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Baked Feta Pasta

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A whole block of feta roasts in the center of a dish of cherry tomatoes until the cheese slumps and the tomatoes burst, and the two get stirred together into an instant creamy sauce with nothing more than a spoon. This is the dish that broke TikTok in 2021 and still earns its keep on a weeknight.

Ingredients

  • 2 pints cherry or grape tomatoes
  • 1 (8 oz) block feta cheese
  • 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided
  • 4 cloves garlic, smashed
  • 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 10 oz dried pasta, such as cavatappi or penne
  • 1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
  • Zest of 1 lemon (optional)

Instructions

  1. Heat the oven to 400 F. Put the cherry tomatoes and smashed garlic in a baking dish and toss with about 1/3 cup of the olive oil, the red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper.
  2. Clear a space in the center and set the block of feta there. Drizzle the remaining oil over the cheese and turn it once to coat.
  3. Bake 30 to 35 minutes, until the tomatoes have burst and wrinkled and the feta is soft and lightly golden at the edges.
  4. While it bakes, cook the pasta in well-salted water until just al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup of pasta water, then drain.
  5. Take the dish from the oven and mash the softened feta into the tomatoes with a fork, stirring until it forms a creamy sauce. The smashed garlic cloves will break up easily.
  6. Add the drained pasta and toss to coat, loosening with a splash of the reserved pasta water until the sauce clings nicely.
  7. Stir in the fresh basil and lemon zest and serve hot.

Tips

  • Use a block of feta packed in brine rather than pre-crumbled, which is drier and will not melt into a smooth sauce.
  • A handful of baby spinach stirred in with the hot pasta wilts in seconds and stretches the dish into a full meal.

Viral Crispy Smash Burgers

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Pressing a loose ball of beef hard onto a screaming-hot skillet for the first thirty seconds is the entire technique, forcing the meat flat against the metal to build a lacy, browned crust. Use an 80/20 chuck and do not touch the patty again until it is time to flip.

Ingredients

  • 1 lb ground beef, 80/20 chuck
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 8 slices American cheese
  • 4 soft potato buns, split
  • 2 tablespoons butter, softened
  • 1/2 small yellow onion, very thinly sliced (optional)
  • Dill pickle chips, for serving
  • 1/4 cup mayonnaise
  • 2 tablespoons ketchup
  • 1 tablespoon yellow mustard
  • 1 tablespoon finely chopped dill pickle

Instructions

  1. Stir together the mayonnaise, ketchup, mustard, and chopped pickle to make the burger sauce. Set aside.
  2. Divide the beef into four loose balls, about 4 ounces each. Do not pack or salt them yet, and keep them cold until the pan is hot.
  3. Butter the cut sides of the buns and toast them in a dry skillet over medium heat until golden. Set aside.
  4. Heat a cast-iron skillet or griddle over high until it is very hot, about 3 minutes. Place a ball of beef on the dry surface, lay a piece of parchment over it, and press down hard with a stiff spatula for a full 30 seconds to flatten it thin.
  5. Peel off the parchment, season the patty with salt and pepper, and if using onions, press a few slices into the top. Cook undisturbed 2 to 3 minutes until the edges are lacy and deeply browned.
  6. Flip, immediately lay a slice of cheese on each patty, and cook 1 minute more until the cheese melts and the second side is browned.
  7. Stack two patties per bun for a double, or serve singles. Spread the sauce on both buns, add pickles, and close. Serve right away.

Tips

  • The pan must be hot enough to sear on contact, so give cast iron a few minutes over high heat before the first smash.
  • Do not press the patty after the initial smash. Squeezing it later just pushes out the juices you want to keep.

Marry Me Chicken

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The sauce gets its name and its color from sun-dried tomatoes and a hit of their oil, simmered down with cream and parmesan until it coats the back of a spoon. Seared chicken cutlets finish right in the skillet so they soak up the sauce, and the whole thing comes together in about half an hour.

Ingredients

  • 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, halved lengthwise into cutlets
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil (or oil from the sun-dried tomato jar)
  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/3 cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 1 1/4 cups chicken broth
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil

Instructions

  1. Season the chicken cutlets on both sides with salt and pepper, then dredge lightly in flour and shake off the excess.
  2. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Sear the cutlets 3 to 4 minutes per side until golden and cooked through, working in batches so the pan is not crowded. Transfer to a plate.
  3. Lower the heat to medium and add the butter to the same skillet. Add the garlic, sun-dried tomatoes, oregano, and red pepper flakes and cook about 1 minute until fragrant.
  4. Pour in the chicken broth and scrape up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Let it bubble and reduce by about a third, roughly 3 minutes.
  5. Stir in the heavy cream and parmesan. Simmer gently 4 to 5 minutes until the sauce thickens enough to coat a spoon.
  6. Return the chicken and any resting juices to the skillet. Spoon the sauce over the top and simmer another 2 to 3 minutes to warm through.
  7. Scatter the fresh basil over the top and serve over pasta, mashed potatoes, or rice.

Tips

  • Halving the breasts into thin cutlets is what keeps them juicy and lets them cook in minutes. Whole thick breasts overcook on the outside before the center is done.
  • If the sauce tightens up too much while the chicken rests, loosen it with a splash of broth off the heat.

Slow-Simmered Boiled Peanuts

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Raw green peanuts, sold at roadside stands from midsummer through fall, are what you want here, not the dry roasting peanuts from the snack aisle. They simmer for hours until the shells go soft and the nuts inside turn creamy and salty, the way every gas station between Beaufort and Savannah sells them by the steaming cup.

Ingredients

  • 2 lb raw green peanuts in the shell
  • 1 cup kosher salt, plus more to taste
  • 1/4 cup Cajun seasoning (optional)
  • 6 cloves garlic, smashed (optional)
  • Water to cover, about 4 quarts

Instructions

  1. Rinse the peanuts in a colander, swishing them in a few changes of water to wash off any sand and grit.
  2. Put the peanuts in a large stockpot and add enough water to cover by about two inches. They float, so lay a heavy plate directly on top to keep them submerged.
  3. Add the salt, and the Cajun seasoning and garlic if using. Stir to dissolve the salt.
  4. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a low, steady simmer. Cover and cook 4 to 6 hours, stirring every hour and adding hot water as needed to keep the peanuts covered.
  5. Start tasting at the 4-hour mark. They are done when the nuts are tender and creamy all the way through, like a soft cooked bean. If they still have any crunch, keep simmering.
  6. Once they reach the texture you like, turn off the heat and let them soak in the brine another hour to absorb more salt.
  7. Scoop out with a slotted spoon and eat warm. Store leftovers in their brine in the refrigerator up to a week, or freeze for longer.

Tips

  • Green peanuts cook in 4 to 6 hours, but if you can only find raw dried peanuts, expect closer to 8 hours and an overnight soak first.
  • The brine keeps flavoring the nuts as they sit, so slightly undersalt at first and let them soak longer rather than oversalting the pot.

Fried Green Tomatoes with Cajun Remoulade

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The trick to a crust that stays on the tomato is a three-stage dredge finished in stone-ground cornmeal, which fries up sandy and crisp instead of soggy. Pick tomatoes that are hard and pale green with no blush of pink, since ripe ones collapse in the oil.

Ingredients

  • 3 large firm green tomatoes, cut into 1/2-inch slices
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1/2 cup buttermilk
  • 1 cup stone-ground cornmeal
  • 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • Peanut or vegetable oil, for frying
  • 3/4 cup mayonnaise
  • 1 tablespoon Creole mustard or whole-grain mustard
  • 1 tablespoon dill pickle relish
  • 2 teaspoons prepared horseradish
  • 1 teaspoon hot sauce
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1 teaspoon lemon juice

Instructions

  1. Make the remoulade first so it can chill. Whisk together the mayonnaise, Creole mustard, relish, horseradish, hot sauce, minced garlic, smoked paprika, and lemon juice. Refrigerate while you fry.
  2. Set the tomato slices on a rack and sprinkle both sides with 1/2 teaspoon of the salt. Let them sit 10 minutes, then blot dry.
  3. Set up three shallow dishes. In the first, whisk the flour with the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt. In the second, beat the eggs with the buttermilk. In the third, combine the cornmeal, panko, paprika, garlic powder, and black pepper.
  4. Dredge each slice in flour, then dip in the egg wash, then press firmly into the cornmeal mixture, coating both sides. Set the coated slices back on the rack.
  5. Pour 1/2 inch of oil into a cast-iron skillet and heat over medium until it reaches 350 F. A pinch of cornmeal should sizzle immediately.
  6. Fry in batches without crowding, about 2 to 3 minutes per side, until deep golden. Adjust the heat to keep the oil steady around 350 F.
  7. Drain on a paper-towel-lined rack and salt lightly while hot. Serve right away with the cold remoulade.

Tips

  • Keep one hand for wet dredging and one for dry, or your fingers will club up with batter.
  • Hold finished tomatoes in a 200 F oven on a rack while you fry the rest so they stay crisp.

Charleston Pimento Cheese

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Hand-grating a block of sharp cheddar takes ten minutes and makes the difference between a spread that clings to a cracker and one that turns to paste. This version leans on a full block of extra-sharp cheddar, a spoonful of grated onion for backbone, and just enough mayonnaise to bind it.

Ingredients

  • 8 oz extra-sharp cheddar, hand-grated (about 2 cups)
  • 4 oz sharp white cheddar, hand-grated (about 1 cup)
  • 1 (4 oz) jar diced pimentos, drained well
  • 1/2 cup mayonnaise, preferably Duke's
  • 2 oz cream cheese, softened
  • 1 teaspoon finely grated yellow onion, with its juice
  • 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste

Instructions

  1. Grate both cheddars on the large holes of a box grater and place in a large bowl. Pre-shredded cheese is coated in anti-caking starch and will not blend smoothly, so grate your own.
  2. In a separate small bowl, stir together the mayonnaise, softened cream cheese, grated onion and its juice, Worcestershire, cayenne, black pepper, and salt until smooth.
  3. Add the drained pimentos to the grated cheese, then fold in the mayonnaise mixture with a sturdy spoon or spatula. Press and fold rather than whip, keeping some texture in the cheese.
  4. Taste and adjust salt and cayenne. Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour so the flavors marry and the spread firms up.
  5. Serve at cool room temperature with saltines, celery, or toasted baguette. It also makes an excellent filling for a griddled sandwich.

Tips

  • Drain the pimentos on a paper towel and blot them dry, or the finished spread turns watery.
  • For a smoky variation, swap the cayenne for a pinch of chipotle powder and add two tablespoons of chopped roasted red pepper.

Classic Southern Sweet Tea

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This is the porch-pitcher standard, brewed strong with a pinch of baking soda to knock out the bitterness and sweetened while the tea is still hot so the sugar dissolves clean. Get the sugar in before you chill it and you will never have a gritty glass.

Ingredients

  • 6 cups water, divided
  • 6 regular black tea bags (or 2 family-size)
  • 1 pinch baking soda
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 cups cold water
  • Ice and lemon wedges for serving

Instructions

  1. Bring 4 cups of the water to a boil in a saucepan, then remove it from the heat.
  2. Add the baking soda and the tea bags, cover the pan, and let the tea steep for 8 to 10 minutes.
  3. Lift out and gently squeeze the tea bags, then discard them.
  4. Stir the sugar into the hot tea until it fully dissolves.
  5. Pour the sweetened tea into a 2-quart pitcher and add the remaining 2 cups cold water.
  6. Refrigerate until well chilled, at least 1 hour.
  7. Serve over plenty of ice with a wedge of lemon.

Tips

  • The pinch of baking soda is the old trick that keeps the tea from going bitter or cloudy. Do not skip it and do not add more.
  • For a lighter tea, cut the sugar to 3/4 cup. True Southern sweet tea runs sweet, so a full cup is the traditional mark.

Charleston Benne Wafers

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Benne is the Lowcountry word for sesame, carried here by enslaved West Africans, and these thin brown-sugar wafers are the city's signature cookie. Toasting the seeds first is what pulls out the nutty flavor that defines them.

Ingredients

  • 3/4 cup benne (sesame) seeds
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 cup packed light brown sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt

Instructions

  1. Toast the sesame seeds in a dry skillet over medium heat, stirring often, until they turn golden and smell nutty, about 4 to 5 minutes. Tip them onto a plate to cool.
  2. Heat the oven to 325 degrees F and line baking sheets with parchment paper.
  3. Cream the softened butter and brown sugar together until light, about 2 minutes.
  4. Beat in the egg and vanilla until smooth.
  5. Whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt together in a separate bowl, then stir into the butter mixture.
  6. Fold in the cooled toasted sesame seeds.
  7. Drop half-teaspoons of batter onto the parchment, spacing them at least 3 inches apart because they spread into thin wafers.
  8. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, until the wafers are evenly caramel brown across the top.
  9. Let them firm up on the sheet for 2 minutes, then move them to a rack to crisp as they cool.

Tips

  • Keep the mounds tiny and well spaced. These wafers spread to three times their size and will run together if crowded.
  • Pull them when the whole wafer is brown, not just the edges. That full caramelization is what makes them snap.

Pecan Pralines

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These are the creamy New Orleans-style pralines, cooked to the soft-ball stage and beaten until they turn from glossy to matte before you drop them. A candy thermometer earns its keep here since the window between fudgy and grainy is narrow.

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
  • 1 1/2 cups packed light brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup evaporated milk
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 2 cups pecan halves
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

  1. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set them near the stove before you start cooking.
  2. Combine the granulated sugar, brown sugar, evaporated milk, heavy cream, butter, and salt in a heavy-bottomed saucepan.
  3. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the butter melts and the sugar dissolves.
  4. Clip on a candy thermometer and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until the mixture reaches 236 degrees F, the soft-ball stage. This takes about 10 to 12 minutes.
  5. Remove from the heat immediately and stir in the pecans and vanilla.
  6. Let the mixture cool undisturbed for 2 minutes, then stir with a wooden spoon until it thickens and loses its shine, about 3 to 4 minutes.
  7. Working quickly, drop rounded tablespoons of the mixture onto the parchment, spacing them apart.
  8. Let the pralines set at room temperature until firm, about 20 minutes, then peel them off the parchment.

Tips

  • Pick a dry day. Humidity keeps pralines from setting and leaves them sticky.
  • Stop stirring and drop the moment the candy turns matte and starts to hold its shape. Beat too long and the batch seizes in the pan.

Southern Chess Pie

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Chess pie is the thrifty classic of the Southern pantry, sweetened custard set with just cornmeal and a spoonful of vinegar to keep it from being one-note. The cornmeal is what gives the top its faint crackle and the filling its slight grain.

Ingredients

  • 1 single 9-inch pie crust, unbaked
  • 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
  • 1 tablespoon fine yellow cornmeal
  • 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 4 large eggs
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled
  • 1/4 cup whole milk
  • 1 tablespoon white vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

  1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees F. Fit the pie crust into a 9-inch pie plate and crimp the edges. Chill it while you mix the filling.
  2. Whisk the sugar, cornmeal, flour, and salt together in a large bowl until evenly combined.
  3. Add the eggs and whisk until the mixture is smooth and slightly pale.
  4. Whisk in the melted butter, milk, vinegar, and vanilla until fully blended.
  5. Pour the filling into the chilled crust.
  6. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes, until the top is golden and the center barely jiggles when you nudge the pan.
  7. If the crust edges brown too fast, tent them with strips of foil for the last 15 minutes.
  8. Cool the pie completely on a rack, at least 2 hours, so the filling sets before slicing.

Tips

  • The center should still have a slight wobble when you take it out. It firms up as it cools, and an over-baked chess pie turns dry.
  • A little wobble of vinegar is traditional and keeps the sweetness in check. You will not taste it in the finished pie.

Fresh Peach Cobbler

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Built for a haul of ripe summer peaches, this cobbler bakes up with a golden batter that rises around the fruit and pools with syrup underneath. It works because the butter melts in the dish first and the batter never gets stirred into the peaches.

Ingredients

  • 6 cups sliced fresh peaches (about 8 medium peaches)
  • 1 cup plus 1 cup granulated sugar, divided
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick)
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup whole milk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Instructions

  1. Toss the sliced peaches with 1 cup of the sugar and the lemon juice in a bowl. Let them sit for 15 minutes so they release their juice.
  2. Heat the oven to 350 degrees F. Put the stick of butter in a 9-by-13-inch baking dish and set it in the oven until the butter melts, about 6 minutes.
  3. In a mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, remaining 1 cup sugar, baking powder, and salt.
  4. Stir in the milk and vanilla until you have a smooth, pourable batter.
  5. Pull the hot dish from the oven. Pour the batter evenly over the melted butter but do not stir them together.
  6. Spoon the peaches and their juice over the batter, again without stirring. The batter will rise up around the fruit as it bakes.
  7. Sprinkle the cinnamon over the top.
  8. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, until the top is golden brown and the batter around the edges is set and crisp.
  9. Let the cobbler rest 15 minutes before serving so the syrup thickens. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream.

Tips

  • Frozen peaches work in winter. Thaw and drain them first, or the cobbler runs watery.
  • If your peaches are very sweet, cut the fruit sugar back to 3/4 cup so the dessert does not turn cloying.

Classic Banana Pudding

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This is the layered, spoon-through-it kind of banana pudding, built on a real stovetop custard rather than a boxed mix. Nilla wafers soften into the vanilla custard overnight while the whole thing chills, which is the point.

Ingredients

  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 3 cups whole milk
  • 4 large egg yolks
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • 1 box (11 oz) Nilla wafers
  • 5 to 6 ripe bananas, sliced 1/4 inch thick
  • 2 cups heavy cream
  • 3 tablespoons confectioners' sugar

Instructions

  1. Whisk the granulated sugar, flour, and salt together in a heavy saucepan off the heat.
  2. Gradually whisk in the whole milk until the mixture is smooth with no lumps of flour.
  3. Set the pan over medium heat and cook, stirring constantly with a whisk, until the custard thickens and just comes to a low boil, about 8 to 10 minutes.
  4. In a separate bowl, beat the egg yolks. Slowly pour in about a cup of the hot custard while whisking hard, then scrape the tempered yolks back into the saucepan.
  5. Cook another 2 minutes, stirring the whole time, until the custard coats the back of a spoon. Remove from heat and stir in the butter and vanilla.
  6. Let the custard cool for 10 minutes, stirring now and then so a skin does not form.
  7. Spread a thin layer of custard in the bottom of a 3-quart dish. Cover with a single layer of Nilla wafers, then a layer of sliced bananas.
  8. Spoon a third of the remaining custard over the bananas. Repeat the wafer, banana, and custard layers two more times.
  9. Whip the heavy cream with the confectioners' sugar to soft peaks and spread it over the top.
  10. Cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours, ideally overnight, so the wafers soften into the custard before serving.

Tips

  • Use bananas that are speckled but still firm. Fully black-spotted bananas turn to mush by the second day.
  • A layer of wafers pressed up the sides of the dish gives you that soft cookie edge everyone fights over.