The 'Stuff' Johnny Cash Ate Made Veggies Taste So Much Better

The foods we grow up eating influence our preferences later in life, especially when it comes to that culinary category known as comfort foods. Johnny Cash's son, John Carter Cash, revealed to NPR in 2018, that this was certainly the case of the "Folsom Prison Blues" artist, who grew up in rural Arkansas. The Man in Black, as Johnny Cash was known, loved Southern food, and his wife, June Carter, certainly knew how to make vegetables taste better with one magic ingredient: hot pepper cheese. 

The vintage Southern dish Johnny Cash enjoyed is simply known as "stuff." Carter Cash explained that it starts with fried potatoes and carrots as a base before bell peppers, mushrooms, and softer veggies are added, with the onion being the last item added to the frying pan — well, almost last. It's really the final addition that makes this recipe stand out, and it's, naturally, cheese. "Then, you steam the dish with hot pepper cheese on the top, and it melts down through the dish. It's delicious," John Carter Cash explained.

Melted cheese and cheese sauces do make veggies taste better. It's one of the reasons parents are always drowning broccoli in it. However, hot pepper cheese takes it up a notch, drawing its eater right into that "burning ring of fire." Why does it work so well and get your mouth salivating? First, this is one of the absolute best cheeses for melting. It's a semi-soft cheese that becomes velvety smooth when heat is applied. It uses spicy jalapeños to cut the rich, creamy dairy, adding just the right amount of heat without being overwhelming. 

Secondly, its salty goodness enhances the sweet, earthy, and savory characteristics of this food group. It also pairs perfectly with fried veggies. It's no wonder Johnny Cash loved his wife's "stuff" recipe so much. If you want to "walk the line" but add your own spin to this recipe, you can grill or roast the veggies and create a hot pepper cheese sauce to drizzle over them, or take that broccoli and cauliflower casserole recipe and add some of this spicy cheese to give it a little kick.