Page 28 - South Mississippi Living - October, 2026

DINING
story by Chelsea Gieselmann and photos by Chelsea Gieselmann
and courtesy of Evergreen Creative Creative Company
There’s something about fall in the South that makes me want
to get in the kitchen and cook something that sticks to your ribs.
We start reaching for our sweaters, pulling out the boots, and
suddenly everything smells like butter, garlic, smoked bacon, and
something simmering away on the stove.
But here’s the thing about a Southern fall—ours doesn’t always
look like the picture on a pumpkin spice candle. Down here, we
can have 80-degree days in October and still crave a bowl of
something warm and comforting. And my oh my have I created
a bowl of Southern comfort that will be a new fall favorite.
I wanted to take some of my favorite Southern fall ingredients and
marry them with one of my favorite things from the Coast: Gulf
prawns. Sweet potatoes bring that earthy sweetness that just screams
28 | October 2026 fall, while fresh corn adds a little pop. Bacon brings the smoky, salty
goodness that pretty much makes everything better, and a little
Cajun seasoning and some beautiful Gulf prawns remind us that
Southern food doesn’t have to fit neatly into one box.
I like to keep the prawns front and center, cooking them right
at the end so they stay tender and sweet instead of becoming
little rubber balls floating around in your soup. A squeeze of
fresh lemon at the finish wakes everything up, and crispy bacon
and chives on top give every bite a little something extra. This is
the kind of recipe I love most: Southern ingredients, Gulf Coast
flavor, and just enough of a twist to make you say, “Well now,
why didn’t I think of that?”
www.smliving.net | SOUTH MISSISSIPPI Living