One Canned Ingredient Is All You Need For Coleslaw That's Packed With Flavor

Coleslaw always seems like an easy, crowd-pleasing pick for your cookout or potluck picnic. It can also be a bit boring when you stick to the barebones basics. Jazzing it up with a little something extra now and then turns a pretty expected side into an anticipated dish that folks keep coming back for, and canned pineapple is just the sweet addition to add to your coleslaw-elevating repertoire.

This adaptation is marginally more complicated than tipping a can of tidbits into your standard coleslaw ingredients. For one, the fruit juice pineapple is usually packed in thins out your dressing, so drain the pineapple before you mix it in. You might even press the pineapple pieces between a few layers of paper towels to keep your coleslaw's originally intended texture intact. Additionally, you can make a few edits to your typical pineapple ingredients to ensure maximally balanced flavors.

If you're shopping for canned pineapple for this precise purpose, the triangular tidbits are the easiest configuration to work with. You can obviously dice the other sizes down, it just takes an extra minute or two. Crushed pineapple definitely adds some flavor, but it isn't ideal; its smaller composition can otherwise disappear in this preparation. The tidbits are more visually assertive, and plenty tasty.

Also, make sure you're creating a coleslaw with pineapple, not a totally transformed (and overwhelming) pineapple coleslaw. Think of it as an enhancement, rather than a main ingredient. Start by incorporating half the can, and keep adding to taste. If you normally use carrots in your coleslaw, you may want to omit those since they could introduce too much sweetness. That goes double for raisins. The heat from freshly sliced jalapeños is also an excellent counterpart to pineapples, should you want their confectionery quality but also a bit of a fiery bite. Nobody should complain about the additional bit of crunch, either.

Pineapple tidbits also better adhere with creamy mayo, or even tahini-based coleslaw dressings versus lighter vinegar slaws, which tend to finish more loosely compacted. You can pair this perky pineapple-studded coleslaw with all of your usual faves; it's a particularly nice enhancement for pulled pork sandwiches.