Southern Dinner Menu Retro TV Style
Ever Wondered What Aunt Bee Would Cook?
Dive into this Southern Dinner Menu for a Taste of a TV-Show-Inspired Meal.
Get ready for a nostalgic dining experience. Six Irresistible Recipes featuring Aunt Bee's Fried Chicken and Delectable Apple Pie Recipes from Aunt Bee’s Mayberry Cookbook.
Add a unique and nostalgic touch to your event or dining experience.
5 reasons why using a Southern dinner menu inspired by Aunt Bee’s Mayberry Cookbook can offer a variety of benefits.
Nostalgia and Familiarity: The Andy Griffith Show is a beloved classic, and serving a menu inspired by the show can evoke a sense of nostalgia and comfort for those familiar with the series.
Themed Events and Parties: If you're hosting a themed event or party with a Southern or retro TV show theme, the Andy Griffith-inspired menu can contribute to the overall ambiance and create a cohesive experience.
Unique and Memorable Experience: Offering a Southern dinner menu inspired by the show can make your event stand out. It provides a unique and memorable experience for guests who may appreciate the effort to recreate a bit of the show's charm.
Family-friendly Appeal: The Andy Griffith Show is known for its family-friendly content. A Southern dinner menu can be tailored to appeal to a wide range of tastes and ages, making it suitable for family gatherings and events.
Comfort Food Favorites: Southern cuisine often includes comfort food favorites. Incorporating dishes like fried chicken, biscuits, and pie can be a crowd-pleaser and add a comforting element to your menu.
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What’s On The Menu?
Homestyle Cooking Retro TV Style
The Andy Griffith Show History
Before the cookbook of course there was an Andy Griffith Show a classic American television sitcom that originally aired from 1960 to 1968.
Created by Sheldon Leonard and starring Andy Griffith as Sheriff Andy Taylor, the show is set in the fictional town of Mayberry, North Carolina.
Mayberry is depicted as a small, idyllic community with friendly residents and a slow-paced, laid-back atmosphere.
The show revolves around the daily life of Sheriff Andy Taylor, his son Opie, his deputy Barney Fife, and other memorable characters like Aunt Bee, Gomer Pyle, and Floyd the barber. "The Andy Griffith Show" is known for its wholesome humor, strong moral values, and portrayal of small-town life.
Mayberry became an iconic representation of the idealized American small town, and the show continues to have a lasting impact on popular culture.
Photo credit: Public domain
Great Grandmother Minnie’s Rolls
ingredients:
3 1/2 Cup self-rising flour - sifted
1 package self rising yeast
3 Tablespoons warm water
1 Cup lukewarm water
6 Tablespoons shortening
1/3 Cup sugar
1 egg, well beaten
directions:
In a bowl, sift flour.
In a separate bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water.
Add lukewarm water, shortening, sugar and egg.
Slowly add flour, blending well.
Refrigerate overnight.
Shape the dough into rolls and let the rolls rise in a warm place.
Bake 350 degrees until lightly browned on top.
Makes about 3 dozen rolls
original recipe: Polly Andrews
Goober’s Bean-ie Salad
ingredients
1- 16oz can red kidney beans
1- 16oz can green peas
1- 16oz can yellow waxed beans
1- 16oz can green beans
1 large red onion, chopped
2 Cups red cabbage - shredded
1- 7oz can pimento
1/2 Cup oil
1 teaspoon salt
1 Cup brown sugar
1/2 Cup vinegar
directions
Drain all beans and combine in large bowl.
Add remaining ingredients.
Mix well and cover.
Refrigerate for 12 hours.
Stir occasionally.
Drain before serving.
serves 8
original recipe Cecilia Farrar
Sweet Romeena Creamed Corn
ingredients
1- 16oz yellow corn
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon grease, lard or margarine
All-purpose flour
Water
directions
In a saucepan, combine corn, sugar, salt, grease lard or margarine.
Cook the mixture a while on the stove.
Blend a little flour with a small amount of water and add the mixture to the corn.
Cook a little longer.
Serves 4
original recipe: Lois Rogers
Nip It In The Bud Spuds
ingredients
3 pounds potatoes, peeled, cooked and hot
1 8oz package cream cheese - room temp
1/4 Cup butter or margarine
1/2 sour cream
1/2 Cup milk
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/4 Cup lightly chopped onion
1 teaspoon salt
Dash of pepper
directions
In a large bowl, mash potatoes.
Add the cream cheese and butter in small pieces.
Beat until well blended.
Stir in sour cream
In a separate bowl, mix milk, egg and onion.
Stir into potato mixture, salt and pepper, beat until light and fluffy.
Place in casserole dish and refrigerate overnight.
Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes, until the top is lightly browned
Serves:
8-12
Original recipe George Lindsey
Aunt Bee’s Fried Chicken
ingredients:
1 frying chicken
2 eggs, beaten
salt to taste
all purpose flour
shortening
directions:
Wash and cut up chicken.
Dip the pieces into beaten egg mixture.
Season with salt and roll in flour.
Put a right smart amount of shortening in a frying pan and melt.
When its good and hot turn it down and slowly start frying chicken.
Turn chicken pieces over 3-4 times slowly cook for 15-20 minutes.
After its brown put a lid over chicken and simmer for 20 minutes.
Serves 4-6
original recipe Lois rogers
Aunt Bee’s Apple Pie
Ingredients:
1/2 Cup butter or margarine
4 ounces cream cheese
2 Cups all-purpose flour
2 1/2 Cups sliced apples
1 Cup sugar
1/3 Cup orange juice
2 Tablespoons honey
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon all purpose flour
1/2 Cup butter or margarine
directions:
In a large bowl, combine 1/2 Cup butter and cream cheese and let come to room temp.
Add 2 Cups flour and blend well and chill.
Roll out half the dough and place in a 9-inch pie plate. Reserve the remaining dough for the top crust.
In a saucepan, combine remaining ingredients and bring to a boil.
Pour the mixture into the crust.
Roll out the remaining crust and place over crust.
Cut slits in the top of the crust to allow steam to escape.
Bake in a 350-degree oven for 45 minutes.
Serves 6-8
original recipe Patsy Curtis
Retro TV Inspired Mini Apple Pie! while you're watching your favorite vintage show.
Mini Apple Pies with a scoop of vanilla topped with warm caramel sauce.
Bonus Recipe: Peach Tea
Notes: Serving, either set out simple syrup and as much as you’d like or add directly to tea. Serve over ice.
Simple Syrup
3 Cups sugar
3 Cups water
6-8 peeled peaches
1 teaspoon lemon juice
Directions
Wash, pit, and slice the peaches. You can leave the skin on for added flavor and color.
In a medium saucepan, combine the water and granulated sugar. Heat over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the sugar completely dissolves. This creates a simple syrup base.
Add the sliced peaches to the saucepan with the sugar-water mixture.
Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer. Allow it to simmer for about 10-15 minutes, or until the peaches have softened and the syrup has taken on a peach flavor.
Once the peaches are soft and the syrup has a peachy taste, remove the saucepan from heat. Strain the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve or cheesecloth into a bowl or jar to remove the peach solids. Press down on the peaches to extract as much flavor as possible.
Allow the peach simple syrup to cool to room temperature.
Transfer the cooled peach simple syrup to a clean, airtight container. Store it in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.
Tea
Tea bags (2-4 bags, depending on desired strength)
Water (4-6 cups)
Ice -optional
Directions:
Boil 4-6 cups of water. You can use a kettle or a pot on the stove or good old sunshine.
Once the water is boiling, remove it from heat and add 2-4 tea bags to the water.
The number of tea bags can be adjusted based on your desired strength.
Let the tea bags steep in the hot water for 3-5 minutes. Steeping time can be adjusted for personal preference - shorter for a milder flavor, longer for a stronger one.
After steeping, carefully remove the tea bags from the hot water. Be sure to squeeze out any excess liquid from the tea bags back into the pitcher for maximum flavor.
Let the tea cool to room temperature. You can speed up this process by placing the pitcher in the refrigerator or adding ice cubes.
Today’s Helpful housewife hint of the day:
Consider marinating the chicken in buttermilk before frying.
Buttermilk not only imparts a rich flavor, but also tenderizes the meat, resulting in a juicier and more succulent fried chicken.
To execute this hack, place the chicken pieces in a bowl and cover them with buttermilk.
Allow the chicken to soak in the buttermilk for at least a few hours or, ideally, overnight in the refrigerator.
The acidity in the buttermilk helps break down the proteins in the chicken, contributing to its tenderness and enhancing the overall taste.
Before frying, be sure to shake off excess buttermilk from each piece and coat them in a seasoned flour mixture for that signature crispy crust.
This simple yet effective trick will elevate your Southern fried chicken to new heights, impressing your guests with both flavor and texture.
Inspired by the essence of the Andy Griffith show.
Let this Southern dinner menu serve as a gentle reminder that whether in the heart of Mayberry or within the walls of our own homes, there's forever an open seat at the table for camaraderie, joy, and a generous portion of Southern food.
I’ve already made the Nip it the bud spuds and they were delicious!
Blog Credits:
Photo Credits: Vintage by the Bite photography unsplash and public domain.
Recipe Credits: Aunt Bee’s Mayberry Cookbook by Ken Beck and Jim Clark.
Sources: Wikipedia
Disclaimer: This free menu is inspired by southern culture, the fictional character of Aunt Bee and the Aunt Bee’s Mayberry Cookbook from my personal collection.
This blog post is not officially endorsed or associated with the show or cookbook.
