Are you searching for the ultimate Southern comfort food side dish? A cozy, savory, and completely unforgettable casserole that combines two beloved classics—braised collard greens and fluffy buttermilk biscuits—into one show-stopping dish? This incredible, from-scratch-tasting Savory Collard Green Cobbler is that perfect recipe. We’re talking tender, smoky collard greens, studded with crispy bacon, all baked under a beautiful, golden-brown, and fluffy drop biscuit topping.
This isn’t just another side dish recipe; it’s your definitive guide to a modern, sophisticated, and stunningly delicious holiday classic. We’ll show you the simple but crucial secrets to a flawless, flavorful filling and a perfectly tender biscuit topping that comes together in minutes. This is a satisfying, soulful, and deeply impressive one-dish wonder that is perfect for your Thanksgiving or Christmas feast.
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Recipe Overview: The Ultimate Savory Holiday Casserole
What makes this Collard Green Cobbler so spectacularly delicious is its incredible combination of textures and its wonderful, deep and savory flavor. This recipe is a masterpiece of Southern comfort food genius. The base of the casserole is a rich and savory filling of collard greens, which are braised with smoky, crispy bacon until perfectly tender. The real magic, however, is the topping. Instead of a complicated rolled biscuit, this recipe uses a simple, quick, and foolproof buttermilk drop biscuit topping. The fluffy dough is simply dropped in dollops over the filling and bakes up into a beautiful, golden-brown, and tender crust that is perfect for soaking up all the delicious, savory juices from the greens below.
| Metric | Time / Level |
| Total Time | 1 hour 15 minutes |
| Active Prep Time | 25 minutes |
| Difficulty Level | Easy |
| Servings | 6-8 |
The Southern Pantry: The Essential Ingredients
This iconic dish uses a handful of high-quality ingredients and smart techniques to create its signature comforting and cheesy flavor.
- The Smoky Collard Green Filling:
- Collard Greens: For the best flavor, look for fresh, crisp collard greens with vibrant, dark green leaves. Discarding the tough lower stems is key to a tender result.
- Bacon: A thick-cut, smoky bacon is the key that provides a wonderful, savory flavor and a delicious, crispy texture. The rendered bacon fat is also the secret to the incredibly flavorful base!
- The Fluffy Drop Biscuit Topping:
- Buttermilk & Melted Butter: The secret to a wonderfully tender, moist, and flavorful biscuit topping. Buttermilk’s acidity reacts with the baking soda to create an incredible lift and a soft, fluffy texture.
- The “Drop” Method: This is the brilliant shortcut that makes this recipe so easy! There is no rolling or cutting required. The simple, wet dough is simply “dropped” from a scoop or a spoon.
The Cobbler Masterclass: The Secrets to a Perfect Side Dish
This recipe uses two simple but brilliant professional techniques that guarantee a flawless, impressive result.
- Don’t Overcook the Bacon (at first!): The recipe brilliantly instructs you to cook the bacon until the fat is rendered, but before it gets fully crisp. This is a crucial step! The bacon will continue to cook as you wilt the collards and then bake in the oven. This two-stage cooking process is the secret that ensures your bacon is perfectly cooked in the final dish, and not sadly burnt or overly hard.
- The Greased Scoop Hack: The number one, non-negotiable secret to perfectly uniform and easy-to-portion drop biscuits is to use an ice cream scoop that has been coated with nonstick cooking spray. This is the foolproof key that will allow the sticky biscuit dough to release cleanly and easily every single time.
Step-by-Step to the Best Collard Green Cobbler
This delicious, one-dish meal is a joy to prepare.
Part 1: The Art of the Smoky, Savory Collard Filling
Step 1: First, preheat your oven to 375°F ($190^{\circ}C$).
Step 2: In a large sauté pan over a medium-high heat, cook your 4 ounces of chopped bacon for about 8 minutes, until the fat has rendered but the bacon is not yet crisp.
Step 3: To the pan with the bacon and its rendered fat, add your 12 cups of chopped collard greens, the 1/2 cup of chicken stock, the 1 teaspoon of onion powder, the 1 teaspoon of black pepper, and the 1/2 teaspoon of salt.
Step 4: Cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 to 12 minutes, until the greens have wilted down and most of the liquid has evaporated. Scrape this entire mixture into a small oval baking dish and spread it into an even layer.
Part 2: The Easiest Drop Biscuit Topping and Final Bake
Step 1: In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together your dry ingredients: the 1 cup of all-purpose flour, the 2 teaspoons of baking soda, the 1/2 teaspoon of sugar, and the 1/4 teaspoon of salt.
Step 2: In a separate, small mixing bowl, whisk together your 1/2 cup of buttermilk and the 4 tablespoons of melted salted butter.
Step 3: Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir just until a soft dough comes together. Be careful not to overmix!
Step 4 (The Fun Part!): Spray an ice cream scoop with cooking spray. Use the scoop to drop dollops of the biscuit dough (about 2 heaping tablespoons each) onto the top of your collard greens, leaving some of the greens exposed.
Step 5: Bake for 25 to 30 minutes. You will know it is perfectly done when the greens are bubbling around the edges and the biscuits on top are beautifully puffed up and a deep golden brown. Serve immediately.
Savory Collard Green Cobbler (An Easy Southern Side!)
A savory and comforting ‘Collard Cobbler,’ a classic Southern-style side dish. This recipe features tender collard greens cooked down with crispy bacon, onion powder, and chicken stock. The savory green base is then topped with fluffy, homemade drop biscuits and baked in a casserole dish until the filling is bubbly and the biscuit topping is golden brown.
Ingredients
- For the Collards:
- 4 ounces bacon, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 2 large bunches collard greens, tough stems discarded, leaves cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1/2 cup chicken stock
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- For the Drop Biscuit Topping:
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 cup buttermilk
- 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) salted butter, melted
- Nonstick cooking spray, for the ice cream scoop
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F.
- Prepare the Collards: In a large sauté pan over medium-high heat, cook the bacon for about 8 minutes, until the fat is rendered.
- Add the collard greens, chicken stock, onion powder, pepper, and salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 to 12 minutes, until the greens have wilted and most of the liquid has evaporated.
- Scrape the greens mixture into a small oval baking dish and spread it into an even layer.
- Prepare the Biscuit Topping: In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, sugar, and salt.
- In a separate small bowl, whisk together the buttermilk and melted butter.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir until a soft dough comes together. Do not overmix.
- Spray an ice cream scoop with cooking spray and drop scoopfuls of the biscuit dough (about 2 heaping tablespoons each) onto the collards, leaving some of the greens exposed.
- Bake: Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the greens are bubbling around the edges and the biscuits are golden brown.
- Serve immediately.
Notes
- This is a savory twist on a traditional fruit cobbler, making it a perfect side dish for a Southern-style meal or a holiday like Thanksgiving.
- Using an ice cream scoop for the drop biscuits is a key tip for creating evenly sized and shaped toppings.
- The entire dish is assembled and baked in a single casserole dish for easy presentation.
What to Serve With Your Collard Cobbler
This beautiful and savory dish is a fantastic and incredibly versatile side. It is the perfect accompaniment to almost any Southern-style or holiday main course.
- A Classic Southern Feast: This casserole is an absolute must-have served alongside some classic fried chicken, some barbecue ribs, or a blackened catfish.
- Holiday Dinners: It is a fantastic and crowd-pleasing side dish for a Glazed Ham, a Roasted Turkey, or a beautiful Prime Rib.
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Storage and Make-Ahead Tips
- Make-Ahead: This is the perfect make-ahead holiday side dish! You can prepare the collard green filling completely up to 2 days in advance and store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator. You can also fully assemble the entire, unbaked cobbler up to 24 hours in advance.
- Storage: Store any leftover cobbler, well-covered, in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Reheating: The best way to reheat this dish is to place it back in a 350°F oven for about 20-25 minutes, until it is warmed through and the biscuits have re-crisped slightly.
Frequently Asked questions (FAQs)
Q1: My collard greens are always tough and bitter. What’s the secret?
The secret is to remove the tough, woody lower stems and to give them enough time to braise and wilt down. The 10-12 minute cook time in the chicken stock is the key that will make them wonderfully tender and will mellow out any bitterness.
Q2: Can I make this side dish ahead of time for a holiday dinner?
Yes, this is an ideal make-ahead side dish. You can fully assemble the unbaked cobbler up to a day in advance. When you are ready for your dinner, you can simply pop it in the oven to bake. You may need to add 10-15 minutes to the total baking time if it is going in cold from the refrigerator.
Q3: Can I make this vegetarian?
Yes, absolutely! To make a delicious vegetarian version, simply omit the bacon and sauté your collard greens in about 2 to 3 tablespoons of butter or olive oil. Be sure to also use a high-quality, flavorful vegetable broth instead of the chicken stock.
Q4: Can I use a different kind of green?
Of course! This recipe would also be fantastic with other hearty, Southern greens like mustard greens, turnip greens, or even kale.
Q5: What can I use if I don’t have buttermilk?
It’s easy to make your own “soured milk” substitute! For this recipe, simply add about 1 1/2 teaspoons of either white vinegar or fresh lemon juice to your 1/2 cup of regular milk and let it sit for about 5-10 minutes before you use it.