Dolly Parton spent decades writing songs, but some of her creativity also came out in the kitchen.
“Cooking is like writing a song,” Parton told Allrecipes in a 2024 interview with her sister Rachel Parton George. “Some of my best songs I came up with while cooking my best food, and vice versa. The better I write, the better I cook.”
Parton and George shared many of those traditions in their 2024 cookbook, “Good Lookin’ Cookin’: A Year of Meals — A Lifetime of Family, Friends, and Food,” which featured 80 family recipes.
However, Parton kept one of her most famous recipes to herself.
Dolly Parton Called Chicken and Dumplings Her ‘Famous’ Specialty
Parton told People in May 2025 that chicken and dumplings was the dish she was best known for making.
“My favorite [recipe] that I’m most famous for myself is my chicken and dumplings,” she said.
While discussing “Good Lookin’ Cookin'” with George, Parton made sure her sister backed up that claim.
“Tell them how famous I am for my chicken and dumplings,” Parton said.
“Dolly is great at that,” George responded, explaining that the Parton family has several versions of the Southern staple.
But Parton’s personal version didn’t appear among the cookbook’s 80 recipes.
“And my version is not in the cookbook because it isn’t good lookin’ enough,” Parton explained.
George offered another possible explanation: “Because you won’t tell anybody the recipe!”
Parton replied, “No, I won’t because it’s not good lookin’. It just tastes good. It’s just like Mama said, ‘It’s just got love in it.’ I just put a lot of love in it.”
The ‘9 to 5’ Singer’s Stone Soup Came With a Special Family Story
Stone soup carried an entirely different significance for Parton because of a tradition started by her mother, Avie Lee Owens Parton.
Parton told People in 2024 that when food was running low during her childhood, her mother would tell the children, “Well, tonight we’re having stone soup.”
She would have the children collect and wash stones before choosing one belonging to “the child [that] needed the most attention” to put into the soup. The meal itself included hearty ingredients such as vegetables, potatoes and ham hock.
“We just all felt proud that we just helped feed the family for a day,” Parton said. “That whole story of just making do with what you got is what it amounts to. With some spices and a few little things, you can make anything taste good if the story’s good enough.”
Parton Had a Simple Trick for Making Coleslaw Stand Out
Parton’s Southern cooking also included a distinctive approach to coleslaw.
A recipe attributed to Parton in “Dollywood Presents Tennessee Mountain Home Cooking” uses both pickles and pickle juice to add extra sweetness and tanginess to the classic barbecue side.
The additions help balance the creamy, sweet, and tart elements of traditional coleslaw while adding another layer of flavor.
Parton’s food traditions weren’t limited to dishes she made at home. Dolly Parton’s Stampede, with locations including Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, and Branson, Missouri, became known for serving a Southern meal alongside its live entertainment.
One of the attraction’s best-known offerings is its creamy vegetable soup, which has inspired numerous copycat versions from home cooks trying to recreate it.
Dolly Parton’s Favorite Foods Included Simple Southern Comfort Dishes
Other foods associated with Parton have followed the same straightforward Southern approach.
Her five-layer dinner is a casserole built around everyday ingredients including potatoes, ground beef, onions, tomatoes and green peppers. The ingredients are layered together to create a simple comfort-food meal.
Parton also shared her playful side through recipes such as her “Tree’s a Crowd” cheese ball, an appetizer she described as an opportunity to get creative.
“When looking for an entertaining holiday appetizer, it’s hard to top this one,” Parton said. “(Actually, it’s easy to top it—you just have to decide which option you want to use!) I enjoy being creative and sharing ideas like this—it’s so much fun to make!”
