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  1. Midwest Living
  2. Food
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  4. Favorite Midwest Hometown Recipes

Favorite Midwest Hometown Recipes

By Midwest Living editors Updated December 03, 2022
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South Dakota Peach Kuchen

Sample a taste of the Midwest with these signature recipes that reflect Heartland tradition and ingredients, from South Dakota peach kuchen to Kansas sunflower muffins.

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South Dakota Peach Kuchen

South Dakota Peach Kuchen
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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

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Cincinnati-Style Chili

Cincinnati-Style Chili
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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.

Related: Warm-You-Up Chili Recipes

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Knoephla

Knoephla
Credit: Mark Thomas
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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.

Related: Comfort Food to Keep You Warm All Winter

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North Dakota Juneberry Pie

North Dakota Juneberry Pie
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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

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Kansas Zwiebach

Kansas Zwiebach
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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

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Chicago-Style Deep-Dish Pizza

Chicago-Style Deep-Dish Pizza
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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

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Sandbakkels

Sandbakkels
Credit: Blaine Moats
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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 

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Ozark Blackberry Cobbler

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

Related: Cherry and Berry Desserts

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Sunflower Pumpkin Muffins

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

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Missouri Gooey Butter Cake

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

Related: Ultimate Cake Recipes

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Wisconsin Harvest Pie

Wisconsin Harvest Pie
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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.

Related: Prizewinning Reader Recipes

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Apricot and Orange Blossom Kolacky

Apricot and Orange Blossom Kolacky
Credit: Blaine Moats
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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.

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War Eagle Mill Buttermilk Biscuits

Ozark War Eagle Buttermilk Biscuits
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"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. 

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Toasted Ravioli

The Original Toasted Ravioli
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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.

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Breakfast Wild Rice

Breakfast Wild Rice
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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.

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Buffalo Corn-Potato Chowder

Buffalo Corn-Potato Chowder
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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.

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Classic Chicken and Wild Rice Hotdish

Classic Chicken and Wild Rice Hotdish
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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).

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Brats and Beer Cheddar Chowder

Brats and Beer Cheddar Chowder
Credit: Mark Thomas
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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.

Related: Midwest Soups State by State

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Amish Apple Dumplings

Amish Apple Dumplings
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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.

Related: Irresistible Apple Dessert Recipes

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Walleye Wild Rice Cakes with Wasabi Dressing

Walleye Wild Rice Cakes with Wasabi Dressing
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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. 

Related: Fish Recipes for Dinner Tonight

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North Dakota Chippers

Widman's Chippers chocolate potato chips
Credit: Blaine Moats
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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.

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Michigan Cherry-Berry Pie

Michigan Cherry-Berry Pie
Credit: Blaine Moats
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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

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Badger State Muffins

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

Related: Quick and Easy Muffin Recipes

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Dutch Letters

The Jaarsma Bakery is famous its delectable Dutch letters.
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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.

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Beer-Braised Brats

Beer-Braised Brats
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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

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True Butterscotch Pie

True Butterscotch Pie
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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.

Related: Midwest State Fair Blue-Ribbon Recipes

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Cranberry-Orange Wild Rice Muffins

Cranberry-Orange Wild Rice Muffins
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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. 

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Brandy Old-Fashioned

Brandy Old-Fashioned Wisconsin Supper Clubs
Credit: Kevin J. Miyazaki/Redux
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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

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Great Lakes Salmon Chowder

Great Lakes Salmon Chowder recipe
Credit: Mark Thomas
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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.

Related: Simmering Soups and Stews

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Sauteed Morel Mushrooms

Fresh-picked morel mushrooms in butter
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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.

Related: Morel Mushroom Recipes

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Lefse

Lefse
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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.

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    1 of 31 South Dakota Peach Kuchen
    2 of 31 Cincinnati-Style Chili
    3 of 31 Knoephla
    4 of 31 North Dakota Juneberry Pie
    5 of 31 Kansas Zwiebach
    6 of 31 Chicago-Style Deep-Dish Pizza
    7 of 31 Sandbakkels
    8 of 31 Ozark Blackberry Cobbler
    9 of 31 Sunflower Pumpkin Muffins
    10 of 31 Missouri Gooey Butter Cake
    11 of 31 Wisconsin Harvest Pie
    12 of 31 Apricot and Orange Blossom Kolacky
    13 of 31 War Eagle Mill Buttermilk Biscuits
    14 of 31 Toasted Ravioli
    15 of 31 Breakfast Wild Rice
    16 of 31 Buffalo Corn-Potato Chowder
    17 of 31 Classic Chicken and Wild Rice Hotdish
    18 of 31 Brats and Beer Cheddar Chowder
    19 of 31 Amish Apple Dumplings
    20 of 31 Walleye Wild Rice Cakes with Wasabi Dressing
    21 of 31 North Dakota Chippers
    22 of 31 Michigan Cherry-Berry Pie
    23 of 31 Badger State Muffins
    24 of 31 Dutch Letters
    25 of 31 Beer-Braised Brats
    26 of 31 True Butterscotch Pie
    27 of 31 Cranberry-Orange Wild Rice Muffins
    28 of 31 Brandy Old-Fashioned
    29 of 31 Great Lakes Salmon Chowder
    30 of 31 Sauteed Morel Mushrooms
    31 of 31 Lefse

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