7 Dolly Parton Recipes to Make at Home

Dolly Parton is known for her music, but her Southern cooking has plenty of fans too. These Dolly Parton recipes bring that cozy, home-style feeling to your own kitchen with comforting dishes like chicken and dumplings, creamy macaroni and cheese, buttermilk biscuits, banana pudding, and hearty country vegetables.

The best part is that these recipes are made with familiar ingredients and simple cooking methods. You don’t need anything fancy to put a comforting Southern meal on the table. A few pantry staples, some patience, and a hungry family are pretty much all you need.

Quick Summary

These 7 Dolly Parton-inspired recipes include hearty Southern comfort food, homemade sides, and classic desserts:

• Dolly Parton’s 5-Layer Dinner – A hearty layered casserole with potatoes, beef, vegetables, and cheese.
• Dolly Parton’s Stampede Soup – A creamy, filling soup loaded with vegetables and tender chicken.
• Dolly Parton’s Banana Pudding – A classic Southern dessert with bananas, vanilla pudding, and cookies.
• Dolly Parton’s Cabbage – Simple buttery cabbage cooked until tender and flavorful.
• Dolly Parton’s Chicken & Dumplings – Tender chicken and fluffy homemade dumplings in a savory broth.
• Dolly Parton’s Buttermilk Biscuits – Flaky, buttery biscuits made with buttermilk.
• Dolly Parton’s Macaroni and Cheese – Creamy baked macaroni with plenty of melted cheese.

Together, these dishes make a great collection of Southern comfort food recipes, country-style dinners, homemade side dishes, and classic Southern desserts.

1. Dolly Parton’s 5-Layer Dinner Recipe

Dolly Parton’s 5-Layer Dinner is a hearty casserole made with layers of potatoes, ground beef, onions, tomatoes, and cheese for a filling Southern-style family meal. Everything cooks together until the potatoes are tender and the flavors come together in one comforting dish.

This is the kind of dinner that feels right at home on a busy weeknight. The ingredients are simple, affordable, and easy to find, while the layered presentation makes the finished casserole feel a little more special.

Ingredients

• 1 ½ pounds ground beef
• 4 medium russet potatoes, thinly sliced
• 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
• 2 cups diced tomatoes
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• ½ teaspoon paprika
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tablespoon butter or olive oil

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven: Heat the oven to 375°F.
2. Brown the beef: Add the ground beef to a skillet over medium heat. Cook until browned, breaking it into small pieces. Drain excess grease.
3. Season the meat: Stir in Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, paprika, salt, and black pepper.
4. Prepare the baking dish: Lightly grease a 9×13-inch baking dish with butter or oil.
5. Build the layers: Arrange a layer of sliced potatoes across the bottom. Add sliced onions, cooked ground beef, and diced tomatoes.
6. Add the cheese: Sprinkle the shredded cheddar over the top.
7. Bake: Cover the dish tightly with foil and bake for about 50–60 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender.
8. Brown the top: Remove the foil and bake for another 10 minutes until the cheese is melted and lightly golden.
9. Rest before serving: Let the casserole sit for about 10 minutes before scooping.

2. Dolly Parton’s Stampede Soup Recipe

Dolly Parton’s Stampede Soup is a creamy, hearty soup packed with tender chicken, vegetables, potatoes, and a rich savory broth. It makes a comforting cold-weather meal and pairs especially well with homemade biscuits or crusty bread.

A good bowl of chicken soup doesn’t need complicated ingredients. This version leans into the cozy country-style flavors that make homemade soup such a family favorite.

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 2 celery stalks, diced
• 2 carrots, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 4 cups cooked shredded chicken
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 2 cups peeled and diced potatoes
• 1 cup frozen corn
• 1 cup frozen peas
• 1 cup heavy cream
• ½ teaspoon dried thyme
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Instructions

1. Cook the vegetables: Melt butter in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add onion, celery, and carrots. Cook for 5–7 minutes until they begin to soften.
2. Add garlic: Stir in the minced garlic and cook for about 30 seconds.
3. Make the base: Sprinkle flour over the vegetables and stir well. Cook for 1 minute.
4. Add broth: Slowly pour in the chicken broth while stirring to prevent lumps.
5. Add potatoes: Stir in the diced potatoes, thyme, salt, and pepper.
6. Simmer: Bring the soup to a gentle boil, then reduce the heat. Simmer for 15–20 minutes until the potatoes are tender.
7. Add chicken and vegetables: Stir in shredded chicken, corn, and peas. Cook for another 5 minutes.
8. Make it creamy: Pour in the heavy cream and gently heat for 3–5 minutes. Avoid boiling the soup after adding the cream.
9. Finish: Stir in fresh parsley and taste for seasoning.
10. Serve: Ladle into bowls and serve hot.

3. Dolly Parton’s Banana Pudding Recipe

Dolly Parton’s Banana Pudding is a creamy Southern dessert made with vanilla pudding, fresh bananas, vanilla cookies, and whipped topping. It is sweet, soft, chilled, and wonderfully easy to assemble.

Banana pudding is one of those desserts that rarely lasts long at a family gathering. The creamy pudding soaks into the cookies while the bananas add fresh sweetness, giving every spoonful a mix of smooth, soft, and slightly tender textures.

Ingredients

• 1 package vanilla instant pudding mix
• 3 cups cold milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 can sweetened condensed milk
• 1 cup whipped topping
• 4–5 ripe but firm bananas, sliced
• 1 box vanilla wafer cookies

Instructions

1. Make the pudding: Whisk the pudding mix and cold milk in a large bowl for about 2 minutes until thickened.
2. Add flavor: Stir in vanilla extract and sweetened condensed milk until smooth.
3. Fold in whipped topping: Gently fold the whipped topping into the pudding mixture.
4. Start layering: Place a layer of vanilla wafers in the bottom of a serving dish.
5. Add bananas: Arrange sliced bananas over the cookies.
6. Add pudding: Spread a layer of pudding mixture over the bananas.
7. Repeat: Continue layering cookies, bananas, and pudding until everything is used.
8. Chill: Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours before serving.
9. Finish: Add a few vanilla wafers on top just before serving for a fresh cookie texture.

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4. Dolly Parton’s Cabbage Recipe

Dolly Parton’s Cabbage is a simple Southern-style side dish made by cooking chopped cabbage with butter, onion, and seasonings until tender. It is inexpensive, comforting, and easy enough to make alongside almost any main dish.

Cabbage can be surprisingly delicious when cooked properly. The butter brings richness while the onion adds a little sweetness, turning an everyday vegetable into a side dish everyone can reach for.

Ingredients

• 1 large head green cabbage
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 3 tablespoons butter
• ½ cup chicken broth or water
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
• 2 slices cooked bacon, crumbled, optional

Instructions

1. Prepare the cabbage: Remove the tough outer leaves and cut the cabbage into quarters. Remove the core and chop into bite-sized pieces.
2. Cook the onion: Melt butter in a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 3–4 minutes.
3. Add cabbage: Stir in the chopped cabbage.
4. Season: Add salt, pepper, garlic powder, and smoked paprika.
5. Add liquid: Pour in the chicken broth or water.
6. Cover and cook: Cover the pan and cook for 15–20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the cabbage reaches your preferred tenderness.
7. Add bacon: Stir in crumbled bacon near the end if using.
8. Taste and serve: Adjust the seasoning and serve warm.

5. Dolly Parton’s Chicken & Dumplings Recipe

Dolly Parton’s Chicken & Dumplings is a classic Southern comfort food made with tender chicken simmered in savory broth and topped with soft homemade dumplings. It is hearty enough to serve as a complete family dinner.

The secret to good chicken and dumplings is keeping the broth flavorful and giving the dumplings enough room to cook. The result should be tender chicken, a rich broth, and dumplings that are soft without falling apart.

Ingredients

For the Chicken

• 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs or breasts
• 6 cups chicken broth
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 celery stalks, chopped
• 2 carrots, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• ½ teaspoon dried thyme

For the Dumplings

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 4 tablespoons cold butter
• ¾ cup buttermilk

Instructions

1. Cook the chicken: Place chicken, broth, onion, celery, carrots, garlic, thyme, salt, and pepper in a large pot.
2. Simmer: Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for about 25 minutes, or until the chicken is fully cooked.
3. Shred the chicken: Remove the chicken and shred it with two forks. Return it to the pot.
4. Make the dumpling dough: Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl. Cut in the cold butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
5. Add buttermilk: Stir in the buttermilk just until a soft dough forms. Avoid overmixing.
6. Form dumplings: Drop spoonfuls of dough into the gently simmering broth.
7. Cover and cook: Cover the pot and simmer for 15 minutes. Keep the lid closed during most of the cooking time so the dumplings steam properly.
8. Check the dumplings: Insert a toothpick into one dumpling. It should come out without wet dough clinging to it.
9. Serve: Spoon chicken, broth, and dumplings into bowls while hot.

6. Dolly Parton’s Buttermilk Biscuits Recipe

Dolly Parton’s Buttermilk Biscuits are tender, flaky Southern biscuits made with flour, butter, and tangy buttermilk. They are perfect alongside breakfast, soup, chicken and dumplings, or a hearty country-style dinner.

Fresh biscuits are worth making from scratch, especially when they come out of the oven warm and buttery. The key is handling the dough gently and keeping the butter cold.

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter
• ¾ cup cold buttermilk
• 1 tablespoon melted butter, for brushing

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven: Heat the oven to 425°F.
2. Mix dry ingredients: Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl.
3. Cut in butter: Add cold butter and work it into the flour using a pastry cutter or your fingertips until small pieces remain.
4. Add buttermilk: Pour in the cold buttermilk and gently stir until a shaggy dough forms.
5. Turn out the dough: Place the dough on a lightly floured surface.
6. Fold the dough: Gently pat it into a rectangle, fold it in half, and repeat the process 2–3 times. This helps create flaky layers.
7. Cut biscuits: Pat the dough to about ¾-inch thickness and cut biscuits using a round cutter.
8. Arrange: Place biscuits close together on a baking sheet.
9. Bake: Bake for 12–15 minutes until puffed and lightly golden.
10. Brush with butter: Brush the hot biscuits with melted butter and serve.

7. Dolly Parton’s Macaroni and Cheese Recipe

Dolly Parton’s Macaroni and Cheese is a creamy, cheesy baked pasta dish made with tender macaroni, a rich cheese sauce, and a golden melted-cheese topping. It is the kind of side dish that can easily become the star of the dinner table.

A combination of cheeses gives homemade mac and cheese more flavor and a smoother texture than using just one variety. Baking it at the end adds that irresistible golden top.

Ingredients

• 1 pound elbow macaroni
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 3 cups whole milk
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
• 1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
• ½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• ½ teaspoon paprika
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon black pepper

Instructions

1. Cook the pasta: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook macaroni until just shy of fully tender. Drain well.
2. Make the roux: Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in flour and cook for about 1 minute.
3. Add milk: Slowly whisk in the milk and heavy cream until smooth.
4. Thicken the sauce: Cook for 4–6 minutes, stirring regularly, until the sauce thickens slightly.
5. Add seasonings: Stir in Dijon mustard, garlic powder, paprika, salt, and pepper.
6. Melt the cheese: Reduce the heat and add cheddar, Monterey Jack, and mozzarella a handful at a time. Stir until smooth.
7. Combine: Add cooked macaroni to the cheese sauce and mix until evenly coated.
8. Transfer to a dish: Spoon the macaroni into a greased 9×13-inch baking dish.
9. Bake: Bake at 375°F for about 20–25 minutes until bubbling and golden on top.
10. Rest: Let the mac and cheese stand for 5–10 minutes before serving.

Final Thoughts

A good home-cooked meal doesn’t have to involve complicated techniques or a long shopping list. These Dolly Parton recipes keep things familiar, hearty, and comforting, which is exactly what makes Southern-style cooking so enjoyable.

Start with the buttermilk biscuits for breakfast, make the chicken and dumplings or 5-layer dinner for supper, and save the banana pudding for dessert. Add the cabbage and macaroni and cheese to the table, and you have the makings of a seriously cozy Southern-inspired meal.