from the collards. The midrib is fibrous and sometimes tough and bitter.
• This is a basic recipe. Lots of folks like to add other seasonings such as red peppers, garlic, red pepper flakes, sugar, vinegar, etc. Feel free to add anything that suits your fancy. I will sometimes add a splash of vinegar if I think the collards might be bitter (early in the season) but for the most part I like them plain and simple the best.
• Substitute vegetable oil for bacon grease if necessary then ask the Lord to forgive you for throwing out your bacon grease.
• It's best not to cook collards until after the first frost to ensure they’re not bitter but so long as you cut the midrib out, they're usually just fine.
• Collards are most often served with pepper vinegar on the side.

RECIPES TO SERVE WITH COLLARD GREENS

I've always enjoyed pork and rice with collard greens - here are a few of my favorite recipes!

• Crock Pot Pulled Pork – Perfectly seasoned, tender, juicy pulled pork cooked low and slow in a slow cooker.
• Better-Than-Bojangles Dirty Rice – A copycat recipe for Bojangles iconic Cajun dirty rice, made with sausage and a favorite throughout Southern states, especially the Carolinas!
• Baked Country-Style Ribs – Tender country-style ribs baked low and slow in the oven with barbeque sauce.
• Perfect Pork Loin with Effortless Au Jus – The absolute easiest, perfectly cooked roasted pork loin that’s tender and juicy every time.
• Country-Style Ribs & Rice – An old-school Southern recipe made with rice cooked in a rich stock made from slowly cooked country-style ribs.
• Butter-Braised Slow Cooker Pork Roast – Fork-tender pork loin drenched in sizzling butter seasoned with Cajun spices cooked to crispy perfection in the crock pot.

Recipe for Southern-Style Collard Greens

Southern Style Collard Greens

Yield: 8-10 Servings

Author: Mandy Rivers | South Your Mouth

Prep time: 30 MinCook time: 1 HourTotal time: 1 H & 30 M

A step-by-step recipe for cooking the best authentic Southern collard greens.

Ingredients

• 1 large or 2 small bunches fresh collard greens
• 5-6 strips bacon, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
• 3 tablespoons additional bacon grease or vegetable oil
• 1 onion, diced
• Salt to taste

Instructions

Wash and Prep:

1. Start by tearing each leaf off the stalk and placing the leaves in a clean sink full of cold water. Plunge the leaves several times into the water to clean them. Discard the stalk and any other debris. Drain the sink and rinse well.
2. One-by-one, trim the center rib (midrib) from each leaf, cutting each leaf into two halves, discarding the rib. Add the leaves back to the sink and fill with cold water again to ensure they’re clean. Drain collards.

Chiffonade:

1. Place 6-8 leaves in a stack and roll tightly (like you’re rolling a cigar). Slice roll into 1-inch ribbons. Continue the process with remaining collards then set aside until ready to cook.

Cook:

1. Using the biggest skillet or widest pot you have (that has a lid), cook bacon and bacon grease over medium-high heat, uncovered, until bacon is crisp. Add onions and continue cooking until onions are translucent.
2. Add as much of the collards as will fit in the skillet and toss to coat in the bacon drippings. Cover skillet with lid and let collards cook down (wilt) for 2-3 minutes. Add more collards and repeat this step until all collards are in the skillet.
3. Reduce heat to low, salt to taste and continue cooking, covered, for about an hour or until collards are as tender as you like them; stir occasionally.

Notes

• When I get collards, they’re usually given to me by someone who grew them in their own garden so I have to take extra care when cleaning them (it's not uncommon to find leaves, pine straw, dirt or maybe even a small critter in the bag). If yours came from a grocery store, you likely won't need to wash them twice like this recipe.
• It is my VERY strong opinion that you must cut the midrib (center vein that divides each leaf) from the collards. The midrib is fibrous and sometimes tough and bitter.
• This is a basic recipe. Lots of folks like to add other seasonings such as red peppers, garlic, red pepper flakes, sugar, vinegar, etc. Feel free to add anything that suits your fancy. I will sometimes add a splash of vinegar if I think the collards might be bitter (early in the season) but for the most part I like them plain and simple the best.
• Substitute vegetable oil for bacon grease if necessary then ask the Lord to forgive you for throwing out your bacon grease.
• It's best not to cook collards until after the first frost to ensure they’re not bitter but so long as you cut the midrib out, they're usually just fine.
• Collards are most often served with pepper vinegar on the side.

https://www.southyourmouth.com/2013/11/southern-style-collard-greens.html

Images and text © South Your Mouth LLC 2013

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Catfish Stew

An old-school Southern recipe for catfish stew made with potatoes, stewed tomatoes and fatback or bacon.

The last time I was in Texas I ate my weight in fried catfish (because Lord, them Texans do know how to fry up a catfish!).

There are literally restaurants that specialize in it because catfish are so prevalent (and HUGE!) in Texas so I asked around about Catfish Stew and no one that I talked to had ever heard of it!

I was like... ummm... it's like the state stew of South Carolina (or it should be anyway!) but nope, nobody knew what I was talking about so, maybe Catfish Stew is a regional thing in the South. Like boiled peanuts and macaroni & cheese made with eggs!

Mama and Daddy go fishing. A lot. Their freezer is always stocked with local freshwater goodness like bream, crappy, rock fish (striped bass) and catfish.

Yay for me because Husband doesn't much care for any of it (eating it or fishing for it) so I can always get my fix at their house.

Daddy called me one day asking if I had a recipe for catfish stew because he'd never tried to make it from an actual recipe (we like to just throw stuff in a pot, love on it, and hope for the best!).

I’d never made it before but had saved this recipe once upon a time thinking it looked like a solid place to start so I sent it to him.

They whipped up a pot of it and brought it over and, oh my sweet Lord, was it ever good! Mama also brought over a pan of her Skillet Cornbread and the two went so good together! I was one happy gal!

Catfish Stew

Yield: 4-6 Servings

Author: Mandy Rivers | South Your Mouth

Prep time: 5 MinCook time: 25 Mininactive time: 15 MinTotal time: 45 Min

Classic Southern catfish stew recipe with potatoes, stewed tomatoes and fatback or bacon.

Ingredients

• 1/2 lb thick-cut bacon or fatback, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1 medium onion, finely diced
• 1/2 cup finely diced celery
• 1 14-ounce can petite diced tomatoes, undrained
• 3 tablespoons ketchup
• 1 tablespoon worcestershire sauce
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 3 medium potatoes, peeled and diced
• 1 lb catfish fillets OR 1.5-2 lbs whole, dressed catfish

Instructions

1. Brown bacon or fatback in a Dutch oven or soup pot over medium-high heat until crisp. Add onions and celery then sauté until onions are tender (3-5 minutes).
2. Add tomatoes, ketchup, worcestershire, seasonings and potatoes then stir well. Add water to the pot until potatoes are just submerged. 
3. Bring pot to a boil then reduce heat to medium-low, cover and cook for 20-30 minutes or until potatoes are tender.
4. Directions for using catfish fillets: Add catfish, cover then continue cooking for 10 minutes. Proceed to Step 6.
5. Directions for using whole, dressed catfish: Add whole, dressed catfish, cover then continue cooking for 15 minutes or until catfish is cooked through. Remove catfish from the pot then remove the cooked fish from the bones and skin. Discard bones and skin. Add cooked catfish back to the stew then gently stir. Proceed to next step.
6. Taste for seasoning then add salt and pepper if desired. Remove from heat, cover then allow stew to rest for 15-20 minutes before serving.

https://www.southyourmouth.com/2013/11/catfish-stew.html

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Chewy Chocolate Chip Butterscotch Cookies

Giant chewy cookies with chocolate chips and butterscotch morsels.

I don’t have anything clever to say about making these cookies.

Nothing interesting happened when I was cooking them. I didn't catch anything on fire. I didn't drop the flour canister on my big toe. No one needed CPR while cookies were in the oven.

And you know what? Thank God. Everything’s been so mind-blowingly crazy lately that a little dose of normal was welcome!

It’s too soon to tell you all about it yet because I don’t know which way things are going to go. But I think in a week or so I’ll either be telling you about something that almost happened or I’ll be telling you about something that is going to happen.

Confused yet?

Stay tuned :) No matter which way this thing goes, I've got some stories to tell you about the last two weeks that’ll curl your toes!

In the meantime, make yourself a batch of these giant, chewy, delicious cookies! You can substitute whichever chips or morsels you prefer for the chocolate and butterscotch, just make sure you have three cups total!

Enjoy!

Chewy Chocolate Chip Butterscotch Cookies
3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 cup sugar
1 cup butter, at room temperature
2 eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
2 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup butterscotch morsels
1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans - optional (here's the nut grinder I use)

Combine brown sugar, sugar, butter, eggs and vanilla in a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment or large mixing bowl and mix on medium speed until well blended.

Combine flour, baking soda and salt in a separate bowl and stir to combine. Add flour mixture to sugar mixture and continue mixing until all ingredients are incorporated. Add chocolate chips, butterscotch morsels and nuts then stir to combine.

Using a tablespoon, drop heaping spoonfuls of dough onto an ungreased cookie sheet and bake at 375 degrees (350 if using a dark colored pan) for 10-12 minutes or until bottom edges start to brown.

PRINTABLE RECIPE

Potato Chowder with Sausage and Kale

So, I was going to make potato soup this weekend.

Which I love dearly.

But when I was at the grocery store they had these HUGE, lush bunches of kale that were so glorious and amazing that I thought about buying a cart full just so I could bring them home, throw them on the floor and roll around on them. I’m not even kidding. I had to buy some.

Then I was strolling around the store with my ta-die-for kale the way a rich person walks around the mall with designer shopping bags (my imaginary audience was all like, OMG look at her kale!! and Gurl, I wish I had me some of that kale!) wondering what in the world I was actually going to do with it when I remembered the Zuppa Toscana at Olive Garden (thin potato soup with sausage and kale).

So, I bought some Italian sausage and headed to the house. I’d seen enough copycat recipes of Zuppa Toscana to know the world didn't need yet another recipe for that so I decided to just make my potato soup like I usually do but add a lot of garlic, the sausage and then hit it with the kale at the end.

It was SO good! The sausage is so tender and gives the chowder just the right amount of heat and then the kale gets just a little wilted but still has a slight bite. It was glorious!

I asked everybody on the FB page whether to call this a soup, stew or chowder (it really is too hearty to call soup) and it looks like most folks leaned toward chowder so that’s what we’re calling this!

Potato Chowder with Sausage & Kale
1 pound hot Italian sausage
1 onion, diced
6-8 cloves garlic, minced
4 cups chicken broth
5-6 medium yellow potatoes
Salt to taste (I added 1 teaspoon)
1 pint half-and-half*
1 bunch fresh kale, chopped (approximately 4 cups)

Remove sausage from casings if applicable. Brown sausage over medium-high heat in a Dutch oven or soup pot until no longer pink. Add onions and garlic and continue to cook for 2-3 minutes. Add chicken broth.

Wash potatoes and cut into 1/4-inch slices (I didn't peel mine but you can if that’s your preference). Add potatoes and salt to taste. Bring broth to a low boil, cover pot, reduce heat to medium-low and continue cooking for 40 minutes.

While whisking rapidly, slowly pour in half-and-half. Continue whisking until broth becomes smooth and creamy. This is necessary to emulsify the fat from the sausage into the broth and cream and also helps to break up the potatoes into rustic chunks. Taste for seasoning and add more salt to taste if necessary. Continue cooking until chowder just begins to simmer (about 10-15 minutes).

Remove from heat, add kale, stir to combine then return lid to pot and let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

*Half-and-half is common here in the US but if you’re elsewhere in the world, it’s just half milk and half cream. Half-and-half typically has about 12.5% milk fat.

PRINTABLE RECIPE

Chunky Beef Stew {Crock Pot}

Husband did the sexiest thing this Sunday. Sitting at the supper table, he grabbed my hand, looked me square in the eye and said, “This is the best thing you've ever cooked since the day I met you.”

I think that has more to do with him being a “meat and potato” man than with me being some culinary genius but I’ll take it.

I've been cooking a lot of crock pot meals in the last two months since Brutus has been playing baseball every Sunday so when Husband asked for beef stew I was all over it!

I make my beef stew the same way I make my pot roast, I just cut up the meat and vegetables smaller and cook it in the crock pot. I would like to have added peas but since I was making it per Husband’s request I decided not to ruin his whole week by adding peas.

And he might have said, “But don’t put any peas in it.” and “You’re not going to put peas in it are you?” and “I don’t like peas in it” a time or two.

Beef Stew
1 3-4 pound chuck roast
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
Salt and pepper
2 onions, chopped
2 cups chopped carrots
2 envelopes Beefy Onion soup mix (such as Lipton’s)
3/4 teaspoon garlic powder
3 cups water
2 tablespoons worcestershire sauce
8-10 small potatoes, quartered
1/4 cup cornstarch

Cut chuck roast into 1.5 - 2 inch pieces and season with salt and pepper. Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and sear chuck roast pieces in batches (don’t overcrowd the pan or the meat won’t sear properly). When seared, place chuck roast pieces in a large crock pot.

Optional step… I like to sauté the onions and then the carrots in the same pan that I seared the meat in because I think it really helps develop the flavor but you don’t have to.

Add carrots and onions to crock pot.

Combine soup mix, garlic, water and worcestershire sauce and stir until soup mix is dissolved.

Optional step… I deglaze the skillet with the soup mixture to capture all the glorious flavor but, again, you don’t have to.

Add soup mixture and potatoes to crock pot and stir to incorporate all ingredients. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours. One hour before the stew is done, ladle out about 1/2 cup of broth. Set aside to cool.

Increase crock pot temperature to high. Add cornstarch to a small bowl then whisk in cooled broth until smooth. Add cornstarch slurry to crock pot, cover and continue cooking for 30 minutes or until broth has thickened.

I like to turn the heat off and let mine rest for about an hour before serving, but again, you don’t have to :)

PRINTABLE RECIPE

Preacher Cake

This tender, moist cake recipe with crushed pineapple, pecans, coconut and cream cheese frosting is an old Southern tradition to serve when the preacher comes by for a visit!

PHOTOS UPDATED APRIL 2024

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

1. JUMP TO THE RECIPE
2. WHY IS IT CALLED PREACHER CAKE?
3. FAQ ON PREACHER CAKE
4. MORE OLD-FASHIONED RECIPES

I heard mention of this cake last week and the name really rang a bell for me. I knew exactly what it was and remembered eating it growing up. I thought about it so much that by the time the weekend rolled around I knew I had to make one!

I just knew I had a recipe for it somewhere so when I went looking and couldn't find one I was stumped. I looked through all my recipes and binders and notes and still could not find one.

Then I even pulled out all my old-school community and church cookbooks and looked through all of them. Nothing.

I knew enough about the cake to know it had crushed pineapple and nuts in it (and maybe coconut?) and that all sounded an awful lot like a Hummingbird Cake (without the bananas). And that's what I recall the texture being like too.

I decided to switched up a few things in my Hummingbird Cake recipe, bake it in a 13x9 pan (because that's how I remember Preacher Cake being made) and went with that!

I decided to put coconut in it because I love coconut but I’m not 100% sure if a true Preacher Cake has coconut in it or not. I guess that depends on your preacher... ha! 

WHY IS IT CALLED PREACHER CAKE?

From what I've been told over the years, Preacher Cake got its name because it was a cake you usually had the ingredients for in your pantry, so if the preacher told you he was coming to visit, you could whip one up.

But I'm not sure that theory holds water. This isn't a "whip it up quick" cake. It's not hard or fussy but it's no dump cake either. And I don't know about y'all but I can't see too many people keeping pineapple, pecans, coconut and cream cheese in stock. 

What makes more sense to me is, since it's made in a 13x9 dish, it's easy to tote around. So when it's time to make a dessert for a fellowship dinner, Sunday school, bible study, etc. you might be likely to make this cake. And it's special without requiring any fancy cake decorating skills.

FAQ ON PREACHER CAKE

Is this the same thing as Hummingbird Cake? Nope, but close. Hummingbird Cake has bananas and this cake doesn't.

Can I make it into a layer cake? Yes! This recipe makes a lot of batter so it will easily fill 3 8 or 9-inch cake pans. You will likely need to double the frosting to have enough to frost it, though.

Can I make this in a bundt pan? Yes, but this is too much batter for one standard bundt pan. Fill 2/3 full then pour the remaining batter into a smaller pan to bake a separate, smaller cake. Use the toothpick test to check when the cake(s) is done.

Can I make this in a tube pan? Yes! A standard, 2-piece tube pan will easily hold and bake this cake. Baking time is the same.

Does it need to be refrigerated? No, not the first 3 days or so. There is enough sugar in the frosting to preserve the cream cheese for 3-4 days. 

MORE OLD-FASHIONED RECIPES TO TRY

BLACK BOTTOM CUPCAKES - An easy recipe for chocolate cupcakes stuffed with chocolate chip cream cheese filling. Very much like a cupcake stuffed with cheesecake!

OLD-FASHIONED RAISIN CAKE - A vintage Depression-Era snack cake made with raisins, molasses and cozy spices without any eggs, milk or butter that’s super moist and perfectly sweet.

CHOCOLATE COBBLER - An easy, homemade chocolate dessert recipe with a warm, decadent chocolate fudge sauce that’s formed under the cake-like top as the cobbler bakes.

AMISH SUGAR CREAM PIE - Sugar and cream bake together to form a creamy, almost caramelized, satiny smooth filling in this old-fashioned vanilla custard pie recipe.

OLD-FASHIONED COCONUT PIE - The perfect recipe for classic, old fashioned baked coconut custard pie that's both creamy and chewy in all the best ways! 

Recipe for How to Cook Preacher Cake

Preacher Cake

Yield: 15 Servings

Author: Mandy Rivers | South Your Mouth

Prep time: 15 MinCook time: 45 MinTotal time: 1 Hour

This tender, moist cake recipe with crushed pineapple, pecans, coconut and cream cheese frosting is an old Southern tradition to serve when the preacher comes by for a visit!

Ingredients

Cake:

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 2 cups sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 20-ounce can crushed pineapple
• 1 cup finely chopped pecans
• 1 cup flaked coconut (optional)

Cream Cheese Frosting:

• 8 oz cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup butter, at room temperature
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 1/4 cup finely chopped pecans for garnish (optional)

Instructions

Cake:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 3-quart 13x9 baking pan with cooking spray. Set out butter and cream cheese for frosting so that they are very soft when it's time to use them.
2. Combine flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon in a bowl then whisk together; set aside. 3 c. flour, 2 tsp baking soda, 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp cinnamon
3. Combine sugar, eggs, oil and vanilla in a large bowl then whisk together until well combined. 2 c. sugar, 3 eggs, 1 c. oil, 2 tsp vanilla
4. Stir in pineapple (with juice). 1 20-oz can
5. Stir flour mixture into wet ingredients.
6. Stir in chopped pecans and coconut then mix all ingredients until everything is thoroughly combined. 1 c. pecans, 1 c. coconut
7. Pour cake batter into pan then bake at 350 degrees for 45-55 minutes or until cake is set in the center and a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
8. Cool cake completely in pan then the frost with Cream Cheese Frosting.
9. Cover and store at room temperature up to 3 days.

Cream Cheese Frosting:

1. Whip cream cheese, butter and vanilla with an electric mixer until fluffy (about 2 minutes). 8-oz cream cheese, 1 stick butter, 1 tsp vanilla
2. A powdered sugar then continue mixing until smooth and creamy. 2 c. powdered sugar
3. Sprinkle chopped pecans evenly over cake.

Notes

• If making into a layer cake (or anything you're not going to leave in the pan), grease and flour the pans instead of using cooking spray.
• Double the frosting if making into a layer cake to ensure you have enough.
• Feel free to omit pecans or coconut if desired.

https://www.southyourmouth.com/2013/11/preacher-cake.html

Images and text © South Your Mouth LLC 2013

pecans, pineapple, coconut, cream cheese frosting, icing, sheet pan, 13x9, potluckrecipe, best, easy, ideas, preacher, cake, southern, homemade, scratch, retro, dessert, tradition, pastor, dessert, hummingbird

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Keep up with my latest shenanigans by following South Your Mouth!

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