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The subreddit “Old Recipes” feels like rummaging through your grandma’s recipe box. There’s an excitement of not knowing what’s coming next, from handwritten notes to cooking wisdom from another time. Recipes in the forum frequently go viral, breathing new life into forgotten favorites like Big Mama’s Secret Cinnamon Roll Poke Cake, refrigerator cookies, and Creme Bastarde. And sometimes a Dolly Parton hidden gem resurfaces.
A few months ago, one user posted the magazine-clipped recipe for her great-grandmother’s coleslaw. The recipe author? Tennessee’s finest, Dolly Parton. The recipe originally appeared in the 1986 cookbook Cooking With Country Music Stars, which also includes recipes from country stars such as Reba McEntire, Tammy Wynette, and George Strait.
As we know, Dolly Parton’s been in the recipe game for decades, and the country superstar has shared her love of Southern cooking in more ways than one, from the beloved baking mixes with Duncan Hines to her new single-serve freezer meals to Good Lookin’ Cookin’, a cookbook written with her sister Rachel Parton George.
But what makes this Dolly Parton recipe such an incredible find is the why-didn’t-we-think-of-that secret ingredient. Like her genius scrambled eggs hack, this coleslaw twist is a game-changer.
How to Make Dolly Parton’s Coleslaw
Dolly’s coleslaw recipe is unique because of one surprising addition: sweet pickle juice. The juice adds a tangy punch to the creamy coleslaw, a delightful twist to the Southern side dish. The original Reddit poster commented that their great-grandmother “used to make [the recipe] growing up” and that “[i]f you like quick pickled veggies—it’s in that vein.”
Dolly’s coleslaw takes only 10 to 12 minutes to prepare and serves 10 to 12 people. (We wish all recipes had an equal prep-to-serving size ratio!) In addition to pickle juice, Dolly adds ingredients such as sugar, onion, dill pickle relish, white vinegar, and bell pepper to her cabbage, mixing everything together in a bowl.
ALLRECIPES / JULIA HARTBECK
Tips for Making Dolly Parton’s Coleslaw
Other users on Reddit chimed in with suggestions for the recipe like subbing full-fat Greek yogurt for the mayo or using fresh ginger instead of raw onion. The original poster also wrote that the vinegar, pickles, and pickle juice can be adjusted based on preference.
So the next time you’re invited to a cookout and need to bring a side dish, chop up some cabbage, grab that pickle jar, and break out the Tupperware. Dolly’s tangy coleslaw has you covered.
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