Food and Recipes Dinner 52 Classic Church Recipes Southerners Serve Every Sunday By Kaitlyn Yarborough Kaitlyn Yarborough Part of the Southern Living team since 2017, Kaitlyn Yarborough Sadik is a Georgia native living in Austin, Texas, who covers a wide variety of topics for both the magazine and website, focusing on culture and lifestyle content, as well as travel in the South. Southern Living's editorial guidelines Updated on November 2, 2023 Close Photo: Jennifer Causey; Food Stylist: Rishon Hanners; Prop Stylist: Shell Royster When preparing for a church homecoming, potluck, or post-service spread, Southerners pull from a collection of church recipes we deem our Sunday Best. Through the generations, we've archived these classic recipes in church and community cookbooks, keeping them poised and at the ready, should Sunday morning mayhem ensue. Known by many names, these church luncheon recipes fill every church basement and fellowship hall throughout the South. Consider this collection of time-tested recipes your official church lady cookbook. These all-time-favorite recipes for appetizers, mains, and desserts are well-suited for a variety of occasions, from picnics to potlucks. Of course, they deliver on flavor, but these dishes are best served with a side of nostalgia. That's right: Break out Mama's passed-down Pyrex dishes. This compilation is full of delightful dips and fan-favorite casseroles. From the classic cold salads to our best-ever Cinnamon Coffee Cake, these church food recipes are definitely worth praising. And praise we shall. 01 of 52 Shout Hallelujah Potato Salad Hector Sanchez The name says it all. This classic potato salad was practically made to be a church potluck staple. Get the Recipe 02 of 52 Turkey-Noodle-Poppy Seed Casserole Hector Manuel Sanchez Don't mess with a good thing, the church ladies would say. A version of poppyseed casserole shows up on every Southern table, from time to time. Get the Recipe 03 of 52 Mama's Fried Chicken Southern Living Consider this the ultimate church potluck all-star. Add some mashed potatoes, collard greens, and biscuits? You're set with a happy congregation. Get the Recipe 04 of 52 Watergate Salad Alison Miksch; Food Stylist: Karen Rankin; Prop Stylist: Josh Hoggle Scoops of fluffs and salads that are part fruit and part pudding are essentially required at church potlucks. Get the Recipe 05 of 52 Cracklin' Cornbread Morgan Hunt Glaze, Food Stylist: Jennifer Wendorf, Prop Stylist: Shell Royster Most church potlucks are territory of rolls, but we think a pan of cracklin' cornbread will be a delight to many. Even better? Bring with a pot of vegetable soup. Get the Recipe 06 of 52 Candied Sweet Potatoes Morgan Hunt Glaze, Food Stylist: Jennifer Wendorf, Prop Stylist: Shell Royster Instead of sweet potato casseroles, make these sweet potato rounds in a rich and sweet sauce with crunchy pecans and herbs. Get the Recipe 07 of 52 Million Dollar Cake Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Chelsea Zimmer, Prop Stylist: Julia Bayless Highly impressive but fairly easy, Million Dollar Cake is the stuff of church cookbook fame. The combination of rich, pudding-like filling and mandarin oranges and pineapple is a guarantee this will fly off the cake stand. Get the Recipe 08 of 52 Creamy Cucumber Salad Hannah Zimmerman/Southern Living Amid all the rich casseroles and fried chicken, a bowl of something fresh and crisp will be greatly appreciated. Get the Recipe 09 of 52 Broccoli Salad Caitlin Bensel, Food Stylist: Torie Cox Every Southern gathering needs an array of "salads" like potato, pasta, Jello, and of course, broccoli. Get the Recipe 10 of 52 Broccoli, Grape, and Pasta Salad Robby Lozano; Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall The church hosts sure love tricking us into eating raw broccoli by serving it up in this creamy pasta salad. Get the Recipe 11 of 52 Oven-Roasted Corn on the Cob Photographer: Fred Hardy II, Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall, Props Stylist: Christina Brockman Not every vegetable has to be in casserole form. Roll out some corn on the cob, and watch every snap them up. Cut each cob in half for buffet-sized servings. Get the Recipe 12 of 52 Extra Easy Lasagna Caitlin Bensel; Food Styling: Torie Cox We know why this lasagna recipe is a potluck staple: It's classic, easy, and quicker than more complicated versions. It's the perfect dish to bring when you almost forgot altogether. (It happens.) Get the Recipe 13 of 52 Tarragon Chicken Salad Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox Dress up classic chicken salad with lemon and tarragon. Chopped pecans, Granny Smith apples, celery, and red onion give amazing crunch. Get the Recipe 14 of 52 Ham-and-Vegetable Cobbler Iain Bagwell We have to serve up salty, cubed ham somehow. It's practically a rule. This savory cobbler uses frozen veggies for ultimate ease. Get the Recipe 15 of 52 Pear Salad Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox The church hall might be the only place some Southerners still see this retro salad. It's made with lettuce, canned pears, mayonnaise, Cheddar cheese, and maraschino cherries. Get the Recipe 16 of 52 King Ranch Chicken Southern Living This Tex-Mex dish is a familiar face at our parties and potlucks. Get the Recipe 17 of 52 Cheesy Sausage-and-Croissant Casserole Alison Miksch Ah, the brunch spread after an early church service is something delicious to behold. This cheesy casserole is a no-brainer. Get the Recipe 18 of 52 Chicken Spaghetti Casserole Victor Protasio, Food Stylist: Karen Rankin, Prop Stylist: Claire Spollen In a sea of chicken casseroles, this old-school spaghetti bake stands out as the star. Get the Recipe 19 of 52 Creamy Overnight Fruit Salad Abigail Wilt Is it a real church spread without a bowl full of creamy fruit salad? We think not. With a base of canned fruit for convenience and a creamy, whipped "dressing," this recipe is a hidden weapon in any hosts' arsenal. Get the Recipe 20 of 52 Classic Chicken Tetrazzini Brittany Conerly; Prop Stylist: Christina Brockman; Food Stylist: Karen Rankin Fancy, but also relatable? This is the perfect casserole for a crowd. It's chock-full with chicken, pasta, mushrooms, and Parmesan cheese. Get the Recipe 21 of 52 Chicken-and-Wild Rice Casserole Becky Luigart-Stayner There are few things that belong together as much as chicken and rice. This crowd-pleasing casserole gets a special crunch from water chestnuts. Get the Recipe 22 of 52 Whipped-Cream Corn Salad Southern Living It's hard to beat the light and fluffy cloud of whipped cream that coats this fresh corn salad. Dressed up and dreamy, this dish calls for only four ingredients. Get the Recipe 23 of 52 Boarding House Meatloaf Southern Living Meatloaf is one of those comfort foods Southern folks crave in the fall and winter seasons. This might be our most popular rendition ever. Get the Recipe 24 of 52 Classic Baked Macaroni and Cheese Fred Hardy II; Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Stylist: Christina Brockman As far as we're concerned, this classic dish can go wherever it pleases, including the church hall. Get the Recipe 25 of 52 Spaghetti Casserole Jennifer Davick When the church hall needs something hearty, comforting, and warm, this easy casserole is the universal answer. Not to mention, it's a slow-cooker version, which means it'll be even simpler than your usual recipe. Get the Recipe 26 of 52 New Tuna Casserole Greg Dupree Tuna noodle casserole is an old-fashioned favorite that still makes a regular appearance on our supper tables. We're not retiring this recipe anytime soon. Get the Recipe 27 of 52 Old-School Squash Casserole Greg DuPree No matter the season, you'll see this classic on the fellowship spread. Get the Recipe 28 of 52 Classic Deviled Eggs Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox It's not all about the hot dishes. A tray of well-seasoned deviled eggs will disappear quicker than any casserole. Get the Recipe 29 of 52 Quiche Lorraine Vianney Rodriguez/Jason David Page Fast and fancy, quiche is never a bad idea. Popular first in the 70s, this recipe has always been beloved by Southern Living readers. Get the Recipe 30 of 52 Hashbrown Casserole Caitlin Bensel; Food Styling: Torie Cox Because we know that the whole congregation will swoon over this creamy, cheesy, cornflake-topped casserole that starts with a bag of frozen potatoes. Get the Recipe 31 of 52 Thai Noodle Salad Jennifer Davick / Styling: Mindi Shapiro Levine / Food Styling: Marian Cooper Cairns Whether it be this nutty noodle salad or a crunchy noodle slaw, every church cookbook holds a dish with some Asian flair. This salad is a crowd-favorite. Get the Recipe 32 of 52 Creamy Egg Strata Iain Bagwell This brunch classic lets simplicity rule. Bread, eggs, cheese, and a creamy filling make it a Southern Sunday staple. Get the Recipe 33 of 52 Make-Ahead Mashed Potatoes With Cream Cheese Hannah Zimmerman Because it's the only way mashed potatoes can make it until after the service. These make-ahead potatoes are the perfect side dish. Get the Recipe 34 of 52 White Lightning Chicken Chili Photo: Becky Luigart-Stayner This hearty chicken chili comforts those nursing wintertime sniffles. And it lives up to its name, ready in just 30 minutes. Get the Recipe 35 of 52 Ham Delights Antonis Achilleos; Food Stylist: Ruth Blackburn Southerners have an affinity for King's Hawaiian Rolls, and you'd be hard pressed to find a church gathering that doesn't have a big batch of baked ham rolls on the lineup. Get the Recipe 36 of 52 Tomato Tea Sandwiches Greg DuPree; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Cat Steele This quick recipe is a big-batch, portable version of the Southern-favorite tomato sandwich. The secret ingredient that takes the flavors over the top? A bit of our famous Summer Sauce. Get the Recipe 37 of 52 Classic Macaroni Salad with Ham Jen Causey We dare you to find a Southern grandmother who doesn't have a macaroni salad recipe in her repertoire. This one is the perfect make-ahead option that can chill in the fridge the night before church. Get the Recipe 38 of 52 Snickerdoodle Doughnut Hole Muffins Alison Miksch; Prop Styling: Buffy Hargett Miller; Food Styling: Torie Cox Sure, it's easy to stop by the bakery or grocery store and grab some donuts for the after-church gathering, but trust us when we say that even beginner bakers can make these sweet doughnut hole muffins. Get the Recipe 39 of 52 Tee's Corn Pudding Emily Laurae/Southern Living If there's a Southern sideboard in view, there's a casserole dish brimming with corn pudding on it. This has been our go-to recipe for decades, and it's as reliable as church on Sunday. Get the Recipe 40 of 52 Sausage Balls Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox Every Southerner has a recipe for sausage balls lying around, and this quick recipe is always welcome at church gatherings. If you want to mix up the classic, try our new recipe for Pimiento Cheese Sausage Balls. Get the Recipe 41 of 52 Strawberry-Pretzel Jello Salad Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox It wouldn't be a church function without a little jiggly Jello action, y'all. This sweet and salty combination tastes like nostalgia to us. Get the Recipe 42 of 52 Homemade Baked Beans Photographer: Fred Hardy II, Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall, Props Stylist: Christina Brockman Even if you don't have time to start from dried beans, you can get a dish of classic baked beans to the church cookout with this family-favorite recipe. Get the Recipe 43 of 52 Sausage-Stuffed Honey Buns Iain Bagwell A church brunch isn't complete without sweet honey buns. We added just enough savory flavor with the addition of sausage. Be sure you grab one before they're gone! Get the Recipe 44 of 52 Fresh Fruit Salad Jen Causey Among a sea of casseroles and sweets, a big bowl of fresh fruit is always welcome at church events. Mamas of little ones will thank you. Get the Recipe 45 of 52 Permanent Slaw Photo: Hector Manuel Sanchez; Prop Styling: Lydia Pursell; Food Styling: Toni Brogan The longer this cole slaw sits, the more delicious it becomes, so it's an ideal make-ahead side dish option for the church cookout. Get the Recipe 46 of 52 Make-Ahead Yeast Rolls Greg DuPree, Food Stylist: Micah Morton, Prop Stylist: Kathleen Varner We've been using this trusty recipe for yeast rolls since 1995, and you can count on it, too. Get the Recipe 47 of 52 Cinnamon Coffee Cake Antonis Achilleos This old-fashioned coffee cake recipe is the perfect companion to the after-church coffee and tea. Get the Recipe 48 of 52 Best Waldorf Salad Southern Living This classic salad has been an entertainer's trusty friend for decades. It comes together quickly but always looks pretty. Get the Recipe 49 of 52 Creamed-Corn Grits Victor Protasio; Food Styling: Chelsea Zimmer; Prop Styling: Christine Keely This oh-so-comforting (and Southern) blend of creamed corn and grits can be served at any time of day, making it great for gatherings of all kinds. Get the Recipe 50 of 52 Hot Chicken Salad Southern Living Transform your favorite summer dish into a bubbling, hot chicken salad casserole. Get the Recipe 51 of 52 Ham Salad Alison Miksch; Prop Styling: Buffy Hargett Miller; Food Styling: Torie Cox Nostalgic for many, this old-school spread can be made ahead and kept at the ready in the fellowship hall. Get the Recipe 52 of 52 Deviled Egg-Potato Salad Jennifer Causey; Food Stylist: Rishon Hanners; Prop Stylist: Shell Royster Two Southern cookout essentials meet in this new favorite side dish recipe that will earn five-star reviews from your church crew. Get the Recipe Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit