You may not believe this, but I was mixing up a batch of my favorite coleslaw this afternoon (KFC Copycat Coleslaw) and while I was mixing and grating and stirring in the kitchen, I thought hmmm….a post about coleslaw recipes might be good to write about.
Then I began thinking about some of my kitchen gadgets and thought hmmm…a post about kitchen gadgets might be interesting too – and THEN I was going through my spice cupboard – yes, a cupboard (I have a lot of spices)– and I wondered how much I could share with all of you, my loyal readers, about spices. So this, then is the first of the three – coleslaw.
I love coleslaw. My mother’s coleslaw had some apple in it – I liked the apple but it tends to turn brown, even if you douse it with lemon juice. Two of my Aunt Annie’s slaw recipes are in the family cookbook and I know how good they are. Hot vinegar dressing is one of my favorites. My son Steve’s recipe for creamy slaw is also in the family cookbook—these are good recipes so I am going to share them with you—
And invite YOU to share YOUR favorite coleslaw recipe with ME. (Some of these recipes may have appeared in my post about make-ahead salads but coleslaw, don’t you think, belongs in a class all its own?)
MY personal favorite is the KFC Copycat coleslaw and I have been addicted to it since the first time I ever tasted it. Maybe the only thing better is a bucket of coleslaw from KFC; I could eat a big carton of it by myself. And if you are from Ohio, you absolutely have to have coleslaw with barbecued beef or pork on a bun…AND you will spoon a goodly amount of the coleslaw ON the hamburger bun. It’s not an authentic BBQ sandwich without that addition of coleslaw. Ok, that may be an Ohio or Cincinnati kind of food thing.
KFC COPYCAT COLE SLAW
To make KFC copycat coleslaw you will need:
8 cups finely chopped cabbage (about 1 head)
¼ cup shredded carrot (1 medium)
2 TBSP minced onion
1/3 cup granulated sugar
½ tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper (white pepper if you have it)
½ cup buttermilk
½ cup mayonnaise *we prefer Best Foods/Hellman’s
1½ TBSP white vinegar
2½ TBSP lemon juice
Combine sugar, salt, pepper, buttermilk, mayonnaise, vinegar and lemon juice in a large bowl. Whisk until smooth. Add cabbage, carrots and onion. Mix well. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours before serving. Keeps for weeks in the refrigerator!)
(Sandy’s cooknote: if you use one of those packages of coleslaw mix you can skip the cabbage and carrot and just add chopped onion to the mix. I also like to double all the dressing ingredients because we like our coleslaw a little on the soupy side).
To make AUNT ANNIE’S SLAW you will need:
1 head cabbage, shredded
1 carrot, shredded,
Salt & pepper to taste
1 tsp celery seed
1 cup Hellman’s/Best Foods mayonnaise
1 TBSP sugar
3 TBSP vinegar
3 TBSP water
Mix together. (Aunt Annie didn’t mince words)
To make Aunt Annie’s HOT VINEGAR DRESSING FOR SLAW/LETTUCE you will need:
½ LB BACON, DICED
½ CUP VINEGAR
½ CUP WATER
1 TBSP SUGAR
SALT & PEPPER TO TASTE
Fry diced bacon until crisp. Take out Bacon, leave Fat in skillet. Add vinegar, water, sugar, salt and pepper; bring to a boil; pour over slaw. Top with bacon pieces.
To make STEVE’S CREAMY SLAW you will need:
4 cups finely shredded cabbage
1 tsp salt
3 TBSP sugar
½ cup whipping cream
5 TBSP vinegar
2 TBSP green onion tops, (optional)
Shred cabbage; sprinkle with salt and sugar, and then pound well with a potato masher. Pour cream over and mix well. Add vinegar and onion and mix again. Makes 6 to 8 servings.
**
I found old paperback cookbook published in 1954, when you could buy a paperback (then often called a pocket book which I believe was a trademark name) for 35 cents. This was a collection of salad recipes compiled Marye Dahnke, who was at that time the head of the Consumer Service Department of Kraft Foods. Although I have enough salad cookbooks to fill several shelves, the recipes aren’t always what I am looking for. What am I searching for? Recipes that are fairly simple to make, with ingredients you are likely to have in your kitchen cupboard or pantry. So, here are several recipes from Marye Dahnke’s Salad Book:
To make SPECIAL COLESLAW you will need:
½ cup mayonnaise or salad dressing
1 TBSP tarragon vinegar
1 tsp prepared mustard
¼ cup cream
½ tsp salt
Dash of seasoning salt
Dash of black pepper
1 cup shredded red cabbage
1 cup shredded green cabbage
Lettuce
Combine the mayonnaise or salad dressing, vinegar, mustard, cream and seasonings. Add half of this dressing to the red cabbage and half of the dressing to the green cabbage, and toss lightly. Chill well and serve on crisp lettuce in individual salad bowls.
(Marye notes that the color contrast of red and green cabbage served in individual bowls makes this salad just right for a party. My thought was–what a great salad to have on hand for a Christmas party (Red? Green?).
To make COLESLAW SUPREME you will need:
1 cup thick sour cream
3 TBSP lemon juice
1 tsp finely minced green onion
1 tsp prepared mustard
1 tsp celery seed
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp salt
Dash of freshly ground pepper
4 cups shredded cabbage
Combine all ingredients except the cabbage. Blend well. Pour over cabbage and toss lightly until well blended. Makes 8 servings.
(Marye notes that those who claim that sour cream dressing is the best for coleslaw will be delighted with this recipe).
**
This following recipe Hot Coleslaw is a departure from most of the old-time vinegar and bacon fat dressings in that it contains sour cream. It’s a recipe you might want to try for something different. To make Hot Coleslaw you will need:
4 cups shredded cabbage
2 cups sour cream
½ cup sliced green olives
¼ cup vinegar
1 TBSP sugar
1 tsp celery seed
1 tsp salt
Dash of freshly ground pepper
Combine all ingredients in a saucepan. Heat slowly, tossing constantly. Simmer for 2 minutes. Serve immediately.
*Sandy’s Cooknote: It’s Hellman’s Mayonnaise EAST of the Mississippi and Best Foods WEST of the Mississippi. It’s just about the only brand of mayonnaise we use in my family.
Happy Cooking!
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