Macaroni Pie and Other Things You Aren't Likely to Find at Yankee Pot Lucks

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The other day on "The Splendid Table" on NPR I heard someone talking about foods they had always enjoyed at Southern picnics.

I lived in the south for 12 years - - - and the description of southern picnic foods brought to my mind many pot luck (I believe they call them covered dish) dinners in the south - - - the BEST OF THE BEST being church Homecoming dinners. (We don't have many "homecomings" up here, but in the south nearly every church celebrates homecoming once a year.)

I began to think (dream and drool actually) of foods that were at nearly every self-respecting southern Homecoming dinner that one would probably never find at a pot luck north of the Mason Dixon.

Now - - - lest you get confused, there are plenty of wonderful dishes that one would find NORTH of the Mason Dixon that wouldn't be below it, but THEY are simply not the topic of this post.

Also, I didn't MAKE all of these dishes in order to get the photos. First , THAT would be too much work, and SECOND - - - I have NEVER mastered these fine southern dishes because I do not have the true southern cook gene. So, I had to google for images that looked as CLOSE to the real thing as I could find. To my HORROR, some of them aren't from a very southern source - - - but we'll just ignore that fact.

You may think of some other dishes that you think fit this criteria - - - if so please describe them in the comments. There is ONE dish missing which at first glance may appear to be a GLARING error, but in reality I left it off on purpose. That is southern fried chicken. I left it out because while the south certainly makes some of the very BEST fried chicken I've ever tasted, you will find fried chicken in some form at EVERY pot luck - - - at least at every pot luck I've ever been privileged to attend.

And now for my mouth watering southern delights:

(photo from latimes.com)
Country Ham Biscuits

You may look at these and say to yourself, "Hmmmm - - - I've had a yankee ham biscuit." Well - - - you may have had ham on a biscuit (though more likely it was on a yeast roll) up here, but if you've had true southern country ham on it, you can knock me over with a feather - - - unless you have a southern friend or relative who BROUGHT IT UP HERE to you.

Country ham has a lovely dry texture and is S-A-L-T-Y salty. It is the PERFECT companion for a fluffy, "madefromscratchwithoutarecipe", southern biscuit. I am NOT a southern lady because I do NOT have this buiscut making gene - - - though I wish I did.

(photo from tasteslikehome.org)
Macaroni Pie

This picture isn't EXACTLY southern macaroni pie as it looks too dry, but it was the closest I could find.

I think macaroni pie is nearly my favorite southern covered dish food. It is a baked version of macaroni and cheese made with elbow macaroni, cheddar cheese, milk, and egg. It has the PERFECT texture that is neither soupy nor dry. It is full of stingy cheesy goodness.

I could eat this entire casserole by myself in one sitting, and I kid you not!

Leigh, when I come down to visit - - - I want THIS on the menu, oh PLEASE tell me you are adept at making it, because I can do a fairly decent imposter, but nothing to hold a CANDLE to the real thing. Must be that southern gene I lack.

(photo from fatquestion.com)
Black Eyed Peas

This is such a common side dish in the south, that my southern readers may be quite surprised that I include it on my list of favorite Homecoming foods. But here's the thing, southern bloggy readers, they just aren't found at dinners up here. In fact, I can't even REMEMBER the last back eyed pea I ate. (You may find them in a can at the grocery store, not sure about that)

This photo shows them doctored up with some "extras" (like I think I see some tomato in there). My favorte way to have them is simply cooked with butter, salt and pepper. YUM. I think I want some right now.

(photo from neverenoughthyme.wordpress.com)
Butter Beans

I have seen cans of these on grocery store shelves up here, but they aren't "flying" off those shelves I can just tell ya!!

I love them cooked to a lovely soft, squishy texture and swimming in buttery brothy goodness. Yum again.

(photo from foodnetwork.com)
Collard Greens

The BEST collard greens I ever ate were fixed by a fabulous black cook and brought to hubby's Christmas Dinner at work. They were seasoned with fat back and every bite was an extravganza for my mouth.

I am CLUELESS about how to prepare them, and I've never seen anything to even remotely resemble them up here - - - more's the pity.

(photo from goodneighborgarden.org)
Crookneck Squash Casserole

This picture isn't exactly right. The casserole I remember had crackers or bread cubes blended in with cheddar cheese, sauteed onions, and squash. It was my absolute favorite vegetable dish at those wonderful dinners.

I've never even seen a crookneck squash since I left the south. I've seen yellow summer squash, and it is CLOSE to a crookneck, but without the crook. I could eat this entire casserole by myself in one sitting too. Oh, don't DARE me, or I might just have to come down there and DO it.

(photo from rolltideennisfamily.blogspot.com)

Red Velvet Cake

One day I found a cake in a northern bakery that was LABELED "Red Velvet Cake." I snatched it right up. It was not even CLOSE to a TRUE red velvet cake.

True Red Velvet cake is made with cocoa and red food coloring and is iced with some kind of white creamy decadent goodness. It is moist and better than sex. Oh I kid you not - - -

(photo from countrychoiceorganic.com)
True Blue Southern Banana Pudding

In the south it's just called Banana pudding - - - but I gave it that longer title so you would NOT confuse it with it's more lily livered yankee cousin.

The True Blue Southern Banana Pudding is made of vanilla pudding, whipped cream, sour cream and other secret ingredients, then layered with bananas into a Vanilla Wafer lined bowl. It is simply delicious and probably my most favorite of all my favorite southern dessert treats.

My - - - this post is making me long for a southern "Tour of Foods."

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