Southern Comfort
intro
A cozy, creamy Southern American baked casserole infused with a subtle hint of Southern Comfort liqueur, packed with tender chicken, cornbread, and collards for classic down-home flavor.
Ingredients
Steps
Preheat and prep pan
Preheat your oven to 190°C (375°F). Grease a 23cm x 33cm (9x13 inch) glass baking dish with 1 tablespoon of the melted butter, making sure to coat the bottom and sides evenly to prevent sticking. Pat the cubed chicken thighs dry with paper towels, and season all over with ½ teaspoon of kosher salt and ¼ teaspoon of ground black pepper.
Toast cornbread pieces
Spread the crumbled day-old cornbread in an even layer on a rimmed metal baking sheet. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons of melted butter, and toast in the preheated 190°C (375°F) oven for 8 minutes until edges are lightly golden and crisp. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool for 5 minutes before mixing into the filling.
Mix creamy sauce base
In a large 3L mixing bowl, whisk together the condensed cream of chicken soup, whole milk, Southern Comfort liqueur, garlic powder, smoked paprika, remaining ½ teaspoon of kosher salt, and remaining ¼ teaspoon of ground black pepper until completely smooth. Fold in the thoroughly squeezed-dry collard greens, 1 cup (113g) of the shredded sharp cheddar, and the cooled toasted cornbread pieces, stirring until every ingredient is evenly coated in sauce.
Layer casserole evenly
Spread half of the cornbread and sauce mixture evenly across the bottom of the prepared buttered baking dish. Arrange the seasoned cubed chicken in a single, unstacked layer over the base, then top with the remaining half of the cornbread mixture, spreading gently with a silicone spatula to cover the chicken completely.
Bake until bubbly
Sprinkle the remaining ½ cup (57g) of shredded cheddar evenly over the top of the assembled casserole, then drizzle with the remaining 1 tablespoon of melted butter. Bake uncovered on the middle oven rack at 190°C (375°F) for 35 minutes, until the edges are bubbling vigorously and the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 75°C (165°F) when checked with a digital food thermometer.
Top, rest, and serve
After 35 minutes of baking, carefully pull the oven rack out slightly, and sprinkle the crispy fried onions evenly over the hot casserole top. Bake for an additional 5 minutes until the onions are deep golden and fragrant. Remove the casserole from the oven, and let it rest for 10 minutes at room temperature before serving to allow the creamy sauce to set.
Tips
2.Use day-old, slightly stale cornbread for the best texture; soft, fresh-baked cornbread will break down and turn mushy when mixed with the creamy sauce, leading to a gummy final dish.
3.If you don’t keep Southern Comfort liqueur on hand, substitute 2 tablespoons of bourbon mixed with 1 tablespoon of peach nectar to mimic its signature warm, sweet, fruity flavor profile.
OMG y’all, this Southern Comfort recipe was an absolute game changer for our Sunday family dinner! I was worried it’d be too fussy for a weeknight too but the easy difficulty rating was no lie—total cook time was right on 1 hour 10 minutes for me, even with my 7 year old “helping” stir. My kids loved it so much they asked for seconds before they even finished their first helping! Brought the leftovers to my office potluck yesterday and three people asked for the link. 10/10, will be making this biweekly for meal prep from now on.
SO good, I made a big batch of this on Sunday to eat throughout the work week and it held up perfectly in the fridge! Super easy to follow even for someone who burns toast half the time (hi, it’s me). I didn’t have to run to the grocery store for any fancy ingredients either, which is a huge win for my tight student budget. I added a little extra garlic because I put garlic in literally everything, no regrets. Only knock is I wish the yield was a little bigger, because my roommate stole two servings before I could portion them out for the week! Still absolutely delicious, will be making again soon.
Made this for my neighborhood block party last weekend and people were lined up for seconds! I was a little nervous because I’d never made a Southern comfort-style dish for a group before, but the steps were so straightforward I didn’t stress at all. The only thing I changed was using a little extra onion because I love that sweet caramelized flavor. Will absolutely be adding this to my regular rotation!
Wait, I was skeptical because I thought Southern comfort food took all day to make, but 1 hour 10 minutes? Are you kidding? That’s faster than waiting for takeout on a busy Tuesday! I threw this together after getting home from my kid’s soccer practice and the whole table was quiet for 10 minutes because everyone was too busy eating. 10/10, no notes, will be making this again when my in-laws visit next month.
So happy I found this easy recipe! I swapped the regular flour for a 1:1 gluten free blend and it turned out perfectly, no weird texture or off flavor at all. I’ve been missing cozy Southern food since going gluten free a couple years ago and this hit every single craving. My partner, who is not gluten free and swears by “real” comfort food, said it’s better than his grandma’s recipe. Don’t tell her that, though 😂