Favorite Midwest Hometown Recipes

German settlers brought the recipe for this tender coffee cake to the northern plains. The industrious pioneers changed up the taste by folding local fruits into the batter: apple, gooseberry, plum and even no-fruit cottage cheese. Here's our biscuitlike version with summery peaches. Serve it warm for breakfast or with ice cream for dessert. 

Related: Sweet-and-Juicy Peach Recipes

Locals spar over whether Skyline or Gold Star makes the better version (and whether the secret ingredients should be cinnamon, cocoa or allspice). Whichever, chili in the Queen City translates as a mild, meaty sauce served over spaghetti noodles and topped with shredded cheese.

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German-Russians settling the Dakotas put Red River Valley potatoes to good use in this creamy-rich potato-filled base with noodle dough cooked. It's white-on-white comfort food.

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Called the Blueberry of the Northern Plains, juneberries (also known as serviceberries) give bakers in North and South Dakota a reason to warm kitchens in summer. Pies featuring the berry bake a deep purply red and bring a nutty almond flavor to every fork full. 

Related: Make Your Best Pie Ever

When Mennonites came to Kansas, they brought their German language, Turkey Red wheat and the recipe for this addictive sweet, soft dinner roll with a doughy topknot. The secret to its rich taste and moistness: potato water, sugar, butter and egg. Don't confuse it with the tooth-breaking cracker of the same name.

Related: Our Best Recipes for Breads, Rolls and Biscuits

True Chicago-style pizza is in some ways a closer cousin to a casserole than traditional regular-crust pizza. One slice is a whole meal!

Related: 10 Trendy Chicago Sandwiches You Have to Try Now

Sandbakkels the  means "sand tarts" because the cookies (which, flipped over, can double as tiny shells to hold cream and fruit) have such a fine, crisp texture. Find these treats, originally brought by Norwegians to the Midwest, in Shauna Sever's book Midwest Made: Big, Bold Baking from the Heartland.

Related: 9 Midwest Heritage Cookies and Treats from Shauna Sever 

A sugared crispy pastry covers sweet juicy berries in this traditional dessert from the Monte Ne Inn near Rogers, Arkansas.

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Seeds from the Sunflower State (along with rolled oats and pumpkin) star in this muffin favorite.

This wonderfully rich cake doesn't need frosting. Serve it for dessert with just a sprinkling of powdered sugar.

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This almond-kissed, fruit-packed pie comes from David Harper, of Richland Center, Wisconsin. He likes to serve it with a wedge of Wisconsin cheese, but it's just as good with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream! The recipe was a finalist in one of our recipe contests.

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This tender pastry cookie, a cousin to Jewish rugelach, has Polish origins. The recipe's apricot filling nods to Hungary. Kolacky (sometimes called kolach) became popular throughout the Midwest as Eastern European immigrants arrived. This recipe is from Shauna Sever's book Midwest Made: Big, Bold Baking from the Heartland.

"My recipes are like my children. I'd hate to single one out as a favorite," says Zoe Caywood, who worked for many years as a miller at War Eagle Mill just east of Rogers, Arkansas. These biscuits are from one of Zoe's cookbooks. The recipe blends wheat and all-purpose flours for a fuller flavor than traditional biscuits. They're great with butter or homemade jams, jellies and preserves. 

Like many good legends, this one has a murky origin. Stories say a cook in St. Louis' Italian Hill neighborhood dropped cooked raviolis into hot fat. The world has been enjoying dropping the crispy appetizer into tomato sauce ever since.

For a hearty breakfast with Midwest grains, serve steaming wild rice topped with toasted pecans, maple syrup, milk or half-and-half, and a pat of melty butter. The recipe comes from The New Midwestern Table (clarksonpotter.com) by Minnesota chef Amy Thielen.

This hearty soup, an update of a Midwest favorite, draws its  inspiration from the flavors of Buffalo chicken wings. The recipe doesn't call for chicken, but you can add it if you like.

Rich cream sauce stands in for canned soup in Minnesota chef Amy Thielen's spin on classic chicken and wild rice hotdish. The recipe comes from Amy's book The New Midwestern Table (clarksonpotter.com).

Midwest Living created this hearty chowder to salute the Badger State's German beer, bratwurst and cheese heritage. The tang of the beer and smokiness of the brats hold up to the bold cheddar and caraway.

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We often equate Amish food with comfort. Here's our version of a favorite dessert you might find at Amish-based restaurants in the Midwest.

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The walleye—state fish of Minnesota and South Dakota—is sought by both anglers and chefs. This recipe comes from Cindi Rockwell of Berkley, Michigan, who paired hearty fish cakes with a zippy wasabi dressing. 

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Crisp Red River Valley potato chips dive into melted chocolate for a funky twist that nailed the sweet-salty taste long before it became a craze. Our recipe was inspired by chips from Widman's in North Dakota.

Cherries abound along Michigan's fruit belt, all along Lake Michigan. Buy just-picked fruits at roadside stands or try them in pies, sauces, and other cherry desserts. Frozen unsweetened tart red cherries, frozen red raspberries and cherry juice or cranberry juice form the heart of this recipe inspired by the Cherry-Berry Pie served at a Petoskey, Michigan, restaurant.

Related: Why Traverse City, Michigan, is a Food Paradise

This cinnamon- and coriander-spiced muffin highlights Wisconsin-grown produce, including apples and cranberries.

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Iowa shops such as Pella's Jaarsma Bakery serve delicious almond paste tucked into S-shape pastries. Some say the S stands for Sinterklaas, but sweet works for us.

Steep your grilled brats in this onion-and-herb beer mixture for an easy way to keep them warm while entertaining. Beer-Braised Brats get a liberal dose of cranberry-pickle relish for extra color and tang. This is a Badger State meal in a bun.

Related: Try Our Grilled Veggies and Brats in Kraut

The trick to the filling in this Iowa State Fair prizewinning recipe? Stirring and stirring while it cooks. The recipe comes from Louise Piper of Garner.

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This North Woods-inspired recipe from Cheryl Francke of Arden Hills, Minnesota, was a finalist in a Best of the Midwest recipe contest. 

An evening at a Wisconsin supper club usually starts with a Brandy Old-Fashioned. Cooler than a Rat Pack film, these old-school eateries know sensible steaks and relish trays never go out of style. 

Related: Why Wisconsin Supper Clubs Just Keep Getting Better

For the Great Lakes State (four of the five lakes touch it), fish chowder was an easy choice. Freshwater salmon teams up with two more state ingredients (potatoes and asparagus) for an exceptionally satisfying meal in a bowl.

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The thrill of a hunt in the spring woods is our favorite part of this Midwest tradition—until you saute those 'shrooms in butter and dig in.

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Eat like a Norwegian! Lutheran church kitchens bustle at the holidays as parishioners mix potato, flour, butter and cream to create this Scandinavian tortilla. Eat it with a smear of butter and a sprinkle of sugar.