Popular influencer charms in cookbook that is ‘fully Ivy’

Odom grew up in Moultrie, and the book is full of Georgia-inspired recipes. “For example, I share the recipe for the little layer chocolate cake that my great grandmother made for special occasions. It’s the cake my mother and I always requested for our birthdays.”

The recipes she’s sharing with AJC readers represent what she thinks of as Southern classics that she’s made her own. “Not Your Mama’s Broccoli Salad is very Southern but this is my spin that always seems to impress people.

The recipes Ivy Odom is sharing with AJC readers represent what she thinks of as Southern classics that she’s made her own. (Robbie Caponetto, courtesy of Ivy Odom/Abrams)

Author appearances

Odom will hold a cooking class and a book signing for “My Southern Kitchen” at these Atlanta-area events.

• 5:30 p.m., Nov. 22. $99 includes book and hands-on cooking class. The Cook’s Warehouse, 1544 Piedmont Ave., Atlanta. cookswarehouse.com/nov-22-2025-5-30pm-my-southern-kitchen-hands-on/
• 11 a.m.–1 p.m. Nov. 22. Free. Book signing at Dillard’s North Point Mall, 7000 North Point Circle, Alpharetta. ivyodom.com/ivy-odom-book-signing-dillards-at-north-point-mall

Recipes

Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas from Ivy Odom's new cookbook, "My Southern Kitchen." (Robbie Caponetto, courtesy of Ivy Odom/Abrams)

Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas

Tearing tortillas into quarters instead of trying to roll individual enchiladas is an easy way to achieve the same delicious flavors with a little less work. Another shortcut Odom suggests is using shredded rotisserie chicken.

Roasted chicken base is a paste you can find in the soup aisle of your grocery store.

• 2 tablespoons bacon grease or olive oil
• 1½ cups chopped sweet onion
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 (7-ounce) can chopped green chiles, drained
• ½ cup whole milk
• 2 teaspoons roasted chicken base
• 2 cups Homemade Cream of Chicken Soup (see recipe) or 2 (10.5-ounce) cans cream of chicken soup
• 3 cups cooked, shredded or chopped chicken
• 1½ teaspoons Diamond Crystal kosher salt
• 10 corn tortillas, torn into 4 pieces each, divided
• 4 cups shredded Mexican blend cheese, divided

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
2. In a large skillet, heat bacon grease or olive oil over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 5 minutes.
3. Add garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until fragrant, about 1 minute.
4. Stir in chicken broth, green chiles, milk and roasted chicken base. Cook, stirring constantly, until chicken base is incorporated, about 1 minute.
5. Stir in cream of chicken soup and bring to a simmer, then cook until mixture thickens and reduces slightly, about 7 minutes.
6. Stir in chicken and salt and remove from heat.
7. Spread 2 cups of chicken mixture in an even layer in bottom of prepared baking dish. Top with half the tortilla pieces and 1½ cups cheese.
8. Repeat with 2 cups chicken mixture, remaining tortilla pieces and 1½ cups cheese.
9. Spoon remaining chicken mixture on top and spread to make an even layer. Top with remaining 1 cup cheese.
10. Bake until cheese is golden brown and edges are bubbly, 30 to 35 minutes.

Serves 8.

Per serving, with olive oil and homemade cream of chicken soup: 528 calories (percent of calories from fat, 50), 39 grams protein, 26 grams carbohydrates, 5 grams total sugars, 3 grams fiber, 29 grams total fat (15 grams saturated), 111 milligrams cholesterol, 807 milligrams sodium.

Homemade Cream of Chicken Soup

• ½ cup unsalted butter
• 1¼ cups all-purpose flour
• 3¾ cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 2 cups whole milk
• 2 teaspoons roasted chicken soup base
• 1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder

1. In a large saucepan or Dutch oven over medium heat, melt butter.
2. Whisk in flour until mixture becomes a thick, dry, clumpy dough ball and continue cooking, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until raw flour smell has dissipated, about 1 minute.
3. Gradually whisk in chicken broth, whisking in each addition fully before adding the next.
4. Whisk in milk and soup base until completely smooth. Continue cooking over medium until mixture thickens to a pudding-like consistency, 3 to 4 minutes. Be careful not to let mixture come to a boil.
5. Remove from heat, then stir in salt, onion powder and garlic powder.
6. Divide mixture between six freezer-safe containers. Let soup cool to room temperature before closing. Store in freezer for up to three months.
7. To thaw: Move container to refrigerator overnight. Soup may separate when heated. Add ¼ cup whole or evaporated milk to bring it back together if needed.                                                                      

Makes 6½ cups.

Per ½ cup: 141 calories (percent of calories from fat, 57), 3 grams protein, 12 grams carbohydrates, 2 grams total sugars, trace fiber, 9 grams total fat (5 grams saturated), 24 milligrams cholesterol, 119 milligrams sodium.

Not Your Mama's Broccoli Salad is Odom's take on a classic Southern recipe. (Aaliyah Man for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution/food styling by C.W. Cameron)

Not Your Mama’s Broccoli Salad

• 6½ cups bite-size broccoli florets (about 1 pound)
• 1 tablespoon pure olive oil
• ½ teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt
• ½ cup mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons liquid from Pickled Onions (see recipe)
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 8 slices cooked bacon, crumbled
• 1 cup matchstick carrots
• ½ cup Pickled Onions (see recipe)
• ⅓ cup golden raisins
• ⅓ cup chopped roasted salted peanuts

1. Heat oven to 425 degrees.
2. Arrange broccoli florets in an even layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with oil and sprinkle with salt. Toss evenly to coat. Bake until bright green and starting to turn golden on the edges, 10 to 12 minutes.
3. Remove broccoli from oven and let cool completely on baking sheet.
4. While broccoli is cooling: in a medium bowl, whisk mayonnaise, liquid from pickled onions and sugar until sugar dissolves, about 1 minute.
5. In a large bowl combine cooked broccoli, bacon, carrots, pickled onions, raisins and peanuts.
6. Pour mayonnaise mixture over salad and toss well to coat.
7. Serve immediately or refrigerate for up to 4 hours.

Serves 6.

Per serving: 333 calories (percent of calories from fat, 66), 10 grams protein, 19 grams carbohydrates, 13 grams total sugars, 3 grams fiber, 25 grams total fat (5 grams saturated), 21 milligrams cholesterol, 557 milligrams sodium.

Pickled Onions

• ¾ cup red wine vinegar
• ¾ cup water
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt
• 1 medium red onion, thinly sliced

1. In a medium saucepan, bring vinegar, water, sugar and salt to a boil over medium-high heat. Whisk to dissolve sugar and salt. When dissolved, remove from heat.
2. Arrange onion slices in a 4-cup heatproof liquid measuring cup. Pour hot liquid over onions.
3. Let cool to room temperature.
4. Transfer to a container, cover and refrigerate at least 8 hours or up to 10 days.

Makes 2 cups pickled onions.

Per ¼ cup onions: 34 calories (percent of calories from fat, 1), trace protein, 8 grams carbohydrates, 7 grams total sugars, trace fiber, trace total fat (no saturated fat), no cholesterol, 145 milligrams sodium.

In her new cookbook, Ivy Odom writes that she makes her Pumpkin Whoopie Pies (left) every October. They are shown here with Cast Iron S’mores Dip (right), another recipe in the book. (Robbie Caponetto, courtesy of Ivy Odom/Abrams)

Pumpkin Whoopie Pies