Dolly Parton loved to cook. Here are her best tricks for fluffier eggs, better cornbread, and more.

After I interviewed Dolly Parton for the first time, I made her cornbread for my family. It was the first point my dada mentioned erstwhile I shared the news that she had died connected Tuesday.

"I retrieve her cornbread," he replied. "Food brings backmost bully memories pinch people."

Maybe that's why I've spent the past time reasoning truthful overmuch astir the Dolly dishes I've made complete the years, and each the things she taught maine astir cooking during our interviews.

It only seemed correct to compile them each successful 1 spot successful grant of the queen of state music.

Dolly Parton typically kept her recipes simple, but she loved to see a typical ingredient

Parton told maine that she loved whipping up "mashed potatoes, coleslaw, and a large ol' hunk of cornbread" for her goddaughter Miley Cyrus, truthful I asked if she had immoderate tips for making cornbread astatine home.

Her secret: bacon grease.

"When I make my things from scratch astatine home, I put a small spot of brackish and capsicum and bacon grease successful the dough," she said. "That is very Southern."

Parton besides amazed maine erstwhile she revealed that she made her mac and food pinch fried apples dusted pinch cinnamon. She came up pinch the crockery 1 nighttime erstwhile she didn't person a batch of supplies successful the fridge.

"I conscionable retrieve I sewage my macaroni out, and of people I cooked that pinch the food and 2 aliases 3 different types of cheeses — a batch of shredded cheddar cheese, and I utilized immoderate Velveeta," she added. "And I conscionable retrieve having immoderate fried apples that had travel retired of different bid of nutrient from somewhere, and I thought, 'Well, there's immoderate apples! That's a awesome sensation combination.'"

Parton besides had a much classical mac and food recipe, which you tin find here.

Parton's hack for making scrambled eggs is besides easy to replicate

When I asked Parton really to make a great sheet of scrambled eggs, she told maine that each you request is simply a small spot of water.

"Somebody told maine this one, and it works," she said. "When you ace your eggs successful the bowl, put a fewer drops of crystal water. That makes them fluffier — it really does!"

Parton besides recommended utilizing bacon grease successful a scramble. She loved her bacon grease!

Parton wrote a cookbook pinch her sister, Rachel Parton George

When I past said pinch Parton successful 2023, she told maine she was astir to merchandise "Good Lookin' Cookin'" pinch her sister.

"We some emotion to cook, and we grew up eating and cooking the things that mama utilized to cook," Parton said. "We get successful the room each the clip and travel up pinch caller recipes."

"Good Lookin' Cookin'," which came retired successful September 2024, is divided into 12 sections, each representing a period of the year. My favourite is the Thanksgiving chapter, wherever Parton and her sister shared their recipes for Southern staples.

Here are their recipes for sweet murphy casserole and mashed potatoes.

Parton believed fried chickenhearted was the 1 crockery everyone should study really to make for a successful marriage

Parton and her husband, Carl Dean, were joined for much than 50 years. Naturally, I had to inquire if she had a dish that was bully for marriage.

"I deliberation everybody should really cognize really to make bully fried chicken," she told me. "I emotion bully fried chickenhearted pinch coleslaw."

"Make judge your batter is good, adhd immoderate flour and immoderate capsicum and salt," she continued. "I put a small other capsicum connected mine. And past you conscionable dunk it successful your lipid aliases grease, immoderate you navigator with."

Parton told maine she loved cooking for Dean, who died successful 2025. She'd whip up French toast pinch bacon aliases gravy and biscuits for breakfast, while meal could beryllium chickenhearted and dumplings ("My specialty," she said) aliases pork chops pinch greenish peas and mashed potatoes.

"I conscionable navigator immoderate comes to mind and immoderate I'm successful the temper for," she said. "I tin navigator immoderate of it!"

When Parton wasn't cooking, she loved going done fast-food drive-thrus. Taco Bell was a favorite.

Before my first question and reply pinch Parton, I had unearthed a quote wherever she talked astir enjoying Taco Bell pinch Dean. So erstwhile we sewage to chat, I asked for her accustomed order.

"Well, I for illustration soft-shell tacos. I for illustration the others, but they autumn isolated truthful bad, particularly if you're riding around," she said. "And I get an bid of atom and beans, and I get mild sauce. But they utilized to make a small Mexican pizza, which is besides good."

"They took it away, actually, and the fans are still really angry," I told her. "Do you deliberation they should bring it back?"

"I deliberation they should!" Parton said. "I deliberation they should!"

Three months later, Taco Bell announced the Mexican Pizza was coming back, and Parton participated successful a musical to observe its return.

I still see this national 1 of my top contributions to the world.