10 North Carolina Dishes Grandma Always Made On Sundays
Sunday dinners at Grandma’s house in North Carolina were magical gatherings where family recipes passed down through generations came to life.
The dining table transformed into a showcase of Southern culinary heritage, with aromas that would draw everyone from miles around.
These ten classic North Carolina dishes weren’t just food but traditions that connected us to our roots and to each other.
1. Chicken & Pastry: Eastern Carolina’s Comfort Classic
Flat strips of hand-rolled dough bobbing in golden chicken broth created the backbone of many Sunday gatherings. Unlike fluffy dumplings from other regions, our pastry was thin and silky.
The simplicity of good chicken, salt, pepper, and a touch of butter made this dish shine. My grandmother would roll her dough on the same wooden board her mother used, cutting it with a well-worn kitchen knife into imperfect rectangles that somehow tasted perfect.
2. Country Ham with Red-Eye Gravy
Salt-cured country ham sliced thin and pan-fried until the edges curled and crisped was Sunday morning’s special treat. The real magic happened when Grandma would pour strong black coffee into the hot skillet drippings, creating that distinctive red-eye gravy.
Served alongside cat-head biscuits and grits, this breakfast-for-dinner option appeared whenever distant relatives visited. The salty-sweet balance made even the pickiest eaters clean their plates.
3. Savory Collard Greens
Grandma started her collards on Saturday, simmering them low and slow with a ham hock until Sunday’s meal. The leaves transformed from tough to tender, soaking up smoky pork flavor while releasing their pot liquor.
A splash of apple cider vinegar and red pepper flakes cut through the richness. I remember how she’d save the nutrient-rich pot liquor in a Mason jar, insisting it could cure anything from the common cold to a broken heart.
Her secret ingredient was always a pinch of sugar.
4. Crispy Southern Fried Chicken
The centerpiece of many Sunday tables, Grandma’s fried chicken achieved the impossible: shatteringly crisp skin with juicy meat inside. Her ritual never varied – chicken soaking in buttermilk overnight, then dredged in seasoned flour.
Cast-iron skillets filled with melted lard would be waiting at precisely the right temperature. She never used a thermometer, just dropped in a pinch of flour and watched how it danced in the fat.
5. Smoky Brunswick Stew
When the weather turned cool, Brunswick stew appeared like clockwork on Grandma’s Sunday table. Her version leaned on pulled chicken, tender lima beans, and sweet corn swimming in a tomato-based broth that thickened to the perfect consistency.
The stew bubbled away all morning in her largest pot. Once, during a power outage, she finished it on the woodstove, claiming the smoky flavor was so good we should thank the electric company for their poor timing.
6. Fluffy Buttermilk Biscuits
Grandma’s hands moved with practiced precision, cutting cold butter into flour without a recipe in sight. Her biscuits rose tall with distinct layers that pulled apart like pages in a book.
The outsides developed a golden crust while insides stayed cloud-soft. She never twisted the biscuit cutter, a cardinal sin she said would seal the edges and prevent proper rising.
These weren’t just sides but essential tools for sopping up gravy or molasses.
7. Golden Skillet Cornbread
The sound of cornmeal hitting a sizzling cast iron skillet announced this Sunday staple was on its way. Grandma’s version wasn’t sweet – it was savory with a crackling crust from the hot fat in the preheated pan.
She’d flip the finished cornbread onto a plate with practiced confidence, revealing that perfect golden bottom now on top. The wedges disappeared quickly, especially when fresh pintos were on the menu.
8. Creamy Custard-Style Mac and Cheese
Nothing came from boxes in Grandma’s kitchen, especially her legendary mac and cheese. Elbow macaroni baked in a custard of eggs, milk, and sharp cheddar emerged from the oven with a bronzed top hiding creamy layers below.
She served it in squares rather than scoops, and everyone fought for corner pieces with extra crispy edges. This wasn’t a side dish but a centerpiece that could stand alone on busy Sundays when church ran long.
9. Sweet Potato Casserole with Pecan Topping
North Carolina sweet potatoes, the state’s pride, transformed in Grandma’s hands from humble tubers to a dish that straddled the line between side and dessert. She’d mash them with butter, brown sugar, and just enough cinnamon and nutmeg to warm the palate.
The real showstopper was her pecan topping: butter, brown sugar, and chopped pecans formed a candy-like crown. Grandma always set aside a small dish without nuts for my cousin with allergies, a kindness I didn’t appreciate until I had children of my own.
10. Classic Banana Pudding
The grand finale of Sunday dinner arrived in Grandma’s special glass bowl that showcased the perfect layers: vanilla wafers, sliced bananas, and homemade custard. No boxed pudding ever crossed her threshold.
Some Sundays she’d crown it with meringue and briefly slide it under the broiler; other times, fresh whipped cream would do. The dessert sat in the refrigerator until the cookies softened just enough to meld with the pudding.