The humble side dish that still shows up at every Southern potluck

Is there anything better than a Southern potluck? Whether it’s the annual neighborhood picnic or a post-church meal in the fellowship hall, we’ll never tire of perusing folding tables covered in every shape, size, and color of homemade covered dishes. Half the fun is peaking under the tin foil or crystal lid to see what goodies lie beneath. From classics like mac and cheese and deviled eggs to new variations on pasta salad and maybe even a showstopping pound cake recipe to add to your repertoire, potlucks are endless sources of inspiration and more importantly deliciousness.

The great thing about a potluck is that everything has its place and the more diversity there is in the dishes, the better. After all, as fun as it is to sample eight different potato salads, there are only so many mayonnaise-drenched potatoes a person can eat. One humble but much-appreciated side dish that’s always a welcome sight? Cucumbers in Sour Cream.

The retro dish is easy to prepare and requires mostly pantry staple ingredients. It’s the perfect complement to everything from savory pulled pork to fried chicken. It also does a great job of lightening the starch-heavy side dishes and casseroles that tend to dominate a Southern potluck table. Cucumbers in Sour Cream is the timeless potluck staple that’ll never go out of style. Case in point: Our recipe, submitted by Ms. Eula E. Hendrix from Birmingham, Alabama, was first published in August 1966. For those counting, it’s coming up on its 50^th anniversary, and we couldn’t be more excited to reshare it with everyone through our Southern Living Insiders membership.

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Her recipe calls for thinly sliced cucumbers and sour cream (as the name suggests), plus minced onion and dill pickle, lemon juice for acidity, and simple seasonings of salt and pepper. The secret ingredient? Ac’cent, an old-school flavor enhancer that adds an extra hit of umami to this special dish.

Next time you’re invited to a potluck, whip up a big bowl of Ms. Hendrix’s Cucumbers in Sour Cream and wait for the compliments to roll in. We recommend making a double batch because chances are you won’t have any leftovers to bring home.  

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