How to make Dolly Parton's mac and cheese, 2 more beloved recipes
Plus, learn why she chose "Good Lookin' Cookin'" as the title.
Whenever country music superstar Dolly Parton walks into her sister Rachel Parton George's kitchen, she says she sings, "Hey, good lookin', what ya got cookin'?"
That same playful phrase -- a line from Hank Williams' hit song "Hey, Good Lookin'" -- served as inspiration for the title of the pair's new joint cookbook, "Good Lookin' Cookin': A Year of Meals -- A Lifetime of Family, Friends, and Food."
The 11-time Grammy Award-winning singer and her songwriting sister joined "Good Morning America" on Tuesday to showcase some tasty recipes straight from the pages of their new cookbook.
Parton told "GMA" that the impetus for writing this book stemmed from how they "grew up with all these wonderful Southern women cooking all this great food -- Rachel's a great cook and she's really like the star of the family as far as the cooking -- and I thought why don't we just write a cookbook?"
The daughters were two of 12 kids and Parton said that growing up on a farm where they grew, cooked and even canned their own food meant collectively coming together in the kitchen for "breakfast, dinner and supper."
"We actually learned to cook early on because mama was always having babies," she said with a laugh, "as the girls grew up we took over the cooking."
Parton even hinted that with their combined talents performing and cooking, "we have talked about" doing a cooking show.
Her younger sister added, "We wanted to get the book up and released and we have talked about [a cooking show] and it could happen."
"I think Rachel would be wonderful on a cooking show. Course I'm a little busy to do a full time cooking show, but I'd certainly be a good guest any time she called me on," Parton said with a smile.
"GMA" anchors Robin Roberts, George Stephanopoulos and Michael Strahan each selected a favorite dish for Parton to share in tandem with the book's debut.
Check out the full recipes below.
Southern Green Beans
"Green beans have always been a part of our lives. We grew them, pick them, can them, and eat them while growing up. A lot of them. The only thing we had more of was potatoes! We also cooked our green beans a long time. That's just the way it was done then, and the way we do it now."
Ingredients
8 slices bacon
Olive oil, as needed
2 pounds fresh whole green beans
1 medium onion, quarter top to bottom
32-ounce carton chicken stock
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
Directions
In a large cast-iron skillet, fry the bacon over medium heat until crispy, 8 to 10 minutes. Drain it on a paper towel lined plate until cool, Then chop it. Reserve 1/4 cup of the bacon grease, adding olive oil if you don't have enough to equal 1/4 cup.
Wash the green beans and drain them in a colander. Pat them dry and trim the ends. Snap them in half to make bite-size pieces.
Place the green beans in a large pot. Add bacon grease, onion, chicken stock, salt, pepper, garlic powder and onion powder. Bring to a boil, stir, and lower the heat to medium for a gentle boil for 1 hour. Remove the lid and gently stir. Taste for seasoning. Cook for 30 minutes more without the lid to allow the liquid to reduce.
Transfer the green beans to a serving bowl. Top with the chopped bacon and serve.
Mac and Cheese
Makes: 6 to 8 servings
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 35 minutes
"There's nothing quite like a good old bowl of mac and cheese. Neither one of us can think of anyone we know who doesn't like mac and cheese, and we certainly love it. Ours is made with a variety of cheeses, but we had to include a little Velveeta -- ultimately, that's what makes this version so creamy and good."
Ingredients
Butter, for greasing
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups elbow macaroni
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
2 1/2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup whole milk, room temperature
1/2 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 teaspoon mustard powder
8-ounce block Velveeta, cubed
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 F. Grease a 9-by-13-inch baking pan with butter.
Place a large saucepan of water over medium heat, add the salt, and bring it to a boil. Add the macaroni and cook for 2 to 3 minutes less than indicated on the package. Don't overcook and don't rinse. Drain the macaroni well in a colander, return it to the pot, and add the olive oil. Gently stir to coat so the macaroni doesn't stick together.
Set aside 1/4 cup of the shredded cheddar and 1/4 cup of the shredded Monterey Jack for topping.
In a large bowl, use a wooden spoon to combine the eggs, milk, sour cream, butter and mustard powder. Add the Velveeta, remaining cheddar and remaining Monterey Jack, stirring well. Add the macaroni to the mixture and stir until well combined and the macaroni is nicely coated.
Transfer the mixture to the prepared pan, spreading it evenly, and sprinkle the top with the reserved cheddar and Monterey Jack cheeses. Bake until the cheeses are bubbly, 20 to 25 minutes.
Remove from the oven and let rest for 15 to 20 minutes to thicken before serving.
Barbecue Ribs
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 2 hours, 5 minutes
Makes: 6 to 8 servings
"We love ribs. And though it may be a surprise to see, pickling spices work sort of like a marinade -- it's a wonderful thing. Using the spices when you pre-cook the ribs makes the meat incredibly tender, and the ribs are already cooked through by the time they hit the grill. Putting them on the grill over a flame brings out even more of the flavor and adds some nice caramelization, too. And the spices work with either beef or pork!"
Ingredients
Ribs
3 to 4 pounds beef or pork ribs
1.5-ounce container McCormick Pickling Spice (you should be able to find this in the spice or canning section of your local store)
Seasoning blend
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon sugar
Barbecue sauce
1 cup store-bought barbecue sauce
1/2 cup sweet chili sauce (we like Mae Ploy)
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
Directions
To prepare the ribs, cut them into portions small enough to fit into a large pot.
Add 8 cups of water and pickling spice to a large pot and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Remove the pot from the heat, cover, and let steep for 10 minutes. Add the ribs; If needed, add more water until they are covered.
Return the pot to medium-high heat, uncovered. Bring to a boil, lower the heat to medium, cover and continue cooking for 30 minutes. Turn the ribs in the water and continue cooking 30 minutes more.
Turn down the heat to low and simmer for another 30 minutes (1 1/2 hours total). Low and slow is the way to cook ribs -- either pork or beef -- otherwise the meat won't be nice and tender.
Meanwhile, make the seasoning blend. In a small bowl, combine the garlic powder, Cajun seasoning, onion powder, salt, pepper, and sugar. Set aside.
Next, make the barbecue sauce. In a medium bowl, combine the barbecue sauce, chili sauce and Worcestershire until smooth. Set aside.
Remove the ribs from the pot and place them on a serving plate or platter. Sprinkle with the seasoning blend, turning to coat both sides. Baste with the barbecue sauce on all sides.
Preheat the grill to medium-high heat. When it's ready, place the ribs on the grill and turn every 5 minutes, reapplying barbecue sauce each time, for a total of 15 minutes.
The ribs will be nicely glazed with a slightly charred flavor.
More 'GMA' kitchen picks
Good Lookin' Cookin': A Year of Meals - A Lifetime of Family, Friends, and Food
- $22.04
- $35.00
- Amazon
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