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Pennsylvania Hot Slaw

A spicy slaw made with cabbage, celery, bacon bits, onion, vinegar, and sweetener.

From the Recipes Wiki (Fandom) · 6 ingredients
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Why it works: Cabbage and celery are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 6% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 1,840 recipes. Both carry 4'-methylacetophenone, which smells bitter almond. The science ↓

Pennsylvania Hot Slaw

Time5 minutes

Ingredients

Directions

Make the dressing

  1. Combine SPLENDA Granular, onion, and vinegar in a small bowl.

  2. Pour the mixture into a large skillet sprayed with butter‑flavored cooking spray.

  3. Stir in bacon bits.

Cook and serve

  1. Add cabbage and celery and mix gently to combine.

  2. Cook over medium heat for 5 minutes, stirring often.

  3. Serve immediately.

Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)

118Calories
6 gProtein
4 gFat
17 gCarbs
What these numbers assume: 5 portions
IngredientPortion assumedkcal
Onion1 medium (110g)44
Bacon1 slice cooked (8g)43
Cabbage1 cup shredded (89g)22
Celery1 stalk (40g)6
Vinegar1 tbsp (15ml) distilled3

One typical portion per ingredient; the recipe's quantities are not counted. A rough guide only, not for medical or dietary planning.

Recipe from the Recipes Wiki (Fandom).

Steps grouped into stages for easier reading; the method is the source's own.

Explore the science

The flavor team

The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.

  1. Cabbage + celerytop 6% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together1,840 recipes

    Shared aroma: 4'-methylacetophenone (bitter almond).

  2. Onion + celerytop 7% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together18,518 recipes

    Shared aroma: guaiacol (smoky, sweet).

  3. Onion + cabbagetop 7% of all pairs
    Smell alikestrong
    Cooked together3,001 recipes

    Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).

  4. Vinegar + cabbagetop 13% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together2,924 recipes

    Shared aroma: 4'-methylacetophenone (bitter almond).

  5. Onion + vinegartop 14% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together18,226 recipes

    Shared aroma: acetic acid (sour, vinegar).

Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs

What each ingredient does

Cabbage
Provides the bulk of the slaw and becomes tender-crisp as it cooks briefly in the warm dressing.
White distilled vinegar
Adds the sharp acidity that gives the hot slaw its tangy flavor.
Bacon bits
Adds savory, smoky flavor and salty richness to the dressing.
Splenda granular
Provides sweetness to balance the sharp vinegar.

The step that matters

Cook over medium heat for 5 minutes, stirring often. Cabbage needs enough heat and stirring to soften slightly and absorb the dressing without scorching the sugar substitute or the bacon bits. Too little cooking leaves it raw and sharp, while too much turns it limp and dull.

Swap the celery

How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (onion, vinegar, cabbage):

  1. Garlicfits better
  2. Dillfits about as well
  3. Tarragonfits about as well
  4. Celerythe original

Fit is the average pairing score against onion, vinegar, cabbage. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes.

“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.

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