And yes I know! After you peruse the recipe listed below, you are undoubtedly going to be saying to yourself that it looks like a strange combination of ingredients for a coleslaw. Well, at least the butter, peanuts, and Parmesan part. But there are times when you just have to trust me, and this is one of those times.

I have been making this salad now for more than 20 years. And I can hear what you’re thinking.  “If that’s the case, why have you waited so long to publish the recipe?” Well I guess my only excuse is that I have been busy sharing other recipes with you. And let’s be honest. Not everyone is as enamored with slaw as I am or you are. (You’re reading this recipe, so obviously you like coleslaw too.) So how come you are publishing it now you ask?

Well, it all started because I needed a slaw to serve yesterday with chili. (You really need to serve something crunchy with chili and cornbread, or your guests might as well check their dentures at the door!) So with crunchy and delicious in mind, this old favorite jumped into my brain along with one of my favorite cookbook related memories.

I was still working in HR at the time I self-published my first cookbook which included this recipe. One day I was sitting in my cube minding my own business, when a fellow associate burst through my “door”* jumping up and down with excitement. Apparently she and her teenage daughter had prepared this salad the evening before and her whole family had loved it. She must have thanked me 5 times before she left my cube. I was exhausted by the time she returned to her office and I hadn’t even lifted my carcass off my chair!

So if a good coleslaw excites you too, this is one you simply must try. It’s delicious, and all of the slaw can be prepared ahead of time (even the day before) except for the last minute addition of fried peanuts and finely grated Parmesan cheese.

*And for those of you who don’t know what a work cubicle (cube) “door” looks like, allow me to elucidate. It looks like air! A cubicle door is merely an opening in a small partitioned, low walled work space, through which anyone can enter any old time they choose, and not a single secret can be hidden either from view or from auditory perception. In other words, doorknobs need not apply! Enjoy the slaw.

• 4 c. shredded green cabbage
• 1 c. shredded red cabbage
• 1 c. finely chopped celery
• ½ c. sour cream
• ½ c. light mayonnaise
• ½ tsp. seasoned salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• ¼ c. thinly sliced green onions
• ¼ c. chopped red bell pepper
• ½ English cucumber, partially peeled, seeded, and cubed
• 1 T. chopped Italian parsley
• 1 T. butter
• ½ to ¾ c. lightly salted peanuts, coarsely chopped
• 2 T. finely shredded Parmesan cheese

Combine cabbage and celery in a large salad bowl. Cover and refrigerate. Mix sour cream, mayonnaise, salt, pepper, green onions, red pepper, cucumber, and parsley together. Cover and refrigerate. Just before serving, melt butter in a small sauté pan. Add peanuts and stir fry until lightly browned. Remove from heat and stir in cheese. Toss chilled vegetables, dressing, and peanuts together. Serve immediately.