When I think of comfort food, there are a few specific dishes that immediately pop into my head, and these two recipes are part of that equation. Hands down fried chicken and a good, gooey mac n cheese are top contenders of the term comfort food. There are literally hundreds of different recipes making these two specific dishes. I happen to have about 5 different versions of fried chicken recipes, and I definitely have over 20 different recipes for mac n cheese. Out of all these recipes I have to admit that I have a favorite, go to recipe for each of these items and Paula Deen showed me how to make both. Well, she didn’t literally show me in person or anything, but her cookbooks certainly did. I’ve been making these two dishes for many, many years… long before my YouTube days so all I had was her cookbooks to go by and let me tell you that is all you need!
I was used to making my fried chicken using buttermilk and when I saw Paula’s recipe for The Lady & Son’s Fried Chicken I thought aloud “Could this actually be any good? There isn’t any buttermilk in there! HOW can that be Southern? This can’t be right… And hot sauce?!?! This has to be a typo. Who wants to eat a bottle of hot sauce?” But being the type of person I am, I had to try it for myself. Afterall, Paula had never let me down before and as skeptical as I was, I sensed this wouldn’t be the letdown I was halfheartedly preparing for. She was my Soul Sister in the kitchen, cooking with love and a lot of butter! I’ve had multiple conversations with her, all one way of course because I was usually talking to her cookbook like it was Paula herself standing in my kitchen and we were dear, old friends. I trust her. I really do.
I scoured my pantry for the items needed to make both dishes, and whatever I didn’t have went on a list that I ran right out to get. It made no difference to me that it happened to be 9am the first time I found these recipes. It was actually perfect because Paula tells you to get the chicken marinating in the dry seasonings for the day in the refrigerator, just like her grandmother Paul taught her. “It makes all the difference” she’d said. “You have to let the flavors develop into the meat and this is the best way to do it.” Hey… never argue with perfection. Grandmother Paul was absolutely correct. I couldn’t believe the way the flavors of salt, pepper, onion powder and garlic powder sat in every bite that I took of the meat. And I think I was more shocked to actually discover that in fact the chicken did not have any heat from the hot sauce. It was just a very cohesive flavor in the background, and it was delicious. You know what else makes a difference with you fried chicken? The initial scald. You HAVE to get a perfect scald on the chicken the minute that you place it carefully in the pot of oil. DO not touch the chicken while it is frying. Leave it be and let that beautiful crispy crust form over the chicken. The more you touch it the more apt it is to lose its crunchy exterior, and that wouldn’t be good. I like to use a fork to turn the meat while it is frying and then I like to use tongs to remove it when it’s done. The crisp! The flavor! The color! It was all present in this chicken dish. This was my new favorite. Who needs buttermilk?
Next up was The Lady & Son’s gooey mac n cheese. All of my favorite mac n cheese recipes contained fancy cheese. Deliciously rich and creamy cheeses such as Gouda, Gruyere and Swiss. Paula’s recipe called for cheddar cheese, American cheese, cream cheese and sour cream… seriously? I shredded my cheeses and followed the directions to a T. It was easy enough to make. There weren’t any difficult or time-consuming steps and before I knew it, it was in the oven baking away. Within 20 minutes of its 40-minute bake time the aroma started filling my kitchen. I can’t describe it. I imagine it’s what Heaven smells like. I’ve always though heaven would smell like mac n cheese, kittens and lilacs and my kitchen was on its way to being an extension of Heaven, aroma wise. When it was finally done it was time to try this dish as well. It was so gooey. So utterly cheesy and delicious. I’ve never had a mac n cheese that was better in my entire life. This recipe is THEE recipe for mac n cheese. I’m pretty sure I ate 3 helpings that day and probably just as many pieces of fried chicken. I couldn’t wait for my family to try them.
When it was time to serve them dinner, the usually quiet dinner table in our home was alive with praise for the flavors before them on their plates, and I was the Queen of my kitchen yet again. There were seconds and thirds given out to kids who probably would’ve licked the pans clean if I would have let them. My husband thought it was the best he’d ever had, and I agree. I’ve been making them for years much to the delight of my family and friends and I hope this has intrigued you to start making them as well. The recipes are listed below in printable versions. I do hope you’ll try them. I promise they will become a staple in your recipe rotations, and if you happen to bring one or both to a potluck, they might erect a statue in your name. You can view my YouTube video on making this by clicking here
The Recipes
[recipe title = "The Lady & Sons Fried Chicken" servings = "4-6" time = "30 mins" difficulty = "Easy Peasy"]
- 2 1/2 lbs. Chicken Pieces *You can ask your butcher to cut up a whole one for you
- 3 Eggs
- 1 c. Hot Sauce *We like Franks Red Hot Sauce
- House Seasoning *Recipe Below
- 2 c. Self-Rising Flour *We use King Arthur
- Peanut Oil for Frying
Coat all pieces of chicken with the house seasoning and put in the refrigerator for several hours to let the flavors attach themselves to the chicken. Remove the chicken from the fridge about an hour before you want to cook it. Mix up the 3 eggs and the hot sauce in a large bowl. Put the seasoned chicken pieces in there and leave on the counter to marinate. You want the chicken to come to almost room temperature before frying it up. This step will help to keep the oil temperature where you want it when frying. When you’re ready to fry the chicken, remove the chicken from the hot sauce/egg mixture and put it in a colander to allow the excess to drip off. Next sift the flour and add the chicken pieces to it coating them thoroughly and shaking off the excess. Heat your peanut oil to 350*. I tend to go a bit higher initially so that when I add the chicken pieces my oil temperature will not drop too much and will maintain the cooking temperature I want. Fry up your chicken pieces in batches starting with the dark meat pieces. The dark meat pieces consist of legs and thighs and these pieces will take longer to cook. They will take about 20 minutes in the oil. The white meat pieces will take about 15 minutes to cook in the oil. Let the chicken drain on a rack or paper towel before serving. Serve hot, warm or cold. It great for a picnic!
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[recipe title = "The Lady & Son's Gooey Mac N Cheese" servings = "4-6" time = "30 mins" difficulty = "Easy Peasy"]
- 1/4 c. Unsalted Butter, Melted
- 2 c. Cooked Elbow Macaroni
- 8 oz. Cheddar Cheese, Shredded
- 8 oz. American Cheese, Shredded
- 4 oz. Cream Cheese, Room Temperature
- 1/2 c. Sour Cream
- 1 c. Half & Half
- 4 Large Eggs, Beaten
- 1/2 tsp. Salt
- 1/4 tsp. Cayenne Pepper *Optional
- Fresh Ground Pepper to taste
Heat oven to 350*. Shred the American and the cheddar cheeses. Cook the macaroni per the directions. When it is done, drain and return to the pot you cooked it in. Add the American Cheese, the cheddar cheese and the cream cheese to the hot macaroni and stir to combine. Dump the mixture into an oven safe casserole dish you’ve greased up with unsalted butter on all sides and the bottom. Next, whisk the melted butter, half & half, the eggs, sour cream, salt, pepper and cayenne pepper. Pour over the macaroni mixture. Do not mix up. Bake in the oven uncovered for 45 minutes. Let rest for 10 minutes before serving.
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The Lady & Son’s House Seasoning
[recipe title = "The Lady & Son's House Seasoning" servings = "Multiple" Time = "5 minutes" difficulty = "Easy Peasy"]
- 1 c. Salt
- 1/4 c. Black Pepper
- 1/4 c. Onion Powder
- 1/4 c. Garlic Powder
Mix all ingredients together and store in an air-tight container. Use to season all different things.
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