Chef John Besh‘s book, Besh Big Easy, is full of easy-to-make recipes. The kind that I like. Southern- and Louisiana-inspired. Take this wonderful country coleslaw. It has your ‘usual’ ingredients, but with a twist (to me, at least). I’ve never had sweet pickle relish in a slaw, and I found it to be absolutely fantastic. So is the addition of rice wine vinegar. Great flavors out of such a simple dish. That’s key.
Spice It Up!
I wouldn’t be afraid to add fresh jalapeno rings to this country coleslaw. My wife would tell me to not do it, though. I’d have to add it to my bowl and just enjoy the heat on my own. For more heat, try my firecracker slaw.
I almost always use Blue Plate mayonnaise in the dishes I make. I think it is the best around. If you can’t find it locally you can pick it up online for a fair price.
This slaw has your ‘usual’ ingredients, but with a twist (to me, at least). I’ve never had sweet pickle relish in a slaw, and I found it to be absolutely fantastic. So is the addition of rice wine vinegar. Great flavors out of such a simple dish. That’s key.
My wife and I recently had a great lunch at the Aquarium Restaurant located at the Opry Mills shopping center in Nashville, Tennessee. One of my favorite dishes was their firecracker slaw. It had a great balsamic vinaigrette with a great spicy kick. I decided right then and there to attempt to make a copycat of the slaw when we returned home. And I did. And it was delicious!
A Slaw With A Kick
My version of Firecracker slaw is very close to the one we had at the Aquarium Restaurant. I believe the only differences are that they might have used a white balsamic vinegar (my slaw was darker), and I’m not 100% sure their version contained mustard. Mine is absolutely fantastic, though, and I’ll make it again.
Citrus in a slaw (and even a potato salad) can really change how it tastes, giving it a lighter, summer-like feel. The addition of a sweet onion also makes this Charleston-style coleslaw different than your traditional mayonnaise-based slaw. I like the crunch of the Vidalia sweet onion and the crispness of the cabbage and carrots in the slaw. But if Vidalia onions aren’t in season, just substitute regular ole sweet onion.
A Different Approach To Slaw
Add a few minced jalapenos for a little extra kick in your Charleston-style coleslaw. And for a sweeter variation, add a small can of drained pineapple chunks. Small apple pieces would add a nice crunch and flavor too.
I almost always use Blue Plate mayonnaise in the dishes I make. I think it is the best around. If you can’t find it locally you can pick it up online for a fair price.
Citrus in a slaw (and even a potato salad) can really change how it tastes, giving it a lighter, summer-like feel. The addition of a sweet onion also makes this Charleston-style coleslaw different than your traditional mayonnaise-based slaw
Onions and bell peppers in a slaw, with a little vinegar kick and a little sweetness. That’s why this Carolina slaw is so good. And celery seed. I love celery seed (celery seed is one of my favorite ingredients in my Fire Eater rub). I make slaws often, just about any time of the year. They usually keep longer than a green salad. To keep your slaw lasting longer only dress the amount of slaw you are serving for a meal. Keep your leftover dressing separate so your slaw ingredients don’t get soggy overnight. Don’t wait until the last minute to dress it, you do want to give it a little time to get the cabbage and other ingredients ‘happy’.
I’m a huge fan of anything slaw. It’s kinda odd since when I was growing up I couldn’t stand slaw at all. Now, slaw is the one thing I almost always order when eating out. I often make it when cooking at home. And slaw isn’t just a wonderful side. It’s fantastic on top of hot dogs, hamburgers, and best of all, pulled pork or smoked brisket sandwiches. This colorful Mardi Gras slaw is one of the slaws that changed my mind about slaws.
A Wonderful Twist On A Classic Slaw
This recipe for Mardi Gras slaw comes from Marguerite at Cajun Delights, my favorite place for all thing Cajun, from food to music.
I almost always use Blue Plate mayonnaise in the dishes I make. I think it is the best around. If you can’t find it locally you can pick it up online for a fair price.
I’m a huge fan of anything slaw, which is odd since when I was growing up I couldn’t stand slaw at all. Now, slaw is the one thing I almost always order when eating out, and I often make it when cooking at home.
We absolutely loved this Buffalo slaw. It is no doubt one of our favorite non-traditional slaws. It is creamy, and smooth, thanks to mayo, sour cream and blue cheese crumbles. There’s a great celery crunch. There’s just a hint of Buffalo wing sauce flavor. Served cold, this slaw complements any meal, and especially, something hot off of the grill!
Nice And Blue Cheesy
If you find that blue cheese is a bit too strong for you, you can substitute Gorgonzola cheese crumbles. This slaw is great with either. But it does need some tang, some funkiness. So don’t leave it out.
This slaw is great by itself. I also like it on top of a grilled chicken sandwich.
We absolutely loved this Buffalo slaw. It is no doubt one of our favorite non-traditional slaws. It is creamy, and smooth, thanks to mayo, sour cream and blue cheese crumbles.
Man oh man, these grilled Jamaican jerk chicken sandwiches disappeared fast. I used my preferred chicken meat, thighs, instead of breasts, but you can certainly use white meat instead. I would recommend butterflying the breasts or just cutting them thin (and to a consistent thickness so they cook evenly). No matter what you use, these sandwiches are nicely spiced, crazy tender and perfectly moist. I wouldn’t change a thing about them.
Any Good Jerk Marinade Will Do
I used some The Shizzle jerk marinade. It is my favorite. They also make a hot version that I love (it is called Voodoo Hot for a reason!). Their marinade is what makes these grilled Jamaican jerk chicken sandwiches soooo good. Any good store-bought jerk marinade will work just fine in this recipe. You could make your own too, of course!
I picked up a case of Hatch chiles once they were in season last summer. I ended up roasting most of them. They freeze really well. That’s great because I can then use them throughout the rest of the year, in everything from sauces to slaws. Roasted Hatch chile slaw is a sweeter, more mellow version of my roasted poblano slaw. The Hatch chiles add such a great mild chile pepper flavor without a spicy kick. Now, if you prefer spiciness, add a minced jalapeno or two or three.
No Hatch Chiles? Use Green Chiles Instead.
Not everyone has access to fresh Hatch chiles (which is kind of sad, really, because I’ve really fallen in love with cooking with them). You can substitute canned chopped green chiles, or green bell pepper if prefer. Of course you can’t call it roasted Hatch chile slaw if you !
I almost always use Blue Plate mayonnaise in the dishes I make. I think it is the best around. If you can’t find it locally you can pick it up online for a fair price.
To roast the pepper a grill is best, but you can also throw them on a pan under the broiler, turning often, until the skin is nice and charred. Place in a bowl, covered, for 15 minutes then remove the charred skin. Don’t place the roasted peppers under running water, that’ll wash away some of that great roasted flavor.
Roasted Hatch chile slaw is a sweeter, more mellow version of my roasted poblano slaw. The Hatch chiles add such a great mild chile pepper flavor without a spicy kick. Now, if you prefer spiciness, add a minced jalapeno or two or three.
Course Side
Cuisine American
Keyword cole slaw, coleslaw, slaw
Prep Time 15 minutesminutes
Cook Time 5 minutesminutes
Total Time 20 minutesminutes
Servings 6servings
Calories 69kcal
Author Mike
Ingredients
2Hatch chilesif you can’t find any, substitute a 4 ounce can of roasted green chiles and skip the roasting step
Cotija cheesecrumbled, or topping (or substitute crumbled Feta), optional
Instructions
Roast the chiles on your grill or under your broiler until the skin is blackened. Let cool slightly then remove the burnt skin. Remove the seeds and stem and chop.
Place the chiles, cabbage and cilantro into a large bowl. Combine.
In a small bowl, whisk the remaining ingredients not including the cheese.
I fess up when I need to fess up. And I need to fess up. Because when my wife first shared this recipe for an easy Mexican coleslaw with me I expressed skepticism. What’s wrong with my slaw recipes, huh? Do I need lime juice in my slaw? Or beans? Or taco seasoning????
Well, yes, I do. I do need those things. And more. Because I ended up loving this slaw. A lot. So many different flavors and textures. There’s absolutely nothing boring about this slaw. This is slaw re-imagined. At a new level. So, I’m sorry. I was wrong thinking this wouldn’t be a fantastic dish because it was.
Lots of… Stuff
Oh I know the ingredient list for this easy Mexican coleslaw is a bit long. But it is still ‘easy’. In fact it’s crazy easy. Considering the reward, it’s more than worth it too. There’s all sorts of like… healthy things in it too. If you’re looking to really shake up your next picnic or family get together or just a simple grill-out, make this slaw. You’ll be more than happy that you did.
I almost always use Blue Plate mayonnaise in the dishes I make. I think it is the best around. If you can’t find it locally you can pick it up online for a fair price.
In a small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, sour cream, lime juice and taco seasoning.
Add the coleslaw, bell pepper, tomatoes, beans, corn, jalapeno and cilantro to a large bowl.
Stir to combine.
Gently stir in the mayonnaise mixture.
Add salt and pepper, to taste.
Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
Stir before serving.
Serve garnished with additional tomatoes if desired.
Notes
For the corn, we used two ears of fresh corn. I husked them then tossed them on a hot grill, turning often, until nicely roasted. After letting them cool I cut the kernels off with a knife. You can use canned or frozen corn if you prefer. If you wish to roast it, pat dry and put on a baking sheet. Place under the broiler, stirring often, until lightly roasted.
If you’re looking for a fantastic salad to take to your next pitch-in, this crab pasta salad is it. I never before thought about combining them, but coleslaw and pasta really go together really well. You have the creaminess of the pasta contrasted by the crunch and bite of the slaw. Add in crab, and you have something fantastic. And of course, the Old Bay seasoning really kicks it up with a nice spicy flavor.
A Combination That Actually Works
I was very pleasantly surprised with this crab pasta salad. I didn’t really expect the slaw to work so well in this dish. It really got me to thinking about adding slaw in with any cold pasta salad.
I almost always use Blue Plate mayonnaise in the dishes I make. I think it is the best around. If you can’t find it locally you can pick it up online for a fair price.
If you’re looking for a fantastic salad to take to your next pitch-in, this crab pasta salad is it. I never before thought about combining them, but cole slaw and pasta really go together really well.
