Chefs share favorite soul food recipes to kick off for Black History Month (2024)

By Kelly McCarthy

To celebrate the start of Black History Month, "Good Morning America" invited two small business owners to celebrate their rich history and recipes as they compete to see who has the best soul food.

Chef Lavinia McCoy and Betty-Joyce Chester-Tamayo faced off for the soul food showdown with two recipes each: one batch of their famous macaroni and cheese, respectively, and another dish of their own.

Chef Lavinia McCoy and Betty-Joyce Chester-Tamayo at the soul food showdown for "Good Morning America."

McCoy represented her business, Gourmet Soul and Catering based in St. Louis, Missouri, while Chester-Tamayo brought the flavors from her Memphis, Tennessee soul food spot, Alcenia’s.

Check out their recipes below.

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Macaroni & Cheese

Chester-Tamayo's classic mac and cheese recipe uses macaroni shells and finishes in the oven for a beautifully cheesy, bubbly baked dish.

Ingredients

4 cups shell macaroni

2 eggs

2 1/2 cups evaporated milk

6 tablespoons salt (water and macaroni)

10 cups water (cover macaroni)

3 tablespoons pepper

3 cups cheese (you can use a combination of cheese blends)

1 cup pure butter or margarine

Directions

Pre-heat oven to 325 F.

Boil water and 2 tablespoons of salt. Once the water is boiling, add macaroni and cook for 15-20 minutes until tender. Use fork to test. While macaroni is boiling, beat eggs, milk, remaining salt and pepper into a sauce pan. Remove macaroni when tender. Drain and rinse in cool water. After draining take the cooked macaroni and place in a large casserole pan.

Add the butter to hot macaroni and stir. Add the cheese and stir well. Top macaroni with remaining cheese and pour milk mixture over it. Cover with foil and bake for 20-25 minutes in oven until done. Do not overcook.

Meatloaf

Chester-Tamayo also shared her famous meatloaf recipe with "GMA."

Ingredients

5 pounds hamburger meat

1 cup white onions

1 cup red onions

1/2 cup green onion (about 6 stalks)

3/4 cup each orange, red, yellow and green bell peppers

3/4 cup celery (2 stalks)

1 1/2 packages French onion soup mix

6 tablespoons Mrs. Dash

5 tablespoons Greek seasoning

4 tablespoons Creole Seasoning

5 tablespoons garlic herb

5 tablespoons garlic rosemary

3 eggs

36 ounces ketchup

1 cup light brown sugar, divided

Directions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

In a large 11-by-14-inch casserole dish add hamburger meat. Separate down the middle and add 3/4 of the prepared ingredients. Cut the white onions, red onions, green onions, bell peppers and celery. Add 3/4 of these ingredients to the meat and reserve remaining for the top.

In a separate bowl, mix together soup mix, Mrs. Dash, Greek seasoning, Creole seasoning, garlic herb and rosemary. Add 3/4 of the dry spice mix to the meat mixture and reserve remaining for the top. Add the eggs, 1/2 the bottle of ketchup and 1/2 cup light brown sugar. Mix meat mixture well until all ingredients are evenly distributed. Form into a loaf the length of the pan.

In a small bowl, whisk together the remaining ketchup and brown sugar. Pour on top of the meatloaf. Sprinkle with remaining vegetables and dry spice mix.

Bake at 325 F for 80 to 90 minutes. Remove and slice into generous slices.

Mac and Cheese

Gourmet Soul and Catering

A bowl of homemade mac and cheese.

Chef Lavinia McCoy's version of the classic dish uses traditional elbow macaroni and a variety of cheeses.

Ingredients

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 tablespoon salt

1 pound elbow macaroni

8 tablespoons (1 stick) salted butter

1 cup 3-cheese blend (Monterey Jack, mozzarella, mild cheddar)

1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese

1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese - garnish

2 cups heavy cream

1 cup (8 ounces) Velveeta, cut into small cubes

1/4 teaspoon seasoned salt (Lawry's)

Directions

In a large sauce pan or Dutch oven, place 2 cups heavy cream, 1 cup of shredded cheese (3-cheese blend), 1 cup cubed Velveeta, 1 cup of shredded sharp cheddar and cover. Place in 375 F oven and bake 25 minutes.

Cook macaroni noodles per instructions on box, adding 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil and 1 tablespoon of salt to the water. Cook 10 minutes on medium high until al dente. Drain macaroni, pour into mixing bowl, stir in stick of butter, and add cheese sauce out of oven. Add 1/4 teaspoon seasoning salt and combine. Taste, tweak as needed.

Pour macaroni mixture in baking dish, cover with freshly grated sharp cheddar, and place in oven, uncovered, for 15 to 18 minutes, or until brown and bubbly.

WATCH: Janai Norman shares the secret to her mom's macaroni and cheese

ABC News Correspondent Janai Norman and her mom, Tammy, make one of their family’s favorite holiday dishes, macaroni and cheese.

Shrimp and Grits

Lavinia McCoy, Gourmet Soul and Catering

A plate of shrimp and grits from Gourmet Soul and Catering.

McCoy's second soul food recipe is also a southern classic dish.

Ingredients

Extra virgin olive oil

1/4 cup chopped celery

1/4 cup chopped red pepper

1/4 cup chopped green pepper

1/4 cup chopped onion

1 cup fish stock

1 cup chicken broth

Dried basil

Old Bay seasoning

Granulated garlic powder

Granulated onion powder

Bay leaves

1 cup of 3-cheese blend (Monterey Jack, mozzarella, mild cheddar)

1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese

1 quart + 1/4 cup heavy cream

8 tablespoons (1 stick) salted butter

1 cup (8 ounces) Velveeta, cut into small cubes

Old Fashioned Grits or Quick Grits

Raw shrimp, peeled and deveined with tails off (size 16/20)

Fresh parsley, chopped (garnish)

Directions

In saute pan, drizzle olive oil and add chopped celery, onion, red peppers and green peppers. Sweat on low.

Add chicken broth, seafood or fish stock, 3 tablespoons Old Bay seasoning, 3 tablespoons granulated garlic, 3 tablespoons granulated onion, 2 tablespoons dried basil and 2 bay leaves. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer on low.

In saucepan, add 1 quart heavy cream, bring to a slow boil, add cheeses, melt.

In a separate saucepan, cook grits per package instructions. Omit salt, and once cooked add 1/4 cup heavy cream; whisk.

After approximately 20 min simmering, add seafood sauce to the heavy cream mixture, stir continuously until well combined. Taste and add more Old Bay if necessary. Simmer on low until ready to plate.

In saucepan add 3 tablespoons butter, 2 teaspoons Old Bay, 2 teaspoons granulated garlic; melt and combine, then add peeled and deveined shrimp (tails off). Cook 2 minutes per side.

Add spoonfuls of grits to bowl and ladle on cream sauce. Add shrimp and garnish with dried parsley.

Chefs share favorite soul food recipes to kick off for Black History Month (2024)

FAQs

What is a traditional black southern meal? ›

Particularly in rural areas, foods like fried chicken, fried fish, sweet potato pie, red drinks, black-eyed peas and others were served during Emancipation celebrations and church gatherings.

What is considered soul food? ›

Ingredients & foods
  • Black-eyed peas. These are actually beans even though they are called peas. ...
  • Chitlins. Chitterlings or chitlins are an African American culinary tradition. ...
  • Cracklin' Bread. Corn (maize) was ground into cornmeal for cornbread. ...
  • Greens. ...
  • Okra/Gumbo. ...
  • Molasses. ...
  • Peanuts. ...
  • Rice.
Feb 27, 2024

What are the soul foods in black history? ›

Today, many soul food dishes are still greatly influenced by African culture, such as red beans and rice, chicken and waffles, hopping john, gumbo, jambalaya, shrimp and grits, etc. The addition of spicy and mild peppers is often added.

What are the top 10 favorite foods of African Americans? ›

Please enjoy these few examples of foods and traditions that are rooted in Black history:
  • Banana Pudding. ...
  • Okra. ...
  • Sweet Potatoes and Yams. ...
  • Greens. ...
  • Chitterlings (PKA Chitlins) ...
  • Fried Chicken. ...
  • Tipping. ...
  • Watermelon.
Mar 1, 2023

What was the original soul food? ›

Enslaved people were typically given a peck of cornmeal and 3–4 pounds of pork per week, and those rations formed the basis of African American soul food.

What is the official soul food drink? ›

Whether it's strawberry, cherry, or tropical punch, “red” is the official soul-food drink. Red lemonade was immensely popular with African Americans attending circuses and Emancipation celebrations in the 1870s and 1880s.

What is the best food for the soul? ›

Just as fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, legumes, seeds and nuts are preferable choices over hamburgers, fried foods, and donuts, so too exist preferable nourishing foods for the soul. It does not matter how physically fit our bodies are if we do not have tranquility, peace, and harmony within our souls.

What is black heritage food? ›

Black-eyed peas, yams and sweet potatoes are a few of the foods that commonly appear in soul food dishes. Enslaved Africans also brought over okra and the kola nut, which Western Africans often chewed as a source of caffeine for energy.

What food did African slaves eat? ›

Maize, rice, peanuts, yams and dried beans were found as important staples of slaves on some plantations in West Africa before and after European contact. Keeping the traditional “stew” cooking could have been a form of subtle resistance to the owner's control.

What are five soul foods? ›

A typical soul food meal would feature: Sides: black-eyed peas, candied yams (dark-fleshed sweet potatoes), macaroni and cheese, and stewed greens (cabbage, collard greens, kale, mustard, or turnip);

What drink goes with soul food? ›

The best wines to pair with heavy spiced southern dishes are full-bodied reds like Cabernet Sauvignon and Zinfandel. These types of wine have been known to stand up to bold flavors from coffee, chocolate, peppers, and herbs.

What is the slang soul food? ›

soul food in American English

US. Informal. items of food popular originally in the South, esp. among African-Americans, such as chitterlings, ham hocks, yams, corn bread, and collard greens.

What is the food of black heritage? ›

The majority of traditional African American foods came straight from the garden. Cabbage, okra, tomatoes, peppers, and greens were abundant, including dandelion, mustard, collards, and turnip greens.

What to bring to a potluck for black people? ›

Ribs, Honey Jerk Salmon Bites, Jalapeño cheese cornbread, Salad, Mac and Cheese ( which was good and better but i still need to improve) Bake Beand and Oreo white chocolate ice cream balls over a funnel cake.

How do you respectfully celebrate Black History Month? ›

8 Ways to Honor Black History Month
  1. Educate Yourself on the Black History in Your Community.
  2. Visit a Black or African-American History Museum.
  3. Learn about Black Music History.
  4. Read Books Written by Black Authors.
  5. Watch Films or Videos by Black Creators.
  6. Support Black-owned Businesses.
  7. Support Influential Black-led Nonprofits.
Feb 10, 2023

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