Spatula Diaries: LSU tailgate recipe for blue cheese coleslaw

Blue cheese coleslaw photo by Maggie Heyn Richardson

I am a huge, huge coleslaw fan.

Given a choice between coleslaw and potato salad, I’d choose the former every time. I love the crunch of the cabbage. I love the range of dressings, from creamy to vinegary. I love to experiment with old-fashioned, church supper versions steeped in mayonnaise-y simplicity, as well as modern takes that incorporate stone fruits or Asian flavors. I love slapping coleslaw on a hot dog or a pulled pork sandwich. And I love when the homemade barbecue sauce on my smoked baby back ribs seeps into the adjacent pile of slaw on my plate.

With Labor Day right around the corner and the fall football season nearly upon us, it’s time to get into a slaw routine. It’s incredibly easy to make at home with fresh ingredients, and a lot cheaper than using packaged cabbage and bottled dressing.

Here’s my go-to formula for a creamy tangy slaw topped with blue cheese crumbles. If you’re not a fan of blue cheese, just leave it out. You’ll love it either way.

Blue Cheese Slaw

Serves 8-10

1 small green Savoy cabbage, sliced very thin to make about 8-10 cups
1 red bell pepper, sliced thin
2 tablespoons minced yellow onion
½ cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon mustard (any kind)
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon celery seeds
1 cup blue cheese crumbles

Place trimmed cabbage, bell pepper and onion in a large bowl. In a small bowl, whisk mayonnaise and next four ingredients. Pour onto cabbage mixture and toss well. Add ¾ cup blue cheese crumbles. Taste, and correct as necessary with salt and pepper. Top serving bowl with remaining blue cheese and serve.

Maggie Heyn Richardson is a regular 225 contributor and the author of the new book, Hungry for Louisiana, An Omnivore’s Journey. Reach her through her website, hungryforlouisiana.com.