11 Unique Ways To Use A Bag Of Coleslaw Mix

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Having a bag of coleslaw mix in your fridge doesn't mean you're obligated to whip it up and eat plain coleslaw with everything for the next few days. You absolutely can if you want to, but you'd be forgiven for wondering if there are any unique ways to use that bag of shredded cabbage and carrots (or whatever slaw mix you have). Luckily for you, we've got 11 recipes that will ensure a bag of slaw mix not only doesn't go to waste, but also excites your taste buds.

For many of these options, you'll simply sub a pre-made bag of coleslaw mix into various recipes. Some recipes will take your standard slaw bag and use it as a tangy, creamy garnish on a tasty main. Others won't require mayo or vinegar, because you'll be cooking that straight coleslaw mix into a cohesive dish. Overall, there's bound to be something here that catches your eye, and you might just find yourself tossing slaw mix into your grocery cart regularly from now on.

Hearty and satisfying, this shrimp lo mein comes together in just about 30 minutes, making it the perfect busy weeknight dinner. It's also filled with umami-rich ingredients — like mushrooms, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, and shrimp — which are sure to satisfy any savory cravings. To make this recipe, your coleslaw mix will go straight from the bag into the hot pan, where you'll wilt it before adding back in your cooked noodles, shrimp, and sauce. A large pan or wok is best for making this dish, as you'll want to toss everything at the end to get it all hot and coated in that wonderful sauce.

Recipe: Shrimp Lo Mein

This quick and comforting Southern-inspired sandwich gives new life to leftover meatloaf. Plus, reheating the meat in your oven is super hands-off, leaving you free to whip up the pimiento cheese and the tangy pickle coleslaw from that bag of mix. Both go perfectly with hot, hearty meatloaf. Piled high on a large sandwich roll, these components bring together savory and tangy flavors while offering a dynamic mouthfeel.

Recipe: Southern-Style Meatloaf Sandwich With Pimento Cheese

If you love egg rolls, but aren't in the mood to make them yourself, this deconstructed pork egg roll preserves their fillings and allows you to make it in no time. All it takes is a wok and a variety of Asian pantry staples such soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, chili paste, and peanut oil. You'll also need ginger, garlic, celery, scallions, pork, and that bag of coleslaw mix. The coleslaw mix simply gets tipped from bag into the wok during cooking.

Recipe: Easy Pork Egg Roll In A Bowl

This is a dish that takes a classic coleslaw base and elevates it for a whole new flavor experience. One tip: we suggest making this when peaches are in season, so your star ingredient is at its sweetest and juiciest, offering the most satisfying contrast to the spicy, vegetal jalapeño. Rather than a mayo-based sauce, a vinegar-based dressing including peach jam (or preserves) is what is used here. The fresh peach slices get folded in right at the end, leaving them whole and photo-worthy.

Recipe: Spicy Peach Coleslaw

Bagged coleslaw saves you time at the cutting board for this sweet and savory side, so basically all that's left to do is slice up some red onions and broccoli. The latter's green hue and grassy notes replace the white cabbage used in a standard slaw. But if you can't find a coleslaw mix with only purple cabbage and carrots, there's nothing wrong with subbing in the typical tricolor mix. A creamy, sweet dressing and a smattering of almonds and dried cranberries offer a vibrant mouthfeel and flavor contrast that goes well alongside a hearty main like a pulled pork sandwich.

Recipe: Sweet And Savory Broccoli Slaw

A bag of shredded cabbage can become the base for a crisp and herbaceous slaw topping in this vegetarian taco recipe. Here, savory oyster mushrooms pair like a dream with nutty salsa macha crema (which offers a fruity heat from Sandia chiles). However, if you opt for ancho chiles over Sandia, your salsa will have a nice earthy, smoky-sweetness. Though this meal requires over an hour total of prep and cook time, plus your food processor, but the resulting flavors and textures are more than worth the effort.

Recipe: Grilled Mushroom Tacos With Salsa Macha Crema

With fresh veggies, shrimp, and vermicelli rice noodles packed into a translucent rice paper wrapper, summer rolls make an excellent appetizer or light meal — especially when you've got a bag of coleslaw mix to use up. This recipe calls for shredded red cabbage and carrots, but don't sweat it if your mix includes white cabbage as well, as it will simply add additional crunch. Besides filling and wrapping your rolls, you'll also prepare a savory peanut sauce to dip them in. The full recipe takes just over an hour to prep and cook, so plan accordingly, or enlist family or friends in the fun wrapping process.

Recipe: Vietnamese Shrimp Summer Rolls and Peanut Sauce

This Baja fish taco bowl features white fish enveloped in a crispy beer batter and drizzled with smoky, spicy chipotle crema. Beneath the protein is a bed of white rice and a cabbage slaw that adds tang and extra crunch. The whole dish — fried fish, sauce, and slaw — comes together in around 30 minutes, and offers a wealth of flavors and textures that might have you adding it to your regular meal rotation. If you're not used to deep frying, here's a pro tip: keep your oil around 350 degrees Fahrenheit, which you can gauge using a digital thermometer with a pot clip.

Recipe: Baja Fish Taco Bowl

A deli-made Reuben sandwich can inspire mouths to water, as the piles of corned beef, Swiss cheese, sauerkraut, and dark rye bread are a beautiful sight to behold. Luckily, it's easily replicable at home using that bag of coleslaw mix prepped and subbed in sauerkraut. You'll need your slow cooker or a Dutch oven for the corned beef, which takes eight hours. Meanwhile, the dressing and coleslaw will be ready in minute, and can wait in the fridge until the meat is done. It couldn't be simpler to have a Reuben worthy of a deli pretty much waiting for you when you get home.

Recipe: Deli-Worthy Reuben Sandwich

Your slaw mix, tossed with a tangy, creamy, lightly spiced dressing, becomes the base of this BBQ chicken salad bowl. On top go boneless chicken thighs marinated in earthy, warming spices like smoked paprika and chili powder. Around this protein you'll have pinto beans, cubed sweet potatoes, and corn kernels (from frozen — no need to thaw them first). While the chicken, corn, and sweet potatoes cook together in the oven, you can prepare the tangy cucumber garnish. This bowl is a perfect meal on its own, but a scoop of hot steamed brown rice makes it especially satisfying.

Recipe: 'BBQ In A Bowl' Chicken Salad

This sublimely easy recipe requires you only to season pork shoulder with chili powder, cumin, sugar, cinnamon, onions, and garlic before setting and forgetting it in your slow cooker for six hours. What you do with the meat (besides shredding and saucing it) is up to you, but that bag of coleslaw mix has plenty of chances to get involved. One option is to whip up a creamy slaw to garnish a pulled pork sandwich. Pulled pork tacos are another possibility, with the addition of corn tortillas, cotija cheese, and the slaw mix.

Recipe: Easy Slow Cooker Pulled Pork