10 Old-School Dishes Johnny Cash Loved

Singers are most often known for their star power, the stage presence they bring to venues, and the life-changing lyrics they sing on records. But beyond the glam and lights, singers are just like us, and a handful of them are known quite widely for their love of food. Take the "King of Rock and Roll," for example. Elvis Presley had his favorite Southern comfort foods, having been born in Mississippi before moving to Tennessee. And just like Presley, food played an integral role in the life of the "Man in Black."

Despite his numerous Grammy Awards and induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Johnny Cash was said to be down to earth and regularly made meals for his family alongside his wife, June. So what exactly did this famous singer crave the most when it came to mealtime? We scoured the internet and consulted John Carter Cash's cookbook that details many a meal shared at home with Johnny and June to find 10 old-school dishes that the "Ring of Fire" singer loved.

There are some passionate debates on the preferred type of peanut butter and an even bigger conversation on which to use when a recipe doesn't specify which type. Some are in the camp that peanut butter ought to be smooth and creamy, completely free of lumpy peanut pieces. Then, there are those who need that texture to keep things interesting. We aren't going to tell you which to choose, but there are certain crunchy peanut brands that are worse than others. And if you feel like the odd one out for liking a little bite to your peanut butter and jelly sandwich, you shouldn't. After all, Johnny Cash loved crunchy peanut butter.

In a Reddit "Ask Me Anything" forum, Cash's son confirmed that his father was firmly in the crunchy peanut butter category. So if you're looking to venture into something a little different than the smooth spoonfuls you're used to, we recommend you do your research, especially since there is, in fact, a worst crunchy peanut butter brand on store shelves.

With Johnny Cash's soft spot for simple, Southern comfort food, it's no surprise that his son once revealed in a Reddit thread that fried catfish ranked high on his father's list of favorites. It made sense for someone who loved hearty, no-nonsense meals that felt like home.

The dish might be straightforward, but there are a few important steps you shouldn't skip when it comes to fried catfish to ensure it comes out crispy and golden every time. Each fish filet needs to be dredged in perfectly seasoned cornmeal, the oil hot enough to crisp the coating without overcooking the tender meat inside. The result? Golden, crunchy fillets with a mild, sweet flavor, exactly the kind of food that fit Cash's down-to-earth tastes. Whether served with hushpuppies, coleslaw, or a simple slice of white bread, fried catfish was the kind of Southern cooking that brought a sense of place to the Man in Black's dinner table.

There are many ways to make a show-stopping chili. As a dish, it's incredibly versatile and can include just about any vegetable, meat, or legume that you can think of to create a completely unique culinary experience every time. For Johnny Cash, chili was a trademark item, one of those dishes that was a personal favorite to cook. His son's cookbook featured his father's recipe for old iron-pot chili, which includes a few twists we wouldn't expect.

For starters, Cash's chili often uses sirloin or venison, while most use a combination of ground meats. This gives a chewier, heartier texture to each bite. The real kicker is perhaps the addition of handfuls of cornmeal to the pot. Carter Cash shared with NPR that because it was never the same amount of cornmeal every time, the texture would change, giving a "whimsical nature to some of their creations."

Deep-fried food has been around for longer than you think. And for good reason. Fried food tends to taste better, in whatever form it may come. From fried Oreos to fried cheese, the cooking method lends itself to some wonderful creations. Just like us, Johnny Cash had the same thinking, as his son shared that one of his favorite foods was deep-fried chicken skin.

Fried chicken is hugely popular and has seen a continued renaissance with the debate of who has the best fast food fried chicken sandwich. But chicken skin is another thing entirely, given the meat itself isn't the star of the show. Think of deep-fried chicken skin as another version of pork rinds. The recipe to make it takes chicken skin and prepares it in much the same way for a resulting chip that's crunchy, salty, and just a little greasy from the oil.

It's always fascinating to peek behind the curtain of a public figure's life at home. When you think of Johnny Cash, you probably picture him dressed in black with a guitar in hand, not leaning over a simmering pot in the kitchen. But according to his son's cookbook, cooking had always been a massive part of Cash's offstage life. And one dish he returned to again and again was pinto beans with ham hocks, a simple yet beloved Southern staple he perfected over time.

Hearty and deeply comforting, it was the kind of meal that fueled him away from the spotlight. Pinto beans had been a favorite of Cash's since at least 1950, even before widespread fame, tours, or chart-topping hits. Add in the smoky richness of ham hocks, and you had a dish that brought warmth and a little taste of home to the superstar singer's table, feeding family and friends.

Unpretentious and simple, Johnny Cash's favored morning ritual of fried bologna and eggs is a simple Southern breakfast that speaks to no-fuss satisfaction. According to his son, Cash would create the meal using canned biscuits, sliced bologna (there are a ton of hacks that can elevate sliced bologna), and eggs. The bologna was fried in a pan first, and Cash required it to be a little extra crispy on the edges (almost burnt). That was followed by eggs cracked directly into the leftover grease, making for an incredibly filling, straightforward breakfast.

The plate would then come together with two golden biscuits straight from the oven, a side of ripe tomato slices for brightness and freshness, and a drizzle of butter and local honey to melt into the warm bread. To finish, Cash always grabbed the ketchup to top it off — a touch that made the dish undeniably his own.

Cornbread wasn't just a side dish in the Cash home. It was a Sunday comfort and culinary tradition rolled into one. As John Carter Cash shared, his father "loved Southern cornbread, and one of his very favorite meals was cornbread crumbled up in a tall glass of buttermilk — to be eaten with a spoon."

The recipe from "The Cash and Carter Family Cookbook" leans Southern through and through, with the cornbread being baked in a cast-iron skillet (or any heavy pan), using self-rising cornmeal or a homemade blend of cornmeal, flour, baking powder, and salt. Picture pulling it from the oven, with a slight cracking of the golden top, the aroma of corn and butter filling the kitchen. Whether sliced warm or crumbled into buttermilk (as Cash liked), this cornbread is pure Southern comfort, and you can make it classic or vamp things up a bit. In fact, there are a ton of creative ingredients you can add to any cornbread recipe to up the flavor.

Banana pudding held a quiet but extremely cherished place in the Cash household. Rosanne Cash, Johnny Cash's first child, shared that her grandmother once compiled a family cookbook filled with recipes that shaped her father's upbringing, and banana pudding earned its spot among Southern classics like cornbread and fried bologna with eggs. It was simple, affordable, and always welcome at the table.

If you've never had banana pudding, picture a creamy dessert where layers of vanilla pudding mix with tender banana slices and soft vanilla wafers that turn perfectly cake-like as it chills. The result is sweet but not too sweet, rich yet light enough for seconds, and makes for a perfect addition to family gatherings and Sunday suppers. Banana pudding isn't about elegance or fancy plating. It's about great taste and quick results, the same reasons it likely became a favorite for Johnny Cash and a staple in the Cash family kitchen for generations.

Is there a better meal on a cool day than a bowl of chicken and dumplings? We'd be hard-pressed to find one, and music legend Johnny Cash would have to agree with us. It's a Southern comfort food that often shows up during family gatherings, when the weather turns chilly, or when something hearty and familiar is needed most. Rosanne Cash shared how her grandma's chicken and dumplings were a favorite of her father's right alongside banana pudding and skillet cornbread.

Picture a big pot bubbling away on the stove: tender, juicy chicken, flavorful broth, and soft, doughy dumplings soaking it all up. The dish isn't anything fancy, but its purpose in feeding families until they are full and happy makes it the kind of meal that leaves nothing but an empty pot behind. For Cash, it was simple, satisfying, and straight from the heart, quite like the music that made him famous.

The Cash burger wasn't born in a restaurant or dreamed up by a top professional chef. It came straight from Johnny and June Carter Cash themselves in 1995 as a creation the couple came up with at home that quickly became a family staple. Instead of beef, the patties were made from a hearty and filling mix of ingredients like brown rice, beans, roasted chestnuts, okra, bell peppers, squash, potatoes, mushrooms, and a little tapioca starch to hold everything together. It was a recipe that took the resourcefulness of pantry cooking and elevated it into a household favorite.

Once shaped, the patties were pan-fried until golden on the outside and tender in the middle, the vegetables giving each bite a smoky, savory flavor without the weight of a traditional burger. Served hot off the skillet, the Cash Burger didn't need frills, just a bun, maybe a slice of tomato, and plenty of hungry hands around the table.