Cole Slaw

If you've ever seen a mimicked recipe for KFC Cole Slaw floating around on the Internet, it probably looks like this. It's the one of the most requested recipes in my hotmail box. So, to fulfill all those requests, and to stake claim to a recipe that's rarely sourced as a JMR original, here's the killer recipe to clone the world's best slaw.

8 cups finely chopped cabbage (about 1 head)
1/4 cup shredded carrot (1 medium carrot)
2 tablespoons minced onion
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1/4 cup milk
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup buttermilk
1 1/2 tablespoons white vinegar
2 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice

1. Be sure cabbage and carrots are chopped up into very fine pieces (about the size of rice).

2. Combine the sugar, salt, pepper, milk, mayonnaise, buttermilk, vinegar, and lemon juice in a large bowl and beat until smooth.

3. Add the cabbage, carrots, and onion, and mix well.

4. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving.

Serves 10-12.

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Extra Tasty Crispy Chicken

In 1971, with KFC now out of his control, Colonel Harland Sanders was approached by the company's new owners, the Heublein Company, with a recipe for a crispier version of the famous fried chicken. The marketing department decided they wanted to call the product "Colonel Sander's New Recipe" but the Colonel would have nothing to do with it. The stern and opinionated founder of the company who had publicly criticized the changes to his secret formulas (he called the revised mashed potatoes in a newspaper interview "wallpaper paste"), refused to allow the use of his name on the product. Since the Colonel was an important component of the company's marketing plan, KFC appeased him. The new chicken was then appropriately dubbed "Extra Crispy," and sales were finger-licking good. Now you can reproduce the taste and crunchy breaded texture of the real thing with a marinating process similar to that used by the huge fast-food chain, followed by a double-dipped coating. Unlike the Original Recipe chicken clone which is pressure-cooked in oil, this version is simply deep fried.

1 whole frying chicken, cut up
6-8 cups vegetable oil

Marinade:
4 cups water
1 tablespoon salt
1/2 teaspoon MSG (see Tidbits)

Coating:
1 egg, beaten
1 cup milk
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/2 teaspoons salt
3/4 teaspoon pepper
3/4 teaspoon MSG

1. Trim any excess skin and fat from the chicken pieces. Preheat the oil in a deep-fryer to 350 degrees.

2. Combine the water, salt and MSG for the marinade in a large bowl. Add the chicken to the bowl and let it sit for 20 minutes. Turn the chicken a couple times as it marinates.

3. Combine the beaten egg and milk in a medium bowl. In another medium bowl, combine the remaining coating ingredients (flour, salt, pepper and MSG).

4. When the chicken has marinated, transfer each piece to paper towels so that excess liquid can drain off. Working with one piece at a time, first coat the chicken with the dry flour mixture, then the egg and milk mixture, and then back into the flour. Be sure that each piece is coated very generously. Stack the chicken on a plate or cookie sheet until each piece has been coated.

5. Drop the chicken, one piece at a time into the hot oil. Fry half of the chicken at a time (4 pieces) for 12-15 minutes, or until it is golden brown. You should be sure to stir the chicken around halfway through the cooking time so that each piece cooks evenly.

6. Remove the chicken to a rack or towels to drain for about 5 minutes before eating.

Serves 3-4 (8 pieces of chicken).

JMR Notes: MSG is Monosodium Glutamate, the solid form of a natural amino acid found in many vegetables. It can be found in stores in the spice sections and as the brand name Accent flavor enhancer. MSG is an important component of many KFC items.

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Fat Free version of Cole Slaw

It doesn't get much easier than this. If you like the taste of KFC Cole Slaw, but don't like the 10.5 grams of fat per 3/4 cup serving, you're going to love this recipe. Using fat free Miracle Whip and sugar you can make a guiltless dressing to recreate the taste of the world's most famous cole slaw. The most work you'll do on this one is chopping the cabbage, carrot and onion into tiny, rice-size bits. That's an important step, if you want the texture of the original. Plus, the chopping action may help burn off what little calories you consume eating this original Top Secret Recipes fat free conversion of a fast food favorite.

1 cup fat free Miracle Whip
1/4 cup sugar
8 cups cabbage, finely minced
1/4 cup carrot, shredded then minced
2 tablespoons minced onion

1. Combine Miracle Whip with sugar in a large bowl. Mix well with electric beater until sugar is dissolved.

2. Add cabbage, carrot, and onion, and toss well. Be sure cabbage and carrot are chopped into very small pieces, about the size of rice.

3. Cover and chill for at least two hours before serving.

Serves 8.

Nutrition Facts
Serving size: Approx. 3/4 cup
Total servings: 8
Fat (per serving:-) 0g
Calories (per serving:-) 57

Original
Fat :-(per serving) 10.5g
Calories :-(per serving) 210

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Honey BBQ Wings

Once a regular menu item, these sweet, saucy wings are now added to the KFC menu on a "limited-time-only" basis in many markets. So how are we to get that sticky sauce all over our faces and hands during those many months when we're cruelly denied our Honey BBQ Wings? Now it's as easy as whipping up a mimick that recreates a crispy breading on the chicken wings, and then slathering those puppies in a tasty knock-off of the sweet, tangy honey BBQ sauce.

Sauce:
1 1/4 cup ketchup
1/3 cup white vinegar
1/4 cup molasses
1/4 cup honey
1 teaspoon liquid smoke flavoring
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon chili powder

6-8 cups vegetable oil
20 chicken wing pieces
1 egg, beaten
1 cup milk
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/2 teaspoons salt
3/4 teaspoon pepper
3/4 teaspoon MSG

1. Combine the sauce ingredients in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir until ingredients are well-combined and bring to a boil. Then reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 15-20 minutes.

2. As sauce is simmering, heat up 6 to 8 cups of oil in a deep fryer set to 350 degrees.

3. Combine the beaten egg with the milk in a small bowl.

4. In another small bowl, combine the flour, salt, pepper and MSG.

5. When oil is hot, dip each wing first in the flour mixture, then into the milk and egg mixture, and back into the flour. Arrange wings on a plate until each one is breaded.

6. Fry the wings in the oil for 9-12 minutes or until light, golden brown. If you have a small fryer, you may wish to fry 10 of the wings at a time. Drain on paper towels or a rack.

7. When the sauce is done, brush the entire surface of each wing with a light coating of sauce. Serve immediately.

Makes 2-4 servings (20 wings).

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Macaroni & Cheese

Here's a clone for another of KFC's famous side dishes. We'll use easy-to-melt Velveeta as the main ingredient for the cheese sauce with its very smooth texture. Then a bit of cheddar cheese is added to give the sauce a sharp cheddary zing like the original. It's a very simple recipe that will take only 15 minutes to prepare. That's great news if you're a lazy cook like me who wants to dig right into the tasty vittles.

6 cups water
1 1/3 cups elbow macaroni
4 ounces Velveeta cheese
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
2 tablespoons whole milk
1/4 teaspoon salt

1. Bring water to a boil over high heat in a medium saucepan. Add elbow macaroni to the water and cook it for 10 to 12 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally.

2. While the macaroni is boiling, prepare the cheese sauce by combining the remaining ingredients in a small saucepan over low heat. Stir often as the cheese melts into a smooth consistency.

3. When the macaroni is done, strain it and then pour it back into the same pan, without the water.

4. Add the cheese sauce to the pan and stir gently until the macaroni is well-coated with the cheese. Serve immediately while hot.

Makes about 3 servings.

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Potato Salad

Here's a simple clone for the potato salad that is purchased as a side dish from America's largest fast food chicken chain. Some of the skin is left on the potatoes in the real thing, so you don't have to peel them too thoroughly (great news for lazy cooks.) Just be sure to chop your potatoes into cubes that are approximately 1/2-inch thick, and then let the salad marinate for at least 4 hours so that the flavors can properly meld. If you let the salad chill overnight, it tastes even better.

2 pounds russet potatoes
1 cup mayonnaise
4 teaspoons sweet pickle relish
4 teaspoons sugar
2 teaspoons minced white onion
2 teaspoons prepared mustard
1 teaspoon vinegar
1 teaspoon minced celery
1 teaspoon diced pimentos
1/2 teaspoon shredded carrot
1/4 teaspoon dried parsley
1/4 teaspoon pepper
dash salt

1. Lightly peel the potatoes (you don't have to get all of the skin off) then chop them into bite-size pieces and boil in 6 cups of boiling, salted water for 7-10 minutes. The potato chucks should be tender, yet slightly tough in the middle when done. Drain and rinse potatoes with cold water.

2. In a medium bowl, combine remaining ingredients and whisk until smooth.

3. Poured drained potatoes into a large bowl. Pour the dressing over the potatoes and mix until well-combined.

4. Cover and chill for at least 4 hours. Overnight is best.

Makes 6 cups (about 8 servings).

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