23 Southern Recipes to Serve on Christmas Day

The holiday season is here, and you’re busy planning out what you’ll be serving at Christmas dinner. But if you’re tired of serving the same old recipes year after year, why not switch things up a bit? Whether you’re a Southern resident or just missing down-home cooking, you can liven up your Christmas table with a few Southern-inspired dishes. Sure, they might not be “traditional,” but who knows—you could end up starting your own traditions, too.

Here are 23 Southern recipes to serve on Christmas. And for more holiday recipe ideas, check out these 50 Delicious Christmas Eve Dinners So Easy They’ll Cook Themselves.

Start your holiday off the right way: with a stack of Southern-style pancakes. Present-opening and fluffy flapjacks? Sign us up.

Get our recipe for Copycat Cracker Barrel Pancakes. 

And as you make your flapjacks, make sure to avoid these 13 Common Pancake Mistakes.

Deviled eggs are a Southern delicacy, and there’s no reason not to include them on your Christmas table. They’re the perfect appetizer to your main course, and they’d be just as tasty for breakfast the day after Christmas, too.

Get our recipe for Smoky Deviled Eggs with Bacon. 

And for more ideas, check out these 12 New Twists on Deviled Eggs That Are Deliciously Different.

Paprika is delicious atop deviled eggs, but it’s also great in other appetizer recipes. Top some homemade potato chips with the seasoning for a tasty homemade appetizer.

Get our recipe for Smoked Paprika Potato Chips. 

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Serving a spiral ham for Christmas dinner? These baked beans would be a delicious side dish.

Get our recipe for Smoky Baked Beans with Bacon. 

Southerners love grits, and if shrimp is included, that’s even better. As an appetizer or a main course, this is a lively way to add some seafood to your Christmas Day spread.

Get our recipe for Southern-Style Shrimp and Grits. 

And if you’re from the South, shrimp and grits may be one of the 35 Classic Southern Dishes Your Grandmother Used to Make.

Sure, catfish isn’t a traditional Christmas dish. But that doesn’t mean you can’t eat it on December 25! And your family might be happy about the change to the typical menu, too.

Get our recipe for Southern-Style Cornmeal Catfish With Tomato Gravy. 

North Carolina’s state vegetable is the sweet potato, and you can bring a taste of the Tar Heel state to your Christmas table with this recipe. It’s delicious as a side to ham, turkey, or whatever else you might be serving.

Get our recipe for Spicy Mashed Sweet Potatoes. 

Looking for more holiday recipes? Don’t miss these 19 Best Non-Traditional Christmas Dinner Recipes.

Paprika again! The spice is perfect on roast chicken, and this recipe isn’t too complicated to make. Just season the chicken, put your roasting pan in the oven, and watch it crisp up to perfection.

Get our recipe for Smoky Paprika Roast Chicken with Savory Green Beans. 

Southerners know that mac and cheese comes from the oven, not a box. These individual mac and cheese cups put a fun spin on the classic side dish.

Get our recipe for Crispy Crumb-Topped Mac and Cheese. 

And for more out-of-the-box ideas, check out these 24 Vintage Christmas Dinner Recipes for Partying Like It’s 1899.

These aren’t the ribs you’d find at a barbecue restaurant—they’re baked “ribs” from boneless pork chops. Sure, they can’t compare to slow-smoked meat, but we’d like to think they’re pretty good for an at-home recipe without a smoker.

Get our recipe for Boneless BBQ Ribs. 

Swap out dinner rolls for biscuits this Christmas—we guarantee they’ll be a hit. Who wouldn’t love these buttery, doughy bread bites?

Get our recipe for Southern-Style Biscuits. 

Add some Southern charm to your appetizer spread with these pickled onions. Atop meat or on their own, they’re a memorable and tangy way to add some veggies to your meal.

Get our recipe for Pickled Onions. 

And if pickled onions aren’t enough, kick things up another notch with these pickled jalapeños. They’ll add a kick to any holiday plate.

Get our recipe for Pickled Jalapeños.

Take a cue from the Southern-inspired chain restaurant with these tasty chicken and dumplings. Whether you serve this as a side dish or a main course, it’s a nontraditional way to get in some Southern goodness over the holidays.

Get our recipe for Copycat Cracker Barrel Chicken and Dumplings. 

Whether atop a whole hog barbecue sandwich or a burger, coleslaw is a winning addition to any meal. It’s just as delicious as a side dish in its own right, and there’s no reason it can’t grace your Christmas table this year.

Get our recipe for Coleslaw. 

Once your holiday meal is over, try using your leftovers in one of these 17 Recipes That Use Leftover Christmas Ham.

Potato salad is one of the best ways to cook up a bag of spuds. It’s perfect for any holiday spread, and it’s sure to please even picky eaters.

Get our recipe for Potato Salad. 

OK, so this isn’t a box of Popeyes chicken—but it’s still pretty darn delicious. You’ll have everyone asking you to use this recipe again next year once they’ve tried this tasty bird.

Get our recipe for The Crispiest Oven-Fried Chicken.

Whip up a batch of buttermilk to use on that oven-fried chicken. It works great in a stack of pancakes, too.

Get our recipe for Buttermilk. 

Why serve roast chicken when you could serve chicken pot pie instead? This winter comfort food would be delicious for your family to enjoy on Christmas Day.

Get our recipe for Chicken Pot Pie. 

No Southern table is complete without a pitcher of sweet tea! This iced tea recipe has just the right amount of sugar to please even the most Southern person at your table.

Get our recipe for Iced Tea. 

And if you can’t get enough of Southern cooking, don’t miss the 50 Foods You Can Only Find In the South.

Northerners may scoff at the idea of chocolate cake made with soda. But Southerners know that the sweet, carbonated beverage is a delicious ingredient in desserts.

Get our recipe for Coca-Cola Cake. 

Sure, banana pudding is delicious with a plate of slow-smoked barbecue. But that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy with other meals, too. This delectable recipe is sure to be a crowd-pleaser.

Get our recipe for Banana Pudding. 

RELATED: The easy way to make healthier comfort foods.

Is there anything sweeter than a Georgia peach? Wherever you live, bring a little bit of the South to your Christmas table with this dessert.

Get our recipe for Blueberry Peach Cobbler. 

Whatever you decide to serve on Christmas Day, you can’t go wrong with these out-of-the-box Southern recipes. And for more holiday ideas, don’t miss these 13 Amazing Christmas Breakfast Recipes for an Indulgent Festive Feast.