8 Must-Make Recipes For A Soul Food Christmas Menu

Plan an easier (and tastier) Christmas menu this year by filling your table with soul food recipes. Like any good Southern Christmas dinner, we included soul food classics like collard greens, buttermilk biscuits, and even a Southern Christmas turkey. Load up your plate with these Southern soul food recipes, and prepare to enjoy the holiday with friends and family.

Spending time with family, friends, and great food is our go-to recipe for a memorable Christmas dinner. The special holiday memories are a treat for the soul, just as these yummy Southern Christmas recipes are a treat for your taste buds. For the best Christmas soul food, mix foods you remember your mom making, add a dash of Southern charm, and finish with lots of comforting flavors. Stuffing, Brussels sprouts, collard greens, biscuits, turkey, homemade corn bread, and pie are all on the menu. So get your fork ready because you won't want to miss any of these delicious soul food recipes.

Feed your soul along with your stomach this Christmas by serving these soul food recipes:

• Side Dish:

Bourbon-Pecan Stuffing

Creamy Brussels Sprouts

Braised Collard Greens

Classic Buttermilk Biscuits

Bacon Corn Bread

• Main Dish:

Turkey with Fresh-Herb Rubs

• Dessert:

Mallow-Praline Sweet Potato Pie

• Drink:

Bourbon Mint Iced Tea

Learn more about these tasty creations below.

Bourbon-Pecan Stuffing

If you look forward to Christmas just for the stuffing, get excited. This hearty recipe has all the essentials (bread, onions, broth, celery, etc.), plus a shot of bourbon that cranks up the soul-warming factor a notch. Don't forget the crunchy pecans, too! This stuffing recipe is definitely good enough to make it onto your Christmas dinner menu so you can add a little bit of soul to Christmas to come.

To make your own bread cubes for stuffing:

Cut homemade bread or a dense store-bought loaf into 1/2-inch cubes.

Spread in one layer on a sheet pan.

Bake at 300°F for 10 to 15 minutes or until dry, stirring twice at even intervals.

Creamy Brussels Sprouts

Whoever gave Brussels sprouts a bad rap never had this Creamy Brussels Sprouts recipe! Not only are these sprouts coated in a creamy sauce, but they're also topped with an ingredient that makes everything better: bacon. Crispy bacon + savory Brussels sprouts = the best soul food Christmas side dish yet. Soul food recipes have never been better!

Braised Collard Greens

Collard greens are one of the ultimate Southern soul food recipes, so of course, they need to make an appearance at your Christmas dinner. This recipe will make enough to feed a crowd. Start with over a pound of collard greens, then turn them into a tasty Christmas side by adding ham bones, onion, and crushed red pepper. Trust us: You won't miss green bean casserole as long as you have collard greens on the soul food Christmas menu!

Classic Buttermilk Biscuits

Ready for flaky biscuits made in just half an hour? Yes, it's possible! These delicious biscuits require no rise time, are best served fresh from the oven, and are so quick to make that you can bake them while carving the turkey. The warm, traditional, melt-in-your-mouth goodness makes these biscuits an essential soul food recipe to serve at Christmas dinner. Make sure you have enough ready because no one will want to pass up seconds. Plus, they make excellent "buns" for a Christmas leftover sandwich. Pile on the turkey, cranberry sauce, and veggies.

Turkey with Fresh Herb Rubs

No Christmas meal is complete without turkey—especially not a soul food Thanksgiving dinner. This classic entrée never gets old! To give this centerpiece a personal touch, try making a spice blend to rub on the skin before roasting. Try Five-Herb Rub, Cilantro-Cumin Rub, Sage-Honey Butter Rub, or Arugula-Basil Pesto Rub. Any of these are sure to please. Save any leftover rub to use on chicken breasts or steak the following week. Naturally, all good soul food recipes feed a crowd, and this one makes more than enough for everyone (plus leftovers).

Bacon Corn Bread

You can't go wrong with extra bread (in addition to the biscuits!) AND extra bacon. This Bacon Corn Bread recipe gives you both for a surefire crowd-pleaser. Served warm with a side of butter, this yummy recipe will quickly become a Christmas side dish that will be requested every holiday—and every time you enjoy barbecue throughout the year. You could also add this cornbread recipe to a soul food Christmas menu!

Mallow-Praline Sweet Potato Pie

Credit: Blaine Moats

Soul food recipes aren't all about savory. Everyone needs a touch of sweetness, too. If you have trouble deciding between the nutty flavor of pecan pie and the soul food-fave sweet potato pie, this recipe is for you. This dessert is made with the delicious fall ingredients you can't resist like ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, and maple syrup. That's all topped with a sweet surprise: brown sugar, pecans, and marshmallows. You better grab a slice full of these sweet fall flavors before they disappear!

Ingredient Substitution: No buttermilk on hand? No sweat. Make your own by stirring together 1 Tbsp. lemon juice or vinegar with enough milk to make 1 cup total. Let stand 5 minutes before incorporating it into the pie filling.

Get the recipe: Mallow-Praline Sweet Potato Pie

Bourbon Mint Iced Tea

Credit: Jessica Merchant of “How Sweet It Is”

Sweet tea is a Southern soul food staple. Make it a fall- and holiday-appropriate option by adding a splash of bourbon and some fresh orange and lemon juice. Prep a big batch up to two days ahead, then pour into individual glasses and garnish with fresh mint as guests arrive. Having this easy soul food Thanksgiving recipe ready ahead of time will help your dinner run more smoothly, so you can spend less time in the kitchen and more time socializing with guests.