Dolly Parton’s cookbook, Good Lookin’ Cookin’, is filled with a year’s worth of classic recipes and menu ideas. Dolly shared her Miracle Madness salad recipe as part of her February menu. The old-school recipe is made with a homemade creamy dressing, iceberg lettuce, and sliced tomatoes. The real star of this recipe is Miracle Whip. If you’ve never tried it, Miracle Whip is made with many of the same ingredients as mayo but with a sweeter flavor. I find it’s still as creamy and spreadable as mayo, but really enjoy the taste of the added sugar. If you buy a jar to try this recipe, put the leftovers to use on a classic turkey sandwich. Here’s what we thought of Dolly’s salad upgrade.

How to Make Dolly’s Salad Recipe

Here’s a quick look at how to make Dolly’s Madness salad—it’s really all about the sweet and creamy dressing.

1. Make the dressing by combining Miracle Whip, lemon juice, sugar, salt, and pepper.
2. Dolly keeps the rest of the salad simple so the dressing can shine. To assemble, toss the dressing with one head of chopped iceberg lettuce. Store it in the fridge until ready to serve.
3. Just before serving, top the bowl with sliced fresh tomatoes.

What Does Miracle Salad Taste Like?

Sweet salad dressing lovers, this one is for you! The salad reminded me of a classic broccoli salad or seven-layer salad. The creamy dressing pairs well with the crisp lettuce and juicy tomatoes. The acidity of the tomatoes helps cut through the richness of the dressing. Many of our recipe tasters commented that this reminded them of the delicious salads you’d find at a church potluck. I enjoyed this best with a generous sprinkle of freshly ground black pepper on top.

Tips for Making Homemade Miracle Salad

Keep these helpful tips in mind when making Dolly Parton’s salad recipe.

• It seems like a no-brainer, but you need to love Miracle Whip to like this salad. The flavor is very prominent in the dressing.
• We found the recipe made 1 cup of dressing, and our head of iceberg yielded 6 cups of chopped lettuce. We used one large tomato, cut into wedges, for the topping.
• This salad is best served very cold. Keep it in the fridge until the moment you’re ready to serve.
• I loved the recipe as-is, but it would also be great topped with shredded cheddar cheese, croutons, crispy bacon, or sliced cucumbers. A sprinkle of slivered almonds would add great crunch.
• If you make the dressing ahead, store it in a jar in the fridge for up to 3 days.

The Verdict on Dolly’s Miracle Madness Salad

I really enjoyed the sweet flavor of this iceberg lettuce salad. Like other Dolly Parton recipes I’ve tried, the ingredient list is small, but the flavors are big. This salad was nostalgic and satisfying, and I kept going back for more. I am planning on making it again for our Easter dinner, and I know it will be a hit.