Coney dogs are steamed hot dogs smothered with all-beef chili, and topped with minced onions and mustard. The chili is a little bit sweet and a little bit spicy. Invented in Michigan, these coney dogs are a real American treat! Did you think that coney
Paczki is a Polish donut that was invented as a way to use up lard and sugar before Lent. Traditionally enjoyed only on Fat Tuesday, this sugar-covered donut can be filled with a variety of delicious fillings. It is an indulgent sweet treat! While it
Boston cream pie is a yellow buttery sponge cake with creamy custard filling this is topped with a fudgy chocolate ganache glaze. This recipe keeps it easy, using a cake mix for simplicity, but with a quick technique that keeps the sponge cake texture. The
This simple Fluffernutter sandwich is a delightful treat! A New England favorite, creamy peanut butter and marshmallow fluff are spread over white bread. It is a favorite of kids and adults alike! There are so many good things about the sweet and salty combination of
Creamy Boston Clam Chowder is loaded with tender potatoes and clams, and topped with crispy bacon. It is a comforting bowl of soup for any time of year! About This Soup Boston clam chowder and New England clam chowder are one and the same. Chowder
A Smith Island Cake is one of the moistest and most decadent cakes you will find. 8-12 layers of yellow cake are enrobed in fudge frosting that seeps down into the cake. It is an impressive cake that is a must-try for any chocolate lover!
This oven-baked crab cakes recipe skips the heavy oil but delivers a delicious flavor and texture. Big chunks of lump crab, a light cracker filler, and the authentic flavors of Old Bay seasoning make this crab cake recipe extraordinary! Ingredients Eggs: This is the binding
These coconut chicken strips are crunchy on the outside but juicy on the inside! Easy to make, they are a recipe that both kids and adults will love! You can easily make them Paleo/Whole 30 approved by using almond flour. It’s the perfect weeknight meal!
Whoopie Pies are a fluffy cake-like chocolate cookie sandwich with gooey marshmallow filling in the middle. They are a popular treat in the northeast United States. Our Maine Whoopie Pies recipe is the classic version, but there are so many ways to customize! I will
Lobster rolls are a New England delicacy, made with fresh and simple ingredients. A buttered and toasted bun provides the perfect texture contrast for the star of the show, tender and succulent pieces of lobster! There are both warm and cold versions of the lobster
I love applesauce pumpkin bread on a crisp fall morning! There is something spectacular about the tender moist bread, with warm spices in every bite. When paired with a cup of coffee it is my dream of a perfect morning! My original pumpkin bread recipe
Beignets are like a little donut pillow. A soft dough, cut into squares and fried until it puffs up and is golden. Delicious warm and with powdered sugar, we kick things up a notch with a delicious sauce. These pecan praline beignets are a delectable
Gumbo is a melting pot of rich and flavorful stock, the Holy Trinity of vegetables, and a variety of meat. It is hard to classify what makes a truly authentic Louisiana gumbo recipe because there are about as many variations of gumbo as there are
The title “Bourbon chocolate walnut pecan pie” is a mouthful! But I wanted to include all of what makes this pie so delicious! Warm bourbon, rich chocolate, and wonderful complexity brought by two different nuts in the pie! This bourbon chocolate walnut pecan pie is
The Kentucky hot brown is an open-faced sandwich that is the ultimate comfort food. There is a creamy sauce, crispy bacon, and underneath that is a foundation of soft and pillowy bread. This sandwich was invented by the owner of The Brown Hotel in Louisville,
The mint julep is the official drink of the Kentucky Derby. When we had our Kentucky State dinner I wanted to mix things up just a little bit, so we created berry mint juleps. They were so good! The fruit takes away some of the
Honey wheat bread is one of the first recipes that I learned to make. My mom had an electric wheat mill and she would buy giant bags of whole wheat. I have very vivid memories of pouring the wheat into the mill cup by cup,
Dirt and Worms is a fun family-friendly dessert that is easy to make and decadent to eat! You may know this as Kansas Dirt Cake or Dirt Pudding, but my kids think calling it Dirt and Worms is way more fun! Crushed Oreos, cream cheese,
Pot roast has long been considered a classic American Sunday meal. It is perfect because you can do all of the work to prepare it, then walk away and come back a few hours later to your meal complete and ready to serve! Pot roast
Depending on where you live, the loose meat sandwich is called different things. In Iowa, it is a Maid-Rite. In other midwest states, it is called a Nu-Way, steamer, Big T, loose hamburger, Tastee, or even a tavern sandwich. So many names, and some slightly
Strawberry Pretzel Salad is a popular dish in the midwest. Some serve it as a side dish, and others as a dessert. It is a hit with adults and children alike! The pretzel-crust is addicting with its salty-sweet crunch! And the creamy middle layer and
Old fashioned sugar cream pie is like a sweet cream cold brew but without the cold brew. It is a very simple pie that is creamy and sweet, with hints of vanilla and cinnamon. The texture is very similar to a custard pie or flan,
A pork tenderloin sandwich is just about as midwestern as you can get. It was the main dish for our Indiana state dinner, but it is also really popular in Iowa! It is a great recipe to make when you are craving crispy comfort food.
A classic Chicago-style deep dish pizza is characterized by a buttery crust, tons of cheese, and a super flavorful sauce. This recipe has all of those and is much easier than you might think. When we decided on deep dish pizza for our Illinois state
I think brownies should be rich and fudgy, with an intense chocolate flavor. Sure, you can make brownies from a box. But when you really want to impress, it is just a few extra steps to make these gourmet brownies. This is the ultimate gooey
Buttermilk spice muffins make me dream of fall. It doesn’t matter if I am eating them in the middle of a 100-degree Texas summer day, or on a crisp fall morning. The warm cinnamon and nutmeg spices, tender and moist muffin, and the decadent streusal
Thai Cashew Chicken is the perfect dinner for when you are short on time, but you still want something that has a lot of flavor. In Thailand, it is known as Gai Pad Med Mamuang, which means chicken stir fry with cashew nuts. While considered
Roasted nuts are addictive, especially if they are flavored! These roasted coconut curry cashews are a unique twist on the more traditional roasted cashew, and I would argue they are even more addictive! Sweet, spicy, crunchy, earthy – all the best flavors of your favorite
Huckleberry pie is a delicious summer treat! But fresh huckleberries can be hard to find, especially if you do not live in the Pacific Northwest. This huckleberry pie recipe combines huckleberry jam with blueberries to give you the sweet-tart flavor of huckleberries, without having to
Have I got the recipe for you! These French fries are the best that I have ever tasted! They are crispy on the outside, soft and fluffy on the inside! I am presenting this in my favorite way, as a Parmesan Truffle Fries Recipe, but
I am happy to share that this Idaho finger steaks recipe was a hit! Crispy and perfectly seasoned on the outside, tender and juicy on the inside. They were addicting little strips of goodness! Who knew finger steaks could be so good? Truth be told,
Traditional Kalua pig is a whole pig that is cooked in the ground. Literally, they dig a giant hole and bury the pig! I don’t know about you, but that’s not something I was up for doing in my backyard. So when we had our
This Hawaiian Macadamia Fried Rice is an easy side dish to whip up and the flavors are pleasing for the whole family! Adding in the macadamia nuts makes it feel special, and seems like you put a whole lot of time into it. Surprise! It’s
A couple of years ago I stumbled upon this baked honey sriracha salmon recipe by Creme de la Crumb. I call it “the fish recipe for people who don’t love fish.” My family doesn’t really like fish, but they will eat this recipe! And since
Bourbon peach cobbler reminds me of a cozy winter night balanced with the freshness and life of a warm summer day. There is something incredibly comforting about the warm spices and gooey brown sugar and bourbon sauce being combined with summer’s fresh peaches and vanilla
When we decided to have fried chicken for our Georgia state dinner, I’ll admit I was a little intimidated. I usually prepare “fried” chicken in the oven. It’s healthier that way, and I love anything that cooks without me having to stand over it. But
We make coconut rice at least once a month. It is Cora’s favorite way to have rice, and I must admit, I’m a pretty big fan myself! There’s just something amazing about this creamy rice, with flavors of ginger and garlic, that make it hard
If you have followed my menu plans for any length of time at all you know that I love curry! It very well may be my favorite food ever! I love trying new ways of making curry so that I can enjoy some variety while
Do you remember the 2013 trend of One Pot Pasta? I was mind-blown when I first tried it, loving the simplicity. Boiling pasta in water, with onions, garlic, and tomatoes, was an easy dinner! I wondered if I could create something similar, but with a
Strawberries have been really delicious this season! So bright, sweet, and juicy. While we love to eat strawberries by themselves, I have been looking for recipes to utilize them as well. I don’t normally like strawberry shortcake, as the shortcake I have had has been
The Difference Between Southern Dumpling and Slippery Dumplings Growing up in the south I know all about chicken and dumplings. Truthfully, I never liked them because the biscuit-like dumpling is too wet on the outside and felt like I was eating raw dough. I had
Taco Tuesday is our favorite night of the week, and these Street Tacos with fresh pico de gallo are always a hit! It is so nice to cook a meal that the entire family loves, so this is on our regular rotation! A Flavorful Marinade
Have you ever surprised yourself by making the perfect recipe? That’s what happened to me when I made these Snickerdoodle cookies. I expected good. I mean, I love a Snickerdoodle cookie! But these cookies? They are ridiculously good! I took some to my mom and
When planning for our Colorado state dinner I scoured the internet for the best pork green chili recipes. None looked like exactly what I wanted. So I took a little bit from a number of different sites and came up with my own version. We
I like to think of these loaded roasted potato slices as a slightly healthier version of a loaded baked potato. They just use a little olive oil and there is no butter, so I am calling these healthy-ish. The great thing is they taste like
Necessity is the Mother of Invention These tacos were created one night when Matt was out of town, and I was searching for something simple to make that both Cora and Levi would eat. I didn’t want to take a trip to the grocery store,
Monday Day Grill Day Mondays are usually “grill something” day at our home. In the summer that often means literally putting meat on the outdoor grill, but it can also mean cooking meat inside on the stove or in the oven. Essentially, Monday is “stand-alone
This Chicken Parmesan is the most flavorful chicken parm I have ever tasted! Pardon me for the humble brag, but I think it is top restaurant quality! The addition of fresh basil is not required to make it a good dish, but if you have
Baked Alaska was a dessert for celebrations when I was growing up. We had it for my dad’s birthday many years, and occasionally for other special moments. I remember as a young child being enamored with the magic of this dessert! How does the ice
Thai food is my ultimate comfort food and this Peanut Thai Curry checks every box in what I look for in a perfect Thai recipe. Warm spices and coconut make this creamy sauce absolutely delicious, and the peanut butter adds a depth and richness that
