This Dolly Parton-Approved Macaroni Salad Swaps Vinegar For A Tangy Combo

There are probably as many recipes for macaroni salad as there are cooks making it. Some call for vinegar and oil, mayonnaise, or mustard as a dressing base, and others include everything from relish to yogurt to ranch. And that's just the liquid part, never mind the vegetables or other add-ins to make a unique dish. When you want a tangy salad, vinegar is usually the go-to ingredient, but a cookbook put out by Dollywood back in the 1980s suggested a less traditional approach with milk, mayo, and sour cream.

This particular recipe is not specifically Dolly Parton's own, but it was published in a book called "Dollywood presents Tennessee Mountain Home Cooking." It's attributed to a cook named Judy Ferguson, and it calls for a half cup each of mayonnaise and sour cream, as well as a quarter cup each of milk and pickle relish. The relish isn't technically part of the dressing, but it is combined with the other ingredients in the end, adding sweetness and acidity to the finished dish. The sour cream, mayo, and relish combo, along with grated onion, makes for a zippy element that ensures vinegar isn't needed.

When the ingredients are mixed for the dressing, it is fairly thin. There is a creaminess there, thanks to the mayonnaise and sour cream, but the milk dilutes it significantly. However, it's worth remembering that the directions call for this to be refrigerated overnight before serving. That means a good portion of the liquid is going to soak into the pasta. The final dish comes out very creamy and satisfying.

We've written before about how sour cream is the secret to a tangy macaroni salad. It's a milder ingredient than vinegar, but it adds more body. The dish is smooth and flavorful with a subtle twist, fitting well with many of the other foods Parton seems to enjoy.

We have covered some of Dolly Parton's other favorite dishes before, and there's a clear theme that this macaroni salad fits. She likes hot dogs topped with coleslaw, dishes like stone soup, and Southern-fried apples. You'll see that a lot of her most loved dishes have the simplicity of a traditional macaroni salad, and then a little twist thrown in for fun to make it something memorable and out of the ordinary.

Not everything that Parton likes throws a curveball, though. Her favorite catfish recipe is simply crusted with cornmeal and seasoning, then baked until crispy. She's said her favorite dessert at Dollywood is the funnel cake, and when it comes to fast food, Parton is a fan of the Burger King Whopper.

A lot of Parton's favorites, including the macaroni salad, wouldn't be considered health food by most, but she doesn't pretend otherwise. It's clear she has a fondness for simple, tasty recipes that make you feel good when you eat them. You can't ask for much more than that out of any dish.