Walk the line and stay true to food loved by the King of Country Music. You bring the soundtrack, we'll serve up the recipes.
16 Down-Home Foods That Johnny Cash Loved
Johnny Cash is a country music legend—but he and June Carter Cash were well-known for loving down-to-earth Southern food, too. The dinner table in their Nashville home was a welcome stop for country stars, friends and family.
1/17
2/17
Ring of Fire Chili
Total Time
1 hour 50 min
Servings
16 servings (4 quarts)
From the Recipe Creator:
Johnny’s love of fiery hot chili was legendary. Peggy Knight, who cooked for the Cash family for over 30 years, includes his favorite chili recipe in her book Cooking in the House of Cash. Our recipe is tasty and warming, and you can choose your own level of heat!
Nutrition Facts:
1 cup: 354 calories, 12g fat (4g saturated fat), 71mg cholesterol, 657mg sodium, 32g carbohydrate (10g sugars, 8g fiber), 31g protein. Diabetic Exchanges: 3 lean meat, 2 starch.
3/17
Jalapeno Cornbread
Total Time
35 min
Servings
8 servings
From the Recipe Creator:
If you’re from the South, you have to have a good cornbread recipe. Here’s a lightened-up version of my mom’s traditional cornbread that tastes just as delicious. —Debi Mitchell, Flower Mound, Texas
Nutrition Facts:
1 wedge: 180 calories, 4g fat (1g saturated fat), 4mg cholesterol, 261mg sodium, 32g carbohydrate (6g sugars, 2g fiber), 6g protein. Diabetic Exchanges: 2 starch, 1 fat.
You can’t eat chili without cornbread, as Peggy Knight attests. This mouth-watering cornbread is made with buttermilk, and gives a further kick of heat by including jalapeno peppers.[/rms_recipe]
4/17
Secret Ingredient Fried Catfish
Total Time
20 min
Servings
4 servings
From the Recipe Creator:
John Carter Cash told Reddit about his dad’s most-loved meals. High on the list was a Southern staple: fried catfish. Check out our recipe with its secret ingredient to create the most delicious fried catfish. Round out the meal with coleslaw the way Johnny would have.
Nutrition Facts:
1 fillet: 475 calories, 34g fat (5g saturated fat), 133mg cholesterol, 386mg sodium, 10g carbohydrate (0 sugars, 1g fiber), 29g protein.
5/17
Meat Loaf
Total Time
1 hour 15 min
Servings
6 servings
From the Recipe Creator:
According to Peggy Knight, the family’s cook, Johnny Cash loved his mom’s meat loaf. This delicious recipe will quickly become as much of a favorite in your home as it was in Johnny’s.
Nutrition Facts:
1 piece: 366 calories, 12g fat (5g saturated fat), 135mg cholesterol, 1086mg sodium, 38g carbohydrate (31g sugars, 0 fiber), 26g protein.
6/17
Parmesan-Breaded Pork Chops
Total Time
25 min
Servings
4 servings
From the Recipe Creator:
Johnny’s son, a country singer himself, also told Reddit that his dad loved fried pork chops. Our recipe adds a touch of Parmesan to the coating for some extra zing, and you can get it on the table in no time.
Nutrition Facts:
1 pork chop: 356 calories, 19g fat (6g saturated fat), 131mg cholesterol, 577mg sodium, 7g carbohydrate (1g sugars, 0 fiber), 37g protein.
7/17
Best Ever Mac & Cheese
Total Time
50 min
Servings
12 servings
From the Recipe Creator:
When restaurants host Johnny Cash tribute nights (yes, they’re a thing!), mac and cheese is often on the menu. If your mouth waters at the thought, look no further than this comfort food version with three cheeses and a textured crunchy topping.
Nutrition Facts:
1 cup: 762 calories, 43g fat (25g saturated fat), 134mg cholesterol, 1138mg sodium, 61g carbohydrate (10g sugars, 3g fiber), 32g protein.
8/17
My Favorite Avocado Salad
Total Time
25 min
Servings
9 servings
From the Recipe Creator:
The Cash & Carter Family Cookbook includes a recipe for June’s tomato, red onion and avocado salad. You can mimic her salad with this colorful version that tastes as good as it looks.
Nutrition Facts:
1 cup: 130 calories, 12g fat (2g saturated fat), 1mg cholesterol, 57mg sodium, 7g carbohydrate (2g sugars, 3g fiber), 2g protein. Diabetic Exchanges: 2 fat, 1 vegetable.
9/17
Fried Chicken
Total Time
30 min
Servings
12 servings
From the Recipe Creator:
Always a picnic favorite, this deep-fried chicken recipe is delicious either hot or cold. Kids call it my Kentucky Fried Chicken! —Jeanne Schnitzler, Lima, Montana
Nutrition Facts:
5 ounces cooked chicken: 543 calories, 33g fat (7g saturated fat), 137mg cholesterol, 798mg sodium, 17g carbohydrate (0 sugars, 1g fiber), 41g protein.
10/17
Cream Cheese Pineapple Pie
Total Time
1 hour 20 min
Servings
8 servings
From the Recipe Creator:
Carrie Cash, Johnny’s mom, was famous for her pineapple pie. Our classic version includes a juicy pineapple layer, topped with a cream cheese filling and crunchy pecans. It’s hard to eat this pie one piece at a time.
Nutrition Facts:
1 piece: 380 calories, 21g fat (10g saturated fat), 91mg cholesterol, 503mg sodium, 43g carbohydrate (28g sugars, 1g fiber), 6g protein.
11/17
Southern Bourbon Pecan Pie
Total Time
1 hour 10 min
Servings
8 servings
From the Recipe Creator:
When I first made the original recipe for this bourbon-splashed pie, I added some vanilla extract and eliminated the flour. We loved the result. —Paul Falduto, Efland, North Carolina
Nutrition Facts:
1 piece: 536 calories, 26g fat (6g saturated fat), 85mg cholesterol, 363mg sodium, 73g carbohydrate (60g sugars, 2g fiber), 5g protein.
12/17
White Fruitcake
Total Time
1 hour 10 min
Servings
4 loaves (16 pieces each)
From the Recipe Creator:
The Around the Opry Table cookbook includes one of Johnny’s best-loved desserts: scripture cake with fruit salad. Scripture cake is a traditional fruitcake, made by deciphering a recipe based on Bible verses. Here’s one of our best fruitcake recipes (but you won’t need to consult a Bible as you cook!).
Nutrition Facts:
1 piece: 133 calories, 7g fat (4g saturated fat), 33mg cholesterol, 61mg sodium, 16g carbohydrate (10g sugars, 1g fiber), 2g protein.
13/17
Fruit Salad
Total Time
10 min
Servings
8 servings
From the Recipe Creator:
…and for the accompanying fruit salad, put together this retro combination of pineapple, mandarin, strawberries, and grapes, drenched in white wine and club soda for a little bit of sparkle.
Nutrition Facts:
1 cup: 87 calories, 0 fat (0 saturated fat), 0 cholesterol, 6mg sodium, 16g carbohydrate (15g sugars, 1g fiber), 1g protein.
14/17
Jam Cake
Total Time
1 hour 5 min
Servings
16 servings
From the Recipe Creator:
I remember my Aunt Murna telling me she made this old-fashioned jam cake often when she was a young girl. Through the years, she made improvements to it, and her cake became a real family favorite. It has been a popular staple at our reunions. —Janet Robinson, Lawrenceburg, Kentucky
Nutrition Facts:
1 piece: 702 calories, 30g fat (15g saturated fat), 116mg cholesterol, 353mg sodium, 107g carbohydrate (86g sugars, 2g fiber), 6g protein.
15/17
Slow-Cooker Dump Cake
Total Time
2 hours 10 min
Servings
10 servings
From the Recipe Creator:
According to the Herald Dispatch in Huntington, West Virginia, Johnny liked dump cake before it was cool. To make your own, here’s a similar recipe to satisfy the sweetest tooth.
Nutrition Facts:
1/2 cup: 455 calories, 22g fat (10g saturated fat), 37mg cholesterol, 418mg sodium, 66g carbohydrate (47g sugars, 1g fiber), 3g protein.
16/17
Chippy Peanut Butter Cookies
Total Time
40 min
Servings
4 dozen
From the Recipe Creator:
John Carter Cash settled the crunchy / smooth peanut butter debate decisively—Johnny preferred crunchy. So treat your family to these crunchy cookies, complete with peanut butter and chocolate chips, and see what the fuss is about!
Nutrition Facts:
1 cookie: 157 calories, 9g fat (4g saturated fat), 18mg cholesterol, 134mg sodium, 19g carbohydrate (11g sugars, 0 fiber), 2g protein.
17/17
French Silk Pie
Total Time
50 min
Servings
6 servings
From the Recipe Creator:
I first made French silk pie when I was in high school. Years later, I tinkered with the recipe until I was happy with it. Now it’s one of my husband’s favorites. —Lisa Francis, Elba, Alabama
Nutrition Facts:
1 piece: 463 calories, 33g fat (19g saturated fat), 124mg cholesterol, 202mg sodium, 38g carbohydrate (25g sugars, 2g fiber), 5g protein.
