19. Creamy Southern Pasta Salad
Every cookout needs a big bowl of this. Macaroni gets tossed with finely diced celery, red and green bell pepper, green onions and sweet pickle relish, then folded into a creamy dressing of mayonnaise and sour cream with red wine vinegar and seasoning salt. Sharp cheddar goes in right before serving. The real secret is time: chill it at least four hours or overnight so the pasta soaks up all that flavor.
20. Instant Pot Red Beans and Rice
This is about as easy as a side dish gets. Rinsed long grain rice, two cans of kidney beans with their juices, diced green chiles, dried minced onion, cumin, garlic powder and salt all go into the Instant Pot with unsalted chicken stock. It cooks for just three minutes at high pressure with a ten minute natural release. Rinsing the rice until the water runs clear keeps it from turning gummy. Serve it next to grilled chicken or pork.
21. Southern Buttermilk Biscuits
Tall, fluffy biscuits are the pride of any country kitchen. Flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt get rubbed together with cold shortening or butter until crumbly, then cold buttermilk makes a very sticky dough. They bake at 425 degrees and get brushed with melted butter. Work fast so the fat stays cold, since that’s what gives the biscuits their lift. Serve them with honey, jam or a ladle of sausage gravy.
