Cole Slaw (KFC Copycat Recipe)

A good cole slaw is a must-have for any picnic. Personally, I love fresh raw cabbage, so a well-made cole slaw is one of my absolute favorite things.  But, prior to this past 4th of July weekend, I had never attempted it from scratch before.

So after hunting around on the internet, I came up with this recipe, which I found on Amanda’s Cookin’, but which is also posted on various other websites. This recipe happens to be a KFC cole slaw copycat recipe, and an excellent one at that. Make it the day before you want to serve it, and leave it in the fridge overnight to let the flavors mingle. You won’t regret it. Seriously, this is some good cole slaw, I got nothing but complements.



Ingredients:


Dressing

• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1/4 cup buttermilk (* to make your own buttermilk, and avoid having to buy it for a mere ¼ cup’s worth, add 1 tbls of lemon juice or white vinegar to 1 C milk and let clabber at room temp for about 10 minutes until thickened)
• 2 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice (this is separate from any lemon juice you use to clabber the milk)
• 1 1/2 tablespoons white vinegar (this is separate from any vinegar you use to clabber the milk)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper

Slaw
1 head of cabbage, medium sized
1 medium carrot, about 1/4 cup, chopped finely or shredded
2 tablespoons minced onion

Directions:

1. Chop cabbage into chunks and run through your food processor, or chop fine. I prefer just chopping it semi-fine, as you can see from the pics. The variation in cabbage piece size adds a difference in texture that I personally enjoy, but that is a matter for your own preference. If you don’t want to process or chop the cabbage, you can also shred it by using the largest holes on your grater. And if you’re really in a pinch, you can use the premixed bag of slaw, and just add the onion and dressing. Although, as with everything else, fresh always tastes a little bit better.
2. Combine cabbage, carrots, and onion and toss well. If you want more carrots, go ahead and add more.
3. Let ¼ C milk clabber if need be.
4. Combine mayo, milk, buttermilk, sugar, lemon juice, vinegar, salt and pepper in a large bowl, whisking well.
5. Pour dressing over the slaw and turn to coat well. If you have a bowl with a lid, cover it and shake it.
6. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours before serving to allow the cabbage to soak up the marinade. Overnight really is best. When you take it out the next day to serve, remix it, a lot of the dressing will have pooled on the bottom.

It didn't occur to me to take a picture of the cole slaw until I was eating it. Oops.  Right next to it is a little of the pasta salad I also made for the 4th of July... As you can see, I chopped the veggies roughly, because I like that texture. How you want to chop the cabbage and carrots is totally up to you.

This recipe makes a great cole slaw that can easily be scaled up for a large crowd. It is tasty and surprisingly light in flavor while still having a bit of a tang. The leftovers kept well for several days after the picnic.