June Carter Cash and Johnny Cash smiling together looking to the side of the camera

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If you ask a country music fan about which stars they would wish to share a meal with, Johnny Cash and June Carter Cash might be at the top of their list. If they aren't on yours, they definitely will be once you learn about their go-to dinner party dishes. Among the old-school Southern bites the Cashes were known for was a hearty iron pot chili, which the Man in Black loaded up with sirloin steak. Other dishes included crumbly cornbread based on a recipe that Johnny's mother also used.

Dessert, however, was June's domain, and there was no competition when it came to her "heavenly hash" (via Cowboys & Indians magazine). A fluffy hodgepodge of fruit, cream, marshmallows, and cookies, the singer's signature creation could be considered a "dessert salad" in the realm of a classic ambrosia — sweet, easy, and perhaps best of all, bake-free. Apparently, it was one of the many things June's husband fell in love with.

In his "Cash and Carter Family Cookbook," the couple's son, John Carter Cash, shared that his mother's fruity, creamy treat was also a favorite of their guests, including family friend (and wife of June and Johnny's manager), Karen Robin. "[June] knew how to throw a dinner — or luncheon or breakfast, for that matter! A dinner was an event at your parents' table," Robin told him. "And the food was always special."

Heavenly hash has a ton of history — and variations

A heavenly hash or ambrosia salad with fruit, cream, and coconut

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Although June Carter Cash became synonymous with the dessert in her circles, heavenly hash was hardly her original concept. A much earlier reference to the dish dates back to 1887, when it was presented as a newfangled dessert in the Chicago Daily Tribune. This was around the same time that ambrosia, a similar treat featuring fluffy cream and diced fruit, was picking up steam. Along with a few other retro no-bake desserts, both were adopted and passed on for generations. (Interestingly, the term was also used for a candy bar, and became a popular flavor of ice cream – both in the vein of Rocky Road.)

June's version, according to her son, featured maraschino cherries, fresh pineapple, shredded sweetened coconut, and, for that all-important fluff factor, both marshmallows and Cool Whip. She put her own signature spin on it by hiding two shortbread cookies at the bottom of each serving, as well as by pairing it with her fresh berry compote.

Other iterations of heavenly hash might include mandarin oranges, pecans, and chocolate. And while June apparently preferred Cool Whip, it's common for folks to use regular whipped cream as the base — or, if they want to take it more towards the edge of savory, even mayonnaise or sour cream. There's plenty of leeway to make this dessert your own. Just note that if you choose to add some pistachio pudding into the mix, what you'll technically have is a Watergate salad.