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25 Southern Sunday Dinner Ideas
Mains, sides, and desserts to mix and match into a Sunday dinner everybody looks forward to.
8 min read

Start with the main
A Southern Sunday dinner usually begins with one anchor dish — fried chicken, smothered pork chops, or chicken and dumplings — and everything else is chosen to complement it.
Pick a main that can rest while the sides finish so nothing is rushed at the table.
Build out the sides
Two to three sides is the sweet spot: something creamy, something green, and something starchy. Baked mac and cheese, collard greens, and candied yams cover all three.
Round it out with cornbread or biscuits for the table.
Finish sweet
Peach cobbler and banana pudding are the workhorses of Southern dessert because both can be made ahead and both feed a crowd.
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