5+ Southern bean recipes that are a perfect taste of the South

Southern beans are a tasty side dish to accompany you to a pot luck, church picnic or even a Sunday family dinner. Most people love a good Southern bean side dish.

Even if you don’t have an event to attend, you can still whip up one of these delectable bean dishes, rich in flavor and straight from the South.

Southern-style lima beans

Southerners love their lima beans. I suspect it's because Southern cooks understand that the best way to showcase these delicately flavored, creamy legumes is with a heaping helping of delicious bacon — plus a few shakes of hot pepper sauce. Check out the recipe below for a classic Southern lima bean recipe that will have everyone begging for more. Get the recipe here.Southern-style baked beans with bacon

Smoky baked beans are one of those foods that holds a powerful, specific memory for many of us. I remember eating them at summer camp growing up, and thinking that this was what cowboys ate in the Wild West. It turns out the cowboys actually ate something called, quite appropriately, "cowboy beans" (or "chuckwagon beans"). Those aren't too far off from the smoky, tangy beans we know and love. Their version used pinto beans and ground beef, and this one uses Dijon mustard and Worcester sauce. Oh, and bacon! Get the recipe here.Southern-style brown sugar baked brown beans

The best Southern dishes include rich, smoky, cured pork as an anchor flavor, and baked beans are no different. The South’s baked beans always include delicious bacon. The recipe below does an excellent job of making sure everyone at the party gets to enjoy those crispy morsels of flavor — and you don’t have to precook the bacon separately, either. Get the recipe here.Southern-style red beans and rice

When I first started living on my own, I’ll be honest, rice was not my starch of choice. I usually bought bread, boiled pasta, or roasted some potatoes to round out a meal. That's because during my childhood I burned rice more times than I’m comfortable admitting. But beans were always on the menu: in stews, salads, on tacos … they’re a cheap and cheerful way to add protein and substance to any meal. I have since overcome my phobia of cooking rice, and this recipe is the perfect one for a quick weeknight meal. Get the recipe here.Southern-style spicy brown beans
Southern-style brown beans, or pinto beans,
are traditionally served with ham hock, but if purchasing and cooking an entire hock sounds slightly too intimidating (or time-consuming), this version is for you! It’s simple, and delivers a hearty Southern meal every time. Get the recipe here.Be sure to share these mouth-watering recipes on Facebook.