Not everybody can cook like their beloved grandmother can cook Southern comfort food. Fortunately, everybody’s welcome to enjoy the delicious flavors of Southern comfort food at a Golden Corral buffet restaurant! For Southerners, food plays a huge part in their daily lives as well as in their celebrations so expect that the buffet restaurant will be fairly crowded on weekends, a time when family and friends gather.
Fried Green Tomatoes
The idea of deep-frying tomatoes may seem weird to non-Southerners but these are favorites among Southerners, and you will understand why once you’re partaken of it. The combo of cornmeal and flour makes for a perfectly crunchy and crispy crust, and the tomatoes can be eaten on their own or made into a BLT or incorporated into a caprese salad.
Gulf Coast Shrimp and Grits
Whoever thought of combining fresh shrimp and creamy grits with a rich and flavorful tomato-based sauce is a genius! The contrast between the juicy succulence of the shrimp with the creaminess of the grits makes it an addictive dish, and we can’t get enough of it whenever we chance upon it.
Chicken Fried-Steak
If Texans can identify a national treasure in food, then the chicken fried-steak with red eye gravy is a front-runner! This is a glorious dish that each family has a recipe of – and families will disagree over who cooks it the best – but it should always be made of tenderized beef that has been breaded, deep-fried, and covered in gravy.
Even the gravy can be a source of contention among Texans? Which is the best: red-eye gravy or pepper-cream gravy?
Red Beans and Rice
New Orleans can rightfully lay claim to the red beans and rice, and most will agree that the best versions can be found in the soulful city. A Cajun staple, red beans and rice comes in dozens of forms with each cook and chef having his or her own version. These can made, for example, with bacon, Andouille sausage, or ham hocks, as well as salt pork or picked pork, among other possibilities. These can also be served with fried pork chops or fried chicken.
Gumbo and Burgoo
No article on Southern dishes will be complete without mentioning these two iconic dishes. Gumbo is a dish that every Southern cook can make from scratch and from whatever ingredients are available, and it will come out amazing. Burgoo is typically made from vegetables, mutton and chicken – or as the saying goes, “If it walked, crawled or flew, then it’s probably in burgoo.”