Recipes By Millie Peartree
76 recipes found
Hush Puppies
Dipped in tartar sauce or an aioli, served with salted butter or on their own, hush puppies are the perfect starter or side for any meal, but especially seafood or barbecue. They symbolize prosperity with their golden color. The cornmeal batter here is studded with onion and chives, then fried in a couple of inches of hot oil, until the outsides become crispy and delectable and the insides are moist and tender.
Sock-It-to-Me Cake
This vintage cake recipe is part pound cake, part coffee cake, but, here, a crunchy brown sugar-pecan blend is inside the cake — rather than on top — for tidier eating and a better bite. Getting its name from a popular phrase in the 1960s, prominently featured in the song “Respect” by Aretha Franklin, this cake is made with abundance in mind. It’s inviting on its own, and perfect for coffee or brunch, or dessert. Make it for a group of people you love, or people you’re just getting to know. They’re going to ask you all about the recipe.
Baked Chicken With Hibiscus BBQ Sauce
A homemade hibiscus barbecue sauce makes this oven-baked chicken extraspecial. This recipe layers flavor: A dry rub built on seasoned salt, onion powder and garlic powder flavors the meat, then the sweet-tart, tangy-spicy barbecue sauce — a counterpoint to the savory chicken — is layered on and baked until slightly sticky and caramelized. It gives you that barbecue feel without having to actually set up the grill.
Watermelon Chow Chow
It’s spicy, it’s sweet, it’s tangy. A perfect condiment, watermelon chow chow has a bright freshness and a gentle crunch that mellows with time. It renders a sweet and spicy kick to anything it’s spooned over, whether you’re serving it with grilled meats, like hot dogs or hot links, or collard greens.
Pimento Cheese Dip
This take on pimento cheese dip, a Southern favorite, brings together three cheeses (cream cheese, Cheddar and Colby Jack), mildly sweet pimentos and spicy hot sauce, then goes into the oven until deeply creamy. You could pair it with some crostini, but buttery Ritz crackers are especially good for scooping. They double down on this spread’s richness and make the dip irresistible enough to be a conversation piece for generations to come.
Oven BBQ Ribs
Oven-baked ribs are a great way to enjoy barbecue flavor without stepping outside. This is a foolproof, supersimple recipe, using seasonings you probably already have in your pantry, plus store-bought barbecue sauce that caramelizes into a sticky-sweet, smoky finish. Instead of using traditional pork ribs, this recipe uses beef back ribs, which are juicier. If you can only find them in chunks, rather than a whole rack, that’s more than OK: Wrap the pieces in aluminum foil, which creates a moist environment that yields fall-off-the-bone meat, and start checking them early. When they start to shrink down and the meat pulls away from the bone with the gentlest tug of a fork, they’re ready.
Fried Green Tomatoes
Tangy and bold in flavor, this not-so-traditional twist on classic fried green tomatoes sandwiches slices around Southern-style pimento cheese. They’re then dredged in a perfectly seasoned breading and fried until the outside is crisp and crunchy and the inside is creamy with a slight kick. Round it all out with some ranch dressing for dipping, and this update to the old-fashioned favorite is sure to become your new obsession.
Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
There is nothing more magical than a gooey-centered, crispy-edged chocolate chip cookie. What makes this particular recipe especially enchanting is the inclusion of brown butter. It mixes right into the dry ingredients, infusing the batter with its nutty flavor without the need for a mixer or any other special equipment. An optional dash of cinnamon has a warmth that feels like a hug, and the brown sugar gives you that chew with a slight molasses taste. Whether for a holiday or an afternoon snack, these cookies may become your go-to.
Blackened Cauliflower
Blackening cauliflower brings out its best, giving it deep color and flavor. What results is a dish that is delicious enough that you’ll want to eat it on its own, but also great as part of something bigger, paired with salmon, tossed in a salad, or set atop a grain bowl. While blackening cauliflower may seem complicated, it’s not. The florets are tossed with rich spices (smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, red-pepper flakes, thyme and sumac, if you like), then roasted at a high heat until the edges crisp up and darken. Double or triple this recipe and make it part of your meal prep; it keeps well for a few days in the refrigerator.
Oxtail and Butter Beans
This hearty, warming recipe is inspired by Jamaican and West Indian oxtail stews. Oxtail is a cut that benefits from a long cook time: Here, it falls off the bone and is surrounded by an incredibly rich gravy with a lot of body. Worcestershire sauce is traditional and balances the dish’s earthy, spicy and sweet flavors. The butter beans add a slight bite to counter the tender meat. But back to that gravy: Sop it up with naan or roti, or serve it over coconut rice and peas. (Watch the video of Millie Peartree making oxtail and butter beans here.)
Macaroni Salad
Macaroni salad, a cookout favorite, doesn’t take much to be great — just the right amount of moisture and seasoning. This version draws its inspiration from the macaroni salad at the Kennedy Fried Chicken restaurants. For the perfect balance, use a more savory brand of mayonnaise here, since the recipe gets its sweetness from a bit of sugar and shredded carrots. Make sure the macaroni salad is cold when you serve it; it can be chilled for up to 3 days and then served straight from the refrigerator. The only time macaroni has to be served hot is when it’s covered in mounds of cheese, like this Southern Macaroni and Cheese.
Southern Caramel Cake
This traditional Southern caramel cake is perfect for when you want layer cake, and you'd like it fast. It's light and fluffy under the sweet caramel glaze, which hardens at room temperature and shatters gently with every bite. The glaze comes together quickly, thanks to the dark brown sugar, which already has that deep caramel flavor you’d get from cooking down granulated sugar. A little heat, butter and buttermilk give the icing body. The final cake is like a soft drop biscuit under a sweet caramel sauce, and it's just as good out of the refrigerator as it is warm.
Sweet Potato Casserole
This take on a classic Thanksgiving sweet potato casserole recipe has the right amount of sweetness and irresistible buttery flavor, not to mention a good balance of creamy and crunchy. Crushed cornflakes make the topping extra crisp, but you can skip them if you want. The two cups of mini marshmallows called for may not cover your entire casserole, allowing a little of that sweet potato filling to peek out, but feel free to use more marshmallows to cover it all the way (and look for gelatin-free ones to keep this dish strictly vegetarian). With all its flavors and textures combined, this quintessential holiday dish will have everyone coming back for more.
Roasted Mushroom and Green Bean Casserole
If you’re the kind of person who likes some crispy with your creamy, this is the green bean casserole for you. Forget the old-school canned soup: This version uses a homemade base with hen of the woods mushrooms, though any kind of mushroom you like — oyster, cremini, even button — will work. Whether you make it for a crowd or for just a few people, everyone will be coming back for seconds.
Tuna-Macaroni Salad
You pretty much already have everything you need to make this side dish, a great accompaniment to fried or grilled proteins. Some people love raw onion and celery, but you can leave them out or keep them in as you like. Make sure you use tuna packed in water. (Tuna in olive oil will make the salad too oily.) It’s best chilled — don’t serve it at room temperature — its creamy unctuousness balances out the heat (from spice or from cooking) of whatever it’s paired with.
Rasta Pasta With Jerk Chicken
Comforting and spicy in just the right way, Rasta pasta is popular in Jamaican communities across New York and beyond. This version gets its spice from jerk seasoning and a single Scotch bonnet. The bell peppers and green onions add not only texture, but a sweet crunch and brightness. You could swap salmon or shrimp for the chicken, or use fettuccine or rigatoni instead of the penne, if you like; just mind the cooking time. You could even halve the heavy cream, or substitute coconut milk for more depth of flavor. Feel free to refrigerate any leftovers, and either reheat or eat them cold the next day. This is a dish that gets better with a little time.
Sheet-Pan Roasted Mushrooms and Spinach
If you love to cook but don’t always feel like cooking, this minimalist recipe is the recipe for you. Great with just about any protein — salmon, steak, chicken or even eggs, wrapped into an omelet — it comes together in under a half-hour, and develops loads of character from its time spent in the oven. While this versatile vegan side pairs well with protein, it’s also great over rice or noodles.
Mango Slaw
There is absolutely nothing new about coleslaw, but there is something slightly intriguing about coleslaw with mangos. Often, when we think of coleslaw, we think of it as a side for fish and chips, barbecue or heavy, mayonnaise-drenched cabbage. But just think about the cool, crunchy sweetness of the cabbage, carrots and mango, paired with the spicy kick of jerk chicken. What’s a better combination? You also don’t have to serve it as a side: It can be tucked into a sandwich or wrap. One of the best things about this recipe is that all the ingredients are readily available, and there are many shortcuts you can take, like using a bagged mix. Who wants to ruin their knuckles on a box grater, or break out the food processor?
Sheet-Pan Jerk Salmon
Broiling is one of the quickest ways to cook salmon, and retain its moisture. It heats the outside while keeping the inside tender. When making this jerk salmon, your house may smell like a charcoal grill in the Caribbean. Don't worry if the fish darkens considerably as it cooks; that’s when you know it’s almost done. Finish it off with a mango slaw or classic carrot salad to make your dinner look as vivid as it tastes.
Sheet-Pan Cajun Salmon
This full sheet-pan dinner, ready in 30 minutes, couldn’t be any smarter or easier. Here, salmon, potatoes and asparagus are all added to the same tray at different points for a one-pan meal that makes cleanup seamless. A marinade infused with Cajun seasoning and paprika infuses the salmon, adding smokiness and some color. The bite in the asparagus plays off the flaky tenderness of the salmon, and the baby potatoes round it out. This meal stands on its own, but you could also put the leftovers over lettuce for a lunch salad the next day.
Sheet-Pan Shrimp Boil
There is absolutely nothing like a shrimp boil, but this flavorful recipe captures its essence by roasting the ingredients on a sheet tray instead of simmering them in a pot of broth. Serve it on its own or tossed with pasta. The slight char brings out seafood’s sweetness, so for contrast, serve with tart lemons or a tangy cocktail sauce
Maple Roasted Chicken
This sweet, well-seasoned dish is great for Sunday dinner. You only have to marinate for an hour, but you could do it up to overnight. Set it up the night before, then simply roast the chicken just before serving. The sticky glaze adds color, but its sweetness is not overpowering, getting some good balance from the vinegar and the smoky paprika. Pair the roasted chicken with sweet potatoes and brussels sprouts or bitter greens, like collard greens and kale, and use any leftovers in a salad or rice bowl the next day.
Peach Cobbler
Some cobblers can be dry, but not this one. It puts a twist on an old-fashioned recipe, taking parts of the traditional, which uses a biscuit topping, and adding elements of a crisp, like oatmeal, for crunch. Maple syrup replaces the brown sugar usually found in peach cobbler recipes, which brings a lightly woody sweetness; nutmeg and cinnamon add that nostalgic warmth. You can use fresh or frozen peaches here — because you can and should have peach cobbler year-round — and you can even throw in a handful of blueberries, if you have them. But don’t skip the vanilla ice cream: There’s no substitute for that combination of hot and cold.
Classic Potato Salad
The recipe for this Southern classic came from the chef Millie Peartree’s mother, Millie Bell. The sweet relish melds with the creamy potatoes for a deep, balanced flavor. Onion powder adds savory notes without the texture of diced onion, which could overpower the dish. Make sure that your eggs are rinsed thoroughly, so no pieces of shell remain, and that your potatoes are uniformly cut in roughly 1-inch cubes so they all finish cooking at the same time. (Millie Bell used her thumb as a measure.) And, most important of all, don’t overcook the potatoes — they take only 15 to 20 minutes to boil. You want potato salad, not mashed potatoes. You can prepare potato salad ahead of time and refrigerate it for up to 4 days.