• mharriman on August 24, 2019

  I sometimes have problems peeling my hard boiled eggs and getting good results with the slicing. I decided to try Ms. Charles's method for Deviled Eggs. Great results! I doubled the entire recipe. I used the main filling recipe (omitted the pickled relish since I don’t like it) with great results as well. This hard boiled egg recipe is a winner. The eggs were gone in five minutes at my church coffee hour.

• mharriman on August 24, 2019

  My husband and I loved the Potato-chip chicken and will add it as a once a month or so treat. The four part coating, with the crumbled chips on top, make for a very crunchy and juicy chicken entree. The only caveat for us is the saltiness. I will cut that ingredient and Dora’s Seasoning way down next time. I baked my thighs and legs on a rack over a baking sheet as instructed but lowered the oven heat to 375 and baked for 30 minutes. Great results. Went well with Smitten Kitchen broccoli slaw.

• mharriman on August 24, 2019

  Very disappointing. I made the Banana Bread and at 45 minutes the bread was very dark on top, crusty on the sides, and had pulled away from the sides of the pan. A tester inserted in all but the very middle came out clean. I cooled for two hours. When I sliced it, all parts but the ends were soggy. I think the problem is the recipe calls for 5 very ripe bananas when other recipes with similar remaining ingredients call for 2-3. She doesn’t give any other measurement such as number of cups for the mashed bananas. Ms. Charles says this is the best banana bread ever because there are more bananas than usual.in my oven, it just doesn’t work. I won’t be trying to tweak it since I wouldn’t know where to start, other than using banana measurements from another recipe. Then I might as well use that other recipe!

Notes about Recipes in this book

• Scrumptious bacon

  • lacreshia_2ffko3 on May 23, 2026

    I was fully expecting the cayenne to make this overly spicy, but it was actually such a perfect balance. Just enough heat to cut through the sweetness without overpowering the bacon itself. I also followed Dora’s tip to coat both sides, and that made SUCH a difference—every piece was evenly caramelized, flavorful, and perfectly crisp. Sweet, smoky, salty, with a subtle kick… this recipe is dangerously good. Definitely one of those “I’ll just have one piece” recipes that turns into five ??.

• Dora's Savannah seasoning

  • lacreshia_2ffko3 on May 25, 2026

    Made to go with the baked spaghetti, I just keep the jar near the stove now, to use as needed!

• Potato-chip chicken

  • jenmacgregor18 on September 03, 2023

    I was worried this would be way too salty for us. I left out the Savannah seasoning altogether. I lightly salted the chicken and didn't add any extra salt to the chips. I made half a batch with olive oil potato chips and the other half with Utz Heluva Good Ranch chips. I removed the skin from the chicken thighs. The chicken was juicy and the crust very crisp. Very tasty. The ranch chips seemed good as is. The olive oil chips needed more salt. Next time, I would salt the chicken a little more and I would add salt to the olive oil chips.

• Roasted shrimp with cherry tomatoes and pasta

  • imaluckyducky on August 11, 2021

    5 stars! The dish is pretty hands-off once the minimal chopping/slicing is done. Had to increase my oven temperature to 375F to get a good cook on the tomatoes and shrimp, seasoned everything generously with salt and pepper. Utterly fantastic with fresh cherry tomatoes from the garden, and the red wine vinegar at the end adds a nice touch. Lemon juice would work as well. Used the suggested sub of basil. Had to add more salt and pepper than I thought I would have needed, but part of it was likely not salting the pasta water enough AND not adding much olive oil at the end. Shaved some parm reg on top and served with a crisp rose. Leftovers good the next day. 5yo approved!

  • lacreshia_2ffko3 on May 13, 2026

    This meal came together nicely! I used the basil addition instead of the sage and topped with Parmesan cheese at the end! It was flavorful and delicious!

• Baked spaghetti

  • lacreshia_2ffko3 on May 25, 2026

    Made this recipe with my 8 year old and we all thoroughly enjoyed it! I even made a small portion to pop in the freezer for a quick lunch later on!

• Eater

  Dora Charles's take on classic Southern recipes is approachable and creative, and her moment in the spotlight is long overdue.

  Full review