Hush puppies are the traditional side with fried catfish and for your enjoyment at a shrimp boil. At their core, fried dough balls are another form of cornbread and it’s well established that we all love cornbread. That means you can branch out and match them with bean soup, chicken and chili!

Different Breeds of Hush Puppies

Everyone’s favorite recipe strays from pure cornbread to some degree, for example mine includes onion and garlic. Still, as hush puppies go that’s pretty “vanilla” compared to others. Add jalapeno, corn, cheese and even sausage for something different. They’re not all purebred, but they’re all good.

The Name

I always wondered about the name until I caught myself using it, or a saltier version at deer camp. When the hunting was finished and it was time to eat, I helped cook. Our standard menu was chicken fried venison and sides. The hunting dogs penned nearby would bark and howl while we cooked. There’s only one way to quiet hungry dogs and that’s to feed them. As we did, you guessed it, I said “hush, puppies”.