So, today you’re in luck. We’re having a big group of friends over tonight, which is a pretty normal occurrence around here. Most of our friends work for other organizations and are lacking in the full on house/kitchen department, so our place is where people like to come to chill out and get fed well. When we designed the house we actually factored this into things and planned a big open kitchen/dining/living room space because of the hosting thing. I’m so glad we did.
As I was starting to prepare stuff for tonight I realized it was a great opportunity to share some great recipes with you. And then I realized this meant taking pictures while I cook. I’m not used to having to stop in between steps to take pictures, frame things up, and see what works and what doesn’t. To top it off I literally had to blow dust off my camera bag because I’m pretty sure that I haven’t had it out of the bag since March. And then I had to remember how to use it. I wish I was exaggerating here. And after the pictures came the editing. Um, apparently I haven’t edited pictures in a long time either, because I had to actually go onto YouTube to watch a couple of videos to remind myself how to use the software… But, BUT, I figured it all out and realized I hadn’t forgotten as much as I thought I had. #thestruggleisreal
Most of our friends that are coming over tonight are from the southern US, Alabama to be exact. One time I made BBQ chicken, cornbread and a side of mac and cheese and they said they felt like they were home. Which is ironic because I’ve never actually been to the southern US and had authentic southern BBQ and the fixings. When I feed a crowd I’ve learned to try and do something simple, but tasty, and stuff that means I can prep a lot ahead and enjoy visiting when people are actually here. So, tonight we’re having BBQ chicken, cornbread, potato salad and coleslaw. (Did I mention the fact that it’s 102* here today? No? Oh…)
I need to be honest here and tell you that I typically hate coleslaw. In fact, I only eat my own coleslaw. No offence to other coleslaw makers, but there is a lot of bad coleslaw out there. I feel like it’s one of those things that people make and you either like it or you don’t. There’s a reason that you only get a small little cup of it as a side in restaurants. Most of the time I feel like coleslaw is too vinegary. It’s just too much. Granted, I have a more sensitive palate than some, but still.
So, if I dislike coleslaw so much why on earth did I go through the effort to make a recipe for coleslaw?
Honestly, I don’t even know.
There was probably some kind of dinner way back when I needed to make food stretch and I had a head of cabbage, some carrots and I decided to make coleslaw. But I put a spin on it so I would actually want to eat it, and I’m not joking, I’ve got friends who are just like me – they HATE coleslaw, but they’ll eat mine until they’re licking the bowl.
So what is the difference? When I was putting my first batch of coleslaw together I remembered the recipe for coleslaw dressing that our old camp cook taught me, and her secret was adding a bit of sugar to the mayonnaise based dressing. I knew I liked that, and I figured that if a bit of sugar tasted good, then maybe going crazy and adding something like raisins would kick it up a notch. And I was right. That combination of sweet and tangy with the crunch of the cabbage is what makes it all work so well. I promise you that if you don’t like the run of the mill coleslaw, you will probably like this. And, there’s still a bit of summer going on, so it’s a great time to squeeze in one more bbq.
Coleslaw For People Who Don’t Like Coleslaw
1 small head of cabbage, shredded
1-2 carrots, grated
1 c. raisins
1 c. mayonnaise
2 Tbsp vinegar
2 Tbsp white sugar
1 tsp dill
You want to start by shredding your cabbage…
Then grating in your carrot…
And mixing those together.
Then it’s time for the raisins. Toss those in and mix it all up.
To make the dressing I throw everything into a small bowl or measuring cup…
Then whisk it with a small whisk. You want to take a finger dip taste to see how things are. Add more sugar or vinegar to your liking.
Pour it over the cabbage, carrots and raisins…
And mix it all together.
Now, you definitely want to make this ahead of time, by at least an hour or two. When you toss the dressing on it’s going to seem like it barely coats everything, but that’s a good thing. The vinegar and sugar are going to work together to break things down a bit and make the juices run, so it will get wetter. Also, making it ahead gives the dressing time to mix with the raisins and pull more sweetness out. When you’re tasting remember this and even though you might want to add more sugar I would suggest holding off because the raisins will sweeten things up some more.
This stuff is great the first day, but it’s amazing the second day. I love it on it’s own, piled alongside bbq chicken, but honestly, my very favorite? Two words. Slaw. Dog. Pile that on a hotdog with nothing else but the bun. Seriously. The sweet, savory, crunch, hot dogginess… Oh my.
Do you love coleslaw or hate it? Let me know if you try this out and how you like it.
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