The Practical Plate

The Practical Plate

Southern & BBQ

Fried chicken, low-and-slow ribs, and the sides that make a plate feel like a porch.

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$5 tier

  1. Southern Red Beans & Rice $4.70
  2. Buttermilk Biscuits & Sausage Gravy $4.40
  3. Hoppin' John $4.25

$10 tier

  1. Classic Sloppy Joes $9.90
  2. Smothered Pork Chops & Rice $10.00
  3. Southern Fried Chicken Tenders & Mashed Potatoes $10.05
  4. Shrimp & Grits $9.85

$20 tier

  1. Oven BBQ Baby Back Ribs & Coleslaw $18.40
  2. Southern Fried Catfish & Hush Puppies $17.90
  3. Beef Brisket & Mac and Cheese $19.20
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Southern Red Beans & Rice

Monday-night New Orleans tradition.

$4.70 total
🍽️ Serves 4 ⏱️ 40 min 💵 ~$1.18 per serving One-PotEasy

Ingredients & Cost Breakdown

2 cans red kidney beans$1.90
2 cups rice$0.70
1 onion, diced$0.40
1 bell pepper, diced$0.50
1 celery stalk, diced$0.35
2 cloves garlic$0.15
Cajun seasoning$0.20
Smoked sausage, 4 oz$0.50
Total$4.70

How to Make It

  1. Sauté onion, pepper, celery, and garlic 5 minutes.
  2. Add beans (with liquid), sausage, cajun seasoning, and 1 cup water.
  3. Simmer 25 minutes, mashing some beans to thicken.
  4. Serve over rice.

No-Time-For-That Tip: Mash a spoonful of beans against the pot — free creaminess, zero cream.

Swap It: Vegetarian? Drop the sausage and add a splash of liquid smoke or smoked paprika.

🍽️ Pairs well with Buttermilk Biscuits & Sausage Gravy

Buttermilk Biscuits & Sausage Gravy

Sunday-diner breakfast, any night of the week.

$4.40 total
🍽️ Serves 4 ⏱️ 30 min 💵 ~$1.10 per serving Easy

Ingredients & Cost Breakdown

2 cups flour, for biscuits$0.60
Butter$0.60
Buttermilk$0.50
1/2 lb breakfast sausage$2.00
Flour, for gravy$0.10
1 cup milk, for gravy$0.40
Salt, pepper & baking powder$0.20
Total$4.40

How to Make It

  1. Cut cold butter into flour, add buttermilk, form dough; cut into biscuits and bake at 450°F, 12–15 minutes.
  2. Brown sausage in a skillet, breaking it up, 6 minutes.
  3. Sprinkle flour over, cook 1 minute; whisk in milk, simmer until thickened.
  4. Split biscuits and top with gravy.

No-Time-For-That Tip: Cold butter and barely-mixed dough — overworking biscuit dough is the #1 way to get hockey pucks.

Swap It: No buttermilk? A cup of milk with a tablespoon of vinegar, rested 5 minutes, does the same job.

🍽️ Pairs well with Hoppin' John

Hoppin' John

The traditional New Year's dish, any day of the year.

$4.25 total
🍽️ Serves 4 ⏱️ 35 min 💵 ~$1.06 per serving One-PotEasy

Ingredients & Cost Breakdown

2 cans black-eyed peas$1.80
2 cups rice$0.70
1 onion, diced$0.40
1 celery stalk, diced$0.35
2 cloves garlic$0.15
Bacon or ham, 2 oz$0.70
Cajun seasoning$0.15
Total$4.25

How to Make It

  1. Cook bacon or ham in a pot until crisp-ish; remove.
  2. Sauté onion, celery, and garlic in the fat, 5 minutes.
  3. Add peas, seasoning, and 1 cup water; simmer 15 minutes.
  4. Serve over rice, topped with the bacon bits.

No-Time-For-That Tip: Cheap, filling, and better the next day — that's the whole reason this is a tradition.

Swap It: No bacon? A drizzle of smoked-paprika oil gets you close to the same smoky base.

🍽️ Pairs well with Classic Sloppy Joes

Classic Sloppy Joes

The lunchroom classic, grown up slightly.

$9.90 total
🍽️ Serves 4 ⏱️ 20 min 💵 ~$2.48 per serving QuickKid-Friendly

Ingredients & Cost Breakdown

1.25 lb ground beef$5.40
1 onion, diced$0.40
1 bell pepper, diced$0.60
Ketchup$0.50
Mustard$0.15
Brown sugar$0.15
Worcestershire sauce$0.15
8 hamburger buns$2.00
Chips, side$0.55
Total$9.90

How to Make It

  1. Brown beef with onion and pepper, 8 minutes; drain fat.
  2. Stir in ketchup, mustard, brown sugar, and Worcestershire; simmer 5 minutes uncovered.
  3. Pile onto buns.
  4. Serve with chips or slaw on the side.

No-Time-For-That Tip: Let it simmer the full 5 minutes uncovered — that's what thickens it enough to stay on the bun.

Swap It: Ground turkey works fine and cuts the grease — the sauce carries the flavor either way.

🍽️ Pairs well with Smothered Pork Chops & Rice

Smothered Pork Chops & Rice

Gravy is doing all the heavy lifting here.

$10.00 total
🍽️ Serves 4 ⏱️ 35 min 💵 ~$2.50 per serving Meal-Prep

Ingredients & Cost Breakdown

4 bone-in pork chops$7.00
1 onion, diced$0.40
1 cup mushrooms, sliced$0.90
Flour$0.15
Chicken broth$0.40
Milk$0.30
2 cups rice$0.70
Seasoning$0.15
Total$10.00

How to Make It

  1. Season chops, sear 3 minutes per side, remove.
  2. Sauté onion and mushrooms 5 minutes; sprinkle flour over, cook 1 minute.
  3. Whisk in broth and milk, simmer until thickened.
  4. Return chops, cover, simmer 15 minutes until tender; serve over rice.

No-Time-For-That Tip: Don't rush the gravy step — flour needs that minute in the fat or it tastes raw and pasty.

Swap It: Chicken thighs work with the exact same method if pork chops aren't on sale.

🍽️ Pairs well with Southern Fried Chicken Tenders & Mashed Potatoes

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Southern Fried Chicken Tenders & Mashed Potatoes

Shatter-crisp, not soft and floury.

$10.05 total
🍽️ Serves 4 ⏱️ 35 min 💵 ~$2.51 per serving Kid-Friendly

Ingredients & Cost Breakdown

1.5 lb chicken tenders$5.50
1/2 cup buttermilk$0.30
1 cup flour$0.30
Cornstarch$0.15
Spices$0.20
Oil for frying$0.60
2 lb potatoes$2.50
Butter & milk, for mash$0.50
Total$10.05

How to Make It

  1. Soak tenders in buttermilk 10 minutes if time allows.
  2. Mix flour, cornstarch, and spices; dredge tenders.
  3. Fry in oil 3–4 minutes per side until golden and cooked through.
  4. Boil potatoes, mash with butter and milk; serve alongside.

No-Time-For-That Tip: Cornstarch mixed into the flour is what gives you shatter-crisp coating instead of soft and floury.

Swap It: No deep-frying appetite? Bake at 425°F on a wire rack for 20 minutes, flipping once.

🍽️ Pairs well with Shrimp & Grits

Shrimp & Grits

Low-country classic, weeknight timeline.

$9.85 total
🍽️ Serves 4 ⏱️ 25 min 💵 ~$2.46 per serving Quick

Ingredients & Cost Breakdown

1.75 lb shrimp$6.40
1 cup grits$0.80
1/2 cup cheddar cheese$0.70
3 slices bacon$0.90
2 cloves garlic$0.20
Chicken broth, for grits$0.30
Butter$0.20
Cajun seasoning$0.15
Green onions$0.20
Total$9.85

How to Make It

  1. Cook bacon until crisp; remove and chop.
  2. Cook grits in broth/water until creamy; stir in cheddar and butter.
  3. Season shrimp with cajun seasoning, sauté in the bacon fat with garlic, 3–4 minutes until pink.
  4. Spoon shrimp over grits; top with bacon and green onions.

No-Time-For-That Tip: Grits keep thickening as they sit — loosen with a splash of hot water right before serving.

Swap It: Instant grits work in a pinch and cut the cook time to 5 minutes.

🍽️ Pairs well with Oven BBQ Baby Back Ribs & Coleslaw

Oven BBQ Baby Back Ribs & Coleslaw

Fall-off-the-bone, no smoker required.

$18.40 total
🍽️ Serves 4 ⏱️ 2.5 hr (mostly hands-off) 💵 ~$4.60 per serving Meal-PrepDate Night

Ingredients & Cost Breakdown

1 rack baby back ribs, ~2.5 lb$13.00
BBQ spice rub$0.30
1 cup BBQ sauce$1.50
2 cups coleslaw mix$1.50
Mayo & vinegar, for dressing$0.40
Cornbread mix, side$1.50
Butter$0.20
Total$18.40

How to Make It

  1. Rub ribs with spice mix, wrap tightly in foil, bake at 300°F for 2 hours until tender.
  2. Unwrap, brush with BBQ sauce, broil or bake uncovered 10–15 minutes until caramelized.
  3. Toss coleslaw mix with mayo and vinegar dressing.
  4. Bake cornbread per package; serve alongside.

No-Time-For-That Tip: Wrapping the ribs tight in foil for the low-and-slow part is what fakes a smoker.

Swap It: No baby backs on sale? St. Louis-style spare ribs work — add 20–30 minutes to the covered bake.

🍽️ Pairs well with Southern Fried Catfish & Hush Puppies

Southern Fried Catfish & Hush Puppies

Fry night, done right.

$17.90 total
🍽️ Serves 4 ⏱️ 35 min 💵 ~$4.47 per serving

Ingredients & Cost Breakdown

2 lb catfish fillets$12.00
1 cup cornmeal$0.60
1/2 cup flour$0.20
1/2 cup buttermilk$0.30
Hush puppy mix (cornmeal, egg, onion)$1.50
Oil for frying$0.80
Coleslaw, side$1.90
Seasoning & lemon$0.60
Total$17.90

How to Make It

  1. Soak catfish in buttermilk 10 minutes; dredge in cornmeal/flour mix, season.
  2. Fry in oil 3–4 minutes per side until golden and flaky.
  3. Fry hush puppy batter by the spoonful in the same oil, 2–3 minutes until golden.
  4. Serve with coleslaw and lemon.

No-Time-For-That Tip: Fry the hush puppies in the same oil right after the catfish — extra fish-fry flavor, which is the point.

Swap It: Tilapia or any mild white fish works the same way if catfish isn't available.

🍽️ Pairs well with Beef Brisket & Mac and Cheese

Beef Brisket & Mac and Cheese

The oven does the work, you get the credit.

$19.20 total
🍽️ Serves 4 ⏱️ 3.5 hr (mostly hands-off) 💵 ~$4.80 per serving Meal-PrepDate Night

Ingredients & Cost Breakdown

2 lb beef brisket$12.00
BBQ rub$0.30
BBQ sauce$0.80
1 lb elbow macaroni$1.10
2 cups cheddar cheese$2.80
1 cup milk$0.40
Butter$0.30
Dinner rolls, side$1.50
Total$19.20

How to Make It

  1. Rub brisket, wrap tightly, bake at 300°F for 3–3.5 hours until fork-tender.
  2. Rest, then slice against the grain; brush with BBQ sauce.
  3. Boil macaroni; make a simple cheese sauce with butter, milk, and cheddar; toss together.
  4. Serve brisket alongside mac and cheese and dinner rolls.

No-Time-For-That Tip: Slicing against the grain is non-negotiable — cut with the grain and it turns chewy.

Swap It: A slow cooker works too — 8 hours on low gets the same fall-apart texture, no oven-watching.

🍽️ Pairs well with Southern Red Beans & Rice