Jul 14 2026
Restaurants›Old Lady Gang Southern Cuisine›Side Selections Recipe

Side Selections Recipe

Inspired by Old Lady Gang Southern Cuisine
Time2h
Serves8

mac n’ cheese | kandi’s sweet potato soufflé | collard greens | french fries | smashed potatoes | steamed cabbage | black eyed peas

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Ingredients

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Mac n’ Cheese

Kandi’s Sweet Potato Soufflé

Collard Greens

French Fries

Smashed Potatoes

Steamed Cabbage

Black Eyed Peas

Method

Mac n’ Cheese

  1. 1

    Cook the Pasta

    In a large pot, boil salted water and cook the elbow macaroni according to package directions until al dente. Drain and set aside.

  2. 2

    Make the Cheese Sauce

    In a saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Stir in flour and cook for 1 minute, then gradually whisk in the milk. Cook until thickened, then stir in cheese, salt, and black pepper until smooth.

  3. 3

    Combine and Bake

    Mix cooked macaroni with cheese sauce, pour into a greased baking dish, top with bread crumbs, and bake at 350°F (175°C) for 20-25 minutes.

Kandi’s Sweet Potato Soufflé

  1. 4

    Prepare the Sweet Potatoes

    Boil sweet potatoes in a large pot until tender. Drain and mash in a large bowl.

  2. 5

    Mix Ingredients

    Add sugar, butter, milk, eggs, vanilla extract, and ground cinnamon to the mashed sweet potatoes. Mix until smooth.

  3. 6

    Bake

    Pour mixture into a greased baking dish, top with mini marshmallows, and bake at 350°F (175°C) for 30-35 minutes.

Collard Greens

  1. 7

    Clean and Prepare Greens

    Rinse collard greens thoroughly and remove tough stems. Chop the leaves into bite-sized pieces.

  2. 8

    Cook Collards

    In a large pot, sauté onion and garlic until fragrant. Add ham hock, collard greens, salt, black pepper, red pepper flakes, and water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 45-60 minutes until greens are tender.

French Fries

  1. 9

    Prepare Potatoes

    Peel and cut potatoes into long strips. Rinse in cold water and pat dry.

  2. 10

    Fry Potatoes

    In a deep fryer or large pot, heat vegetable oil to 375°F (190°C). Fry potatoes in batches until golden and crispy. Drain on paper towels and sprinkle with salt.

Smashed Potatoes

  1. 11

    Boil Potatoes

    In a pot, boil baby potatoes until fork-tender. Drain and place on a baking sheet.

  2. 12

    Smash and Season

    Use a fork or potato masher to smash the potatoes slightly. Drizzle with melted butter, and sprinkle garlic powder, salt, and black pepper. Toss to coat.

  3. 13

    Serve

    Serve warm, optionally garnished with fresh herbs.

Steamed Cabbage

  1. 14

    Prepare Cabbage

    Remove outer leaves from the cabbage and cut it into wedges.

  2. 15

    Steam Cabbage

    In a steamer basket over boiling water, steam cabbage wedges for about 10-15 minutes until tender. Drizzle with melted butter and season with salt and pepper before serving.

Black Eyed Peas

  1. 16

    Soak Peas

    Soak black eyed peas overnight in water or quick-soak by boiling for 10 minutes and letting sit for an hour.

  2. 17

    Cook Peas

    In a large pot, combine soaked peas, onion, garlic, water, salt, and black pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 45-50 minutes until peas are tender.

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