Second Helpings by Johnnie Gabriel

You already know Johnnie Gabriel.

She’s in your Tuesday night Bunco group. You’re in the same Sunday school class. Your families tailgate together during football season. She’s that friend who always has the perfect recipe for every occasion. Second Helpings draws from Johnnie’s personal collection of tried and true favorites, alongside the menu mainstays of her closest friends, family members, and fellow restaurant industry pals. With more than 20 years of professional bakery and restaurant experience, this Georgia lady knows a thing or two about pleasing a crowd of hungry Southerners.

Want a meal that’s sure to keep ‘em coming back for more? Get things started with Johnnie’s Black Eyed Pea Spread. Offer up her Shrimp Creole or Smoky Chipotle Grilled Baby Back Ribs next; but make sure to save some room for the finishing touch—cool slices of Strawberry Layer Crème Pie. These recipes weren’t concocted in a glass-walled test kitchen. These are the time-tested meals that have nourished and comforted families at tables across the South for decades. Second helpings all around? Inevitable!