Our 20 Best Midwestern Recipes to Capture the American Heartland
America’s breadbasket is known for way more than just bread
Midwestern cuisine has simple roots—the region's strong connection to agriculture has defined its hearty, locally-driven cooking. In the American heartlands, find an abundance of fresh produce that's used to feed the entire hungry nation—from crisp vegetables to juicy fruits and leagues of heirloom wheats. While synonymous with "American food," Midwestern cuisine has historically been influenced largely by the cuisines of central and eastern Europe. Today, there are very few rules: the region is an incredibly diverse place that also celebrates the traditional foodways of immigrants ranging from Japanese to Filipino. From venison loin to beer cheese soup, here are our very best Midwestern recipes.
Paw Paw Ice Cream
This custardy ice cream gets its tropical flavor from paw paws, a musky-sweet fruit native to the American Midwest that tastes somewhere between a banana and a mango, with a plush, creamy texture. Get the recipe for Paw Paw Ice Cream »
Spice-Rubbed Venison Loin with Red Wine Sauce
Good venison is buttery and beefy, hardly gamey at all. Amy Thielen likes to freeze then wet-age wild venison to allow its fibers to relax, thawing it in its vacuum-sealed package in the refrigerator for at least a week. Because the loin is so lean, it is best cooked over a steady push of medium-high heat—not high heat, which creates a bull’s-eye effect. To help the outside caramelize, Thielen adds malted milk powder to the spice rub, which also adds a subtle, nutty richness to the final sauce. Get the recipe for Spice-Rubbed Venison Loin with Red Wine Sauce »
Boston Cooler
Despite the name, Boston Coolers are as about Midwestern as Marge Gunderson and repressed emotions. And they’re our favorite kind of soda shake—a milkshake with a soft drink replacing the milk. Ginger ale adds a warm, spicy bite that cuts through all the vanilla richness. Get the recipe for Boston Cooler »
Japanese comfort food meets the all-American burger. Get the recipe for Japanese Pretzel Tonkatsu Burger
Beet Kvass Gimlets
Kvass is a fermented drink traditionally made from rye, but in this version, we use beets, which lend their beautiful red color to the finished cocktail. Get the recipe for Beet Kvass Gimlets »
Japanese-Style Swiss Chard and Sesame Salad
Turn tough chard leaves tender by giving them a light pounding, then dress them in this light sesame-flavored vinaigrette. It’s the perfect side to Amy Thielen’s Japan-meets-Midwest tonkatsu burger. Get the recipe for Japanese-Style Swiss Chard and Sesame Salad »
American Cheddar Cheese Biscuits
When making these buttery little biscuits, opt for a true American cheese—fourth-generation Wisconsin cheesemaker Sid Cook, of Carr Valley Cheese, advised us to use a three-year-old extra-sharp cheddar. Get the recipe for American Cheddar Cheese Biscuits »
Buttermilk Cookie Salad
The addition of buttermilk in this ultra-retro dessert keeps it from being too cloying and renders cookie salad totally appropriate for the adult palate. Get the recipe for Buttermilk Cookie Salad »
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