When you grow up in Pittsburgh, coleslaw is only sometimes a side dish. More often, it’s one of many components in only the best sandwich known to man. If you’ve never been to Pittsburgh and enjoyed a legendary Primanti Brothers sandwich, you owe yourself a trip. At the very least, make one at home! The sandwiches are popular because they put both coleslaw and French fries inside the sandwich. It might sound nutty, but it’s seriously one of the most genius creations.
In my family, coleslaw was sort of a side dish of last resort; instead, things like potato salad or macaroni salad would show up at picnics. I’ve developed a taste for coleslaw as I’ve gotten older, and actually love when it’s served alongside a main dish at a restaurant. It’s always a pleasant surprise and I devour it. I do prefer coleslaws that are tossed in a creamy dressing and not super heavy on the mayonnaise, which is the way I make it at home. I’ve previously shared an oil and vinegar coleslaw (that’s the version used on Primanti Brothers sandwiches), and after making a batch of the creamy version yesterday, I realized I’d never shared it with you! Problem solved.
Given everything I just told you about my love of Primanti Brothers sandwiches, you probably won’t be surprised to find out that the number one reason I make coleslaw at home is to… put it on sandwiches. I made a batch about a month ago to put on sandwiches with barbecued chicken that I had made in the Crock-Pot, and this week I made a batch for pastrami sandwiches. My husband and I both love pseudo-Reuben sandwiches. I say pseudo because instead of corned beef we use pastrami, and instead of sauerkraut, we use coleslaw. The bread is slathered in Thousand Island dressing and Swiss cheese is added, then I butter and griddle them in a cast iron skillet.
Since I can’t eat lunchmeat right now (I know, I can heat it, but it’s not the same, I prefer to just skip it), I made mine sans meat, but oh my, the smell of that pastrami when I was making my husband’s sandwich was intoxicating! I wanted to dive head-first into the deli bag. A pastrami Primanti’s sandwich might just be the first thing I eat after I give birth. Write it down.
Now, back to the coleslaw… I love it because it’s creamy but not in that gloppy mayonnaise-y way. I highly recommend refrigerating it for two hours before eating it; it gives the dressing time to all meld together. When you first mix it together, it will seem way too high on vinegar, but once it’s had a chance to sit, all of the flavors balance out perfectly.
Whether you eat it as a side dish or on sandwiches, this is such an easy, basic coleslaw dressing to keep tucked away for whipping up a batch in a hurry. No store-bought bottle necessary!
In a medium bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, vinegar, sugars, salt and pepper. Add the cabbage mixer a handful at a time, stirring to combine the dressing before adding more cabbage.
Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving. Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Don’t be afraid to use flavored vinegar. A local craft vinegar maker ( chaparral) creates an Asian Spice blend that is awesome in slaw of any kind. Also have tried the ancho pepper and blackberry-basil vinegar in slaw and potato salads. Experiment! Thanks for the cooking tips on the pork roast. While don’t care for pulled pork, I do make Carnitas for Mexican dishes, also oven Kahlua pork. Getting out my boning knife!
I added 1/2 cup chopped scallions to a small head of cabbage and 1/2 lb carrots (I shredded it with my Kitchenaid) – 1/2 cup fat free greek yogurt and only 1/2 cup mayo with a bit more vinegar and 3T granulated sugar mixed and poured over – DELISH!
I’m always looking for the perfect potato salad and coleslaw recipe. I will make yours tonight for a pool party tomorrow with ribs & skirt steak marinated to hopefully be fajita meat. I’ll let you know the results!
Way too much cider vinegar. the slaw is supposed to be tangy yet sweet and this was just way too tangy. had to add more sugars and mayonaise. Also you forgot celery seeds. that is a staple in slaw dressing.
This is a great recipe for a no holds barred, eat what I want day (love those days), but that much mayo and sugar is a little heavy for regular consumption. I found this one (https://www.recipestroupe.com/recipe-creamy-coleslaw-dressing-51161.html) which says to use buttermilk as well as mayo, does anyone know if that makes it taste too salty?
This was THE most awful sauce for coleslaw I have ever tried. I cannot even bear to eat it. My husband was not so unhappy, he thought it was just okay. I will never make this again. What a waste of my time.
So… I ended up tweaking this recipe because I screwed up on my homemade mayo – used Tbsps of lemon juice and white wine vinegar instead of tsps like it called for! So I really cut back on the vinegar in your recipe to compensate for it – and my husband and I both really liked it, so I’m going to try it again, except with the correct measurements, ha – and see where that takes me. Thanks for sharing this recipe!
I was born in Aliquippa, south of Pittsburgh, and lived there until I was about a year old. This recipe is yummy. I doubled the sugars just because we like ours a little sweeter.
Hey! I grew up in Pittsburgh too! Though now I live in Switzerland. But I love da ‘burgh! So true what you said about sandwiches! Dying for some coleslaw, yours was the first recipe I found and I have all the stuff! Thanks!
My husband would never allow me to buy pork because he insisted he hated it (even though I’ve seen him eat and enjoy it in the past.) I decided to ignore him one day and make pulled pork sandwiches, but only if I had a good coleslaw recipe that he would enjoy in case he really hated the pulled pork. This recipe was a huge hit! My 2 year old loves it too!! My hubby ended liking the pulled pork, so pulled pork sandwiches topped with coleslaw is a meal we have once a month!
I just made this for dinner to accompany deep fried fish and hushpuppies. Thank you for the recipe! It’s delicious… I added a shredded carrot and a TBSP of lemon juice and it turned out amazing!!
Hey, what kind of mayonnaise do you use for the Coleslaw Dressing. Is it a normal mayonaise like Hellmann’s or is it a salad dressing mayonnaise such as Miracle Whip. I think both types to fit in with mayonnaise based Coleslaw Dressings, but it would be nice to know which type is ment. :-)
That sandwich you described, with the pastrami and cole slaw, is a “Rachel” and it is so delicious. It also happens to be our dinner tonight :)
Also, I make my cole slaw with 1cup mayo, 1/4 cup each honey and lime juice, 1 tsp celery seed, salt and pepper. I like it because it’s not too sweet and not too sour. A happy medium!
Just this past Father’s Day, we were at dinner with friends and they served us shredded beef sandwiches with the coleslaw on the sandwich. That was the first time I had ever had it on a sandwich, but I loved the flavor and crunch it added. Thanks for the recipe. I’m going to have to serve it next time I make shredded pork sandwiches. YUM!
Ugh I missed good sandwiches when I was pregnant! I just skipped lunchmeat completely since the idea of heating it up just kind of spoiled it for me. The first thing I got my husband to get me to eat once we were all settled at home after my youngest was born was a big ol’ deli sandwich ;) I know where you’re coming from!
Oh and that sandwich was one of the best damn things I’ve ever had.
…. I’ve been pregnant 3 times and have never heard of not eating lunch meat…. ?!?!??!? Tuna in overly abundant quantities, yes, lunchmeat… that’s a new one. p.s. This dressing looks amazing.
Ok, I’m not with the pregnancy times… so why cant you eat lunch meat while you are preggers? Because of salt?… just curious:) That Sammy looks so good by the way, my mouth is watering!!!
Hi Tina, There is a risk of listeria, so you can eat it if you heat it thoroughly, but I just prefer to skip it. After I went to the doctor for the first time and got all of the rules, my mom said, “Oh my gosh, times have changed, they didn’t tell us anything, just see you in 4 weeks! I don’t even remember if they told us not to drink or smoke!”
I had sushi delivered to my labor room all three times! The cravings were vicious. This will be perfect with a sandwich from the deli! It’s a great recipe.
I watched Lidia Bastianich visit Primanti Brothers on her show last year and saw them make this delicious sandwich with French fries and cole slaw, it looked so yummy. My son-in-law is from Pittsburgh and took my daughter there to eat. I have added that to my bucket list now.
Perfect timing. I am expecting a houseful of family this weekend and am planning to make, among other things, some BBQ which requires cole slaw. I have tried many, many recipes but have yet to find the “perfect” one. This looks like it might be it (I too despise the over mayonnaised versions). I can’t wait to try it! I will be adding poppy seeds though. :)
I know this may seem weird…& perhaps you have done it before…but in today’s blog I noticed you referred to your “husband” not your “CCC”! That’s sweet!! And I do love Pittsburgh & all your yummy food options!! :-)
Pittsburgh sounds like a great place to eat a sandwich — coleslaw on top sounds amazing. I normally only top my pulled pork with it, so I’ll have to try it elsewhere. The dressing is what makes the slaw, and this looks delicious!
Looks perfect! I need to make some coleslaw – I have two heads of cabbage in the fridge from my CSA, but my husband despises white sauces, so I’ll be eating it all myself!
Coleslaw is BIG where I live. It’s always served with Chiavetta’s chicken (absolutely fab). It’s a unique BBQ Buffalo sauce that is to die for.
Now I know you can’t eat lunch meat but the first thing you’re going to eat after giving birth is a sandwich? hehe. Might want to start with some grape juice or ice chips….just saying……been there done that!!! hehe.
It was an exaggeration ;-) Obviously, not IMMEDIATELY after I give birth. But yes, as soon as I can eat regular food without restrictions, a big ol’ sandwich it is!
the first thing i ate after giving birth was a sandwich… well 2 sandwiches and a bag of chips… it is completely unreasonable to make a pregnant lady go 14 hours without eating haha
I make mine almost exactly like that. As a side with crispy, crumbed chicken breasts….,mmmmmm…. But what I do add is some poppy seeds to the dressing. You should try it brown eye, you wont regret it!
Don’t be afraid to use flavored vinegar. A local craft vinegar maker ( chaparral) creates an Asian Spice blend that is awesome in slaw of any kind. Also have tried the ancho pepper and blackberry-basil vinegar in slaw and potato salads. Experiment! Thanks for the cooking tips on the pork roast. While don’t care for pulled pork, I do make Carnitas for Mexican dishes, also oven Kahlua pork. Getting out my boning knife!
I added 1/2 cup chopped scallions to a small head of cabbage and 1/2 lb carrots (I shredded it with my Kitchenaid) – 1/2 cup fat free greek yogurt and only 1/2 cup mayo with a bit more vinegar and 3T granulated sugar mixed and poured over – DELISH!
I just had your Cole slaw at my son’s Robert Abelson ‘s house and thought it was the best I’ve ever had. He is going to send me the recipe .
I’m always looking for the perfect potato salad and coleslaw recipe. I will make yours tonight for a pool party tomorrow with ribs & skirt steak marinated to hopefully be fajita meat. I’ll let you know the results!
Way too much cider vinegar. the slaw is supposed to be tangy yet sweet and this was just way too tangy. had to add more sugars and mayonaise. Also you forgot celery seeds. that is a staple in slaw dressing.
This is a great recipe for a no holds barred, eat what I want day (love those days), but that much mayo and sugar is a little heavy for regular consumption. I found this one (https://www.recipestroupe.com/recipe-creamy-coleslaw-dressing-51161.html) which says to use buttermilk as well as mayo, does anyone know if that makes it taste too salty?
Not bad…used rice vinegar, and it made just the perfect amount for small package precut coleslaw. THANKS FOR THE RECIPE!
This was THE most awful sauce for coleslaw I have ever tried. I cannot even bear to eat it. My husband was not so unhappy, he thought it was just okay. I will never make this again. What a waste of my time.
totally agree.
So… I ended up tweaking this recipe because I screwed up on my homemade mayo – used Tbsps of lemon juice and white wine vinegar instead of tsps like it called for! So I really cut back on the vinegar in your recipe to compensate for it – and my husband and I both really liked it, so I’m going to try it again, except with the correct measurements, ha – and see where that takes me. Thanks for sharing this recipe!
I was born in Aliquippa, south of Pittsburgh, and lived there until I was about a year old. This recipe is yummy. I doubled the sugars just because we like ours a little sweeter.
Hey! I grew up in Pittsburgh too! Though now I live in Switzerland. But I love da ‘burgh! So true what you said about sandwiches! Dying for some coleslaw, yours was the first recipe I found and I have all the stuff! Thanks!
My husband would never allow me to buy pork because he insisted he hated it (even though I’ve seen him eat and enjoy it in the past.) I decided to ignore him one day and make pulled pork sandwiches, but only if I had a good coleslaw recipe that he would enjoy in case he really hated the pulled pork. This recipe was a huge hit! My 2 year old loves it too!! My hubby ended liking the pulled pork, so pulled pork sandwiches topped with coleslaw is a meal we have once a month!
I just made this for dinner to accompany deep fried fish and hushpuppies. Thank you for the recipe! It’s delicious… I added a shredded carrot and a TBSP of lemon juice and it turned out amazing!!
Hey,
what kind of mayonnaise do you use for the Coleslaw Dressing. Is it a normal mayonaise like Hellmann’s or is it a salad dressing mayonnaise such as Miracle Whip. I think both types to fit in with mayonnaise based Coleslaw Dressings, but it would be nice to know which type is ment. :-)
I use Hellmann’s :)
That sandwich you described, with the pastrami and cole slaw, is a “Rachel” and it is so delicious. It also happens to be our dinner tonight :)
Also, I make my cole slaw with 1cup mayo, 1/4 cup each honey and lime juice, 1 tsp celery seed, salt and pepper. I like it because it’s not too sweet and not too sour. A happy medium!
Both my husband and I are hard to please when it comes to cole slaw, but we both love this recipe. It’s easy and delicious; my kind of recipe.
Just this past Father’s Day, we were at dinner with friends and they served us shredded beef sandwiches with the coleslaw on the sandwich. That was the first time I had ever had it on a sandwich, but I loved the flavor and crunch it added. Thanks for the recipe. I’m going to have to serve it next time I make shredded pork sandwiches. YUM!
Definitely trying this for our next barbecue!
I hate when coleslaw is overly gloppy. If it’s the creamy variety I also prefer it to be light on the mayonnaise.
Everyone needs a basic coleslaw recipe. This is now my goto!
Ugh I missed good sandwiches when I was pregnant! I just skipped lunchmeat completely since the idea of heating it up just kind of spoiled it for me. The first thing I got my husband to get me to eat once we were all settled at home after my youngest was born was a big ol’ deli sandwich ;) I know where you’re coming from!
Oh and that sandwich was one of the best damn things I’ve ever had.
…. I’ve been pregnant 3 times and have never heard of not eating lunch meat…. ?!?!??!? Tuna in overly abundant quantities, yes, lunchmeat… that’s a new one.
p.s. This dressing looks amazing.
Ok, I’m not with the pregnancy times… so why cant you eat lunch meat while you are preggers? Because of salt?… just curious:)
That Sammy looks so good by the way, my mouth is watering!!!
Hi Tina, There is a risk of listeria, so you can eat it if you heat it thoroughly, but I just prefer to skip it. After I went to the doctor for the first time and got all of the rules, my mom said, “Oh my gosh, times have changed, they didn’t tell us anything, just see you in 4 weeks! I don’t even remember if they told us not to drink or smoke!”
I had sushi delivered to my labor room all three times! The cravings were vicious.
This will be perfect with a sandwich from the deli! It’s a great recipe.
I have heard advice of gathering local take-out menus for the hospital… sounds like I may do the same thing!
I watched Lidia Bastianich visit Primanti Brothers on her show last year and saw them make this delicious sandwich with French fries and cole slaw, it looked so yummy. My son-in-law is from Pittsburgh and took my daughter there to eat. I have added that to my bucket list now.
Perfect timing. I am expecting a houseful of family this weekend and am planning to make, among other things, some BBQ which requires cole slaw. I have tried many, many recipes but have yet to find the “perfect” one. This looks like it might be it (I too despise the over mayonnaised versions). I can’t wait to try it! I will be adding poppy seeds though. :)
I know this may seem weird…& perhaps you have done it before…but in today’s blog I noticed you referred to your “husband” not your “CCC”! That’s sweet!! And I do love Pittsburgh & all your yummy food options!! :-)
I noticed that, too!
Pittsburgh sounds like a great place to eat a sandwich — coleslaw on top sounds amazing. I normally only top my pulled pork with it, so I’ll have to try it elsewhere. The dressing is what makes the slaw, and this looks delicious!
I always do my coleslaw with a red wine vinegar dressing, but this looks super. Might have to give it a try this week!
Looks perfect! I need to make some coleslaw – I have two heads of cabbage in the fridge from my CSA, but my husband despises white sauces, so I’ll be eating it all myself!
Just wanted to add – that I use half mayo – half greek yogurt in my cole slaw. Don’t miss the mayo.
Wait, I had no idea you were from Pittsburgh! Now I love this blog even more! Who doesn’t love Primantis?!
Yes! Pittsburgh girl through and through :)
Coleslaw is BIG where I live. It’s always served with Chiavetta’s chicken (absolutely fab). It’s a unique BBQ Buffalo sauce that is to die for.
Now I know you can’t eat lunch meat but the first thing you’re going to eat after giving birth is a sandwich? hehe. Might want to start with some grape juice or ice chips….just saying……been there done that!!! hehe.
It was an exaggeration ;-) Obviously, not IMMEDIATELY after I give birth. But yes, as soon as I can eat regular food without restrictions, a big ol’ sandwich it is!
the first thing i ate after giving birth was a sandwich… well 2 sandwiches and a bag of chips… it is completely unreasonable to make a pregnant lady go 14 hours without eating haha
The first thing I ate was swedish pancakes with lingonberry sauce and a side of bacon haha.
I make mine almost exactly like that. As a side with crispy, crumbed chicken breasts….,mmmmmm…. But what I do add is some poppy seeds to the dressing. You should try it brown eye, you wont regret it!
I love coleslaw and this looks perfect! (no sandwiches needed for me!) Pinned :)
Wait, you can put sauerkraut on a sandwich? I’m Latvian (and we eat a ton of sauerkraut in the autumn/winter), and I didn’t know this. Very neat!