a full Southern soul food dinner 🍽️ — baked mac & cheese, candied yams, collard greens, potato salad with deviled eggs, roasted chicken over mashed potatoes, green beans with potatoes, and a dinner roll.

Here are full recipes for each item so you can recreate the entire plate:

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🍗 1. Southern Baked Chicken & Gravy

Ingredients

• 4–6 chicken thighs or leg quarters

• 2 tsp salt

• 1 tsp black pepper

• 1 tsp garlic powder

• 1 tsp onion powder

• 1 tsp paprika

• 1 tsp dried thyme

• 2 tbsp olive oil

• 1 cup chicken broth

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C).

2. Season chicken generously with all spices.

3. Place in baking dish, drizzle with oil.

4. Bake 45–55 minutes until golden.

5. Remove chicken. Add broth to pan drippings and simmer on stovetop to make gravy.

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🧀 2. Southern Baked Mac & Cheese

Ingredients

• 1 lb elbow macaroni

• 3 cups sharp cheddar (shredded)

• 1 cup mozzarella

• 1 cup Colby Jack

• 3 cups milk

• 3 eggs

• ½ cup butter (melted)

• ½ cup sour cream

• 1 tsp salt

• 1 tsp pepper

• 1 tsp paprika

Instructions

1. Boil pasta until just al dente. Drain.

2. Mix milk, eggs, butter, sour cream, and seasoning.

3. Combine pasta with cheeses (reserve 1 cup for top).

4. Pour milk mixture over pasta and stir.

5. Top with remaining cheese.

6. Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 35–40 minutes until set and golden.

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🍠 3. Candied Yams

Ingredients

• 4 large sweet potatoes (sliced)

• 1 cup brown sugar

• ½ cup butter

• ½ tsp cinnamon

• ½ tsp nutmeg

• 1 tsp vanilla

• ½ cup water

Instructions

1. Layer sweet potatoes in baking dish.

2. Mix sugar, butter, spices, vanilla, water.

3. Pour over potatoes.

4. Cover with foil, bake at 375°F for 45 minutes.

5. Uncover and bake 15 more minutes until syrup thickens.

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🥬 4. Southern Collard Greens

Ingredients

• 2 bunches collard greens

• 1 smoked turkey leg or ham hock

• 4 cups water or broth

• 1 onion (chopped)

• 2 cloves garlic

• 1 tsp red pepper flakes

• Salt & pepper

Instructions

1. Simmer smoked meat in water for 30 minutes.

2. Add chopped greens, onion, garlic, seasoning.

3. Cook covered 45–60 minutes until tender.

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🥔 5. Southern Potato Salad

Ingredients

• 3 lbs potatoes (cubed & boiled)

• 4 boiled eggs (chopped)

• 1 cup mayonnaise

• 2 tbsp mustard

• ¼ cup sweet relish

• ½ cup celery (optional)

• Salt, pepper, paprika

Instructions

1. Mix mayo, mustard, relish, seasoning.

2. Fold into cooled potatoes.

3. Stir in chopped eggs.

4. Top with sliced eggs and paprika.

5. Chill at least 2 hours.

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🫘 6. Green Beans & Potatoes

Ingredients

• 1 lb fresh green beans

• 2 potatoes (cubed)

• 1 smoked turkey wing or bacon

• 3 cups water

• Salt & pepper

Instructions

1. Simmer smoked meat in water 20 minutes.

2. Add beans and potatoes.

3. Cook 30–40 minutes until tender.

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🥔 7. Creamy Mashed Potatoes

• 3 lbs russet potatoes

• ½ cup butter

• ½ cup heavy cream

• Salt & pepper

Boil until tender, mash with butter and cream.

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🍞 8. Buttery Dinner Rolls

Use store-bought yeast rolls or homemade:

• 3 cups flour

• 1 packet yeast

• 1 cup warm milk

• ¼ cup sugar

• ¼ cup butter

• 1 egg

Bake at 350°F for 15–18 minutes.

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If you’d like, I can also:

• Put everything into a Sunday dinner timeline (so it all finishes at the same time)

• Turn this into a shopping list

• Scale it for a large family gathering

• Give you a quicker version for weeknight cooking

Just tell me 😊