I Make These 22 Recipes When I Want To Feel Like A Midwest Princess (2024)

No wonder this casserole is a Midwestern staple—it's a total guilty pleasure. This casserole varies, so adjust based on what you have on hand! Ground turkey or chicken would be a delicious swap out for the beef. If you're really being good (I'm impressed!), top the casserole with zucchini tater tots in place of the potato variety.

Get the Tater Tot Casserole recipe.

Whatever you call it—puppy chow, muddy buddies—one thing is for certain: This creation is one of the easiest, most satisfying party favors. With only a handful of ingredients, this peanut butter-chocolate dessert comes together in under 20 minutes, making it the easiest dessert or party snack

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I'm siding with (fellow Midwesterner) Senior Food Editor Makinze: St. Louis-style just might take the crown for the most flavorful ribs. Why? With a complex rub, a low-and-slow cook, and a sweet BBQ sauce, these spareribs turn into tender, fall-of-the bone dreams.

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Don't be fooled by the name—the only thing deathly about this casserole is how absolutely delicious it is. This cheesy, creamy casserole is originally a Mormon dish, but has now become a staple at holidays in my Kansas household.

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Chicago is as picky about hot dogs as New York is about pizza. The toppings aren't just specific, but the order they go on is important too. Poppy seed hot dog buns and sport peppers are hard to find outside of the Windy City, so we made our own buns and used another pickled green pepper in its place (don't hate us).

Get the Chicago-Style Hot Dogs recipe.

From the classic Texas red to the New Mexican chile verde, there are nearly infinite varieties of classic American chili, but few are as unique as Cincinnati chili. If you’ve never heard of this classic variation, then get ready: With a tweaked sauce, spaghetti, and beans (on TOP of the chili), this recipe is anything but boring.

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When it comes to comfort food, you can't get much more stick-to-your-ribs comforting than a hearty pot roast. After a long day, there's nothing quite like serving up a plate of rich, flavorful pot roast paired with hearty potatoes and sweet carrots. Plus, this dish is made even easier by letting the slow cooker do most of the work for you—you're welcome.

Get the Slow-Cooker Pot Roast recipe.

Our easy recipe perfects the beloved, soft, and fluffy sweet pastry—follow it to a T if you’re looking to go classic, or use it as a jumping-off point to add your favorite seasonal flavors. Serve this with a bowl of chili (don't knock it till you try it!) for a classic comforting dinner.

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If you love a loaded baked potato brimming with bacon, cheese, sour cream, and chives, then you'll go crazy for this easy soup recipe. The best part? This recipe is made in the Instant Pot, so you can enjoy peak cozy vibes in under an hour.

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Ham and cheese sliders are a classic meal my mom turns to again and again, but this sliders get a bit of an upgrade. Fluffy Hawaiian rolls sandwich ham, Swiss cheese, and caramelized onions, all topped with a homemade poppy-butter topping.

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Macaroni salad is a go-to, classic side everyone looks forward to at every summer get-together, and it’s easy to see why—it's simple to throw together and, when done right, is a creamy, bright addition to any party, potluck, or picnic spread. To get perfect mac salad every time, ditch the store-bought and make this guaranteed showstopper recipe instead.

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If you're in need of a reliable, nostalgic, easy (and cheap) weeknight dinner, then I think there’s no debate: A Sloppy Joes' night is in order. The perfect answer to, “How far can I stretch this package of ground beef?” Sloppy Joes only require a handful of simple ingredients (that you most likely already have on hand) to create a classic family dinner.

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Loaded with peanut butter and dipped in chocolate, Ohio-famous buckeyes are basically a homemade Reese’s peanut butter cup in truffle form. They’re easy to make and great for taking to parties—although if you do, you should probably attach a warning label to the plate. You won’t be able to have just one.

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Chicago-style deep-dish pizza is what many might call “pizza casserole.” After many attempts, this pizza ended up with a crispy crust on the bottom, still fluffy on the outer edges, and a pool of cheese weighted down by sausage and deeply savory, slightly sweet crushed tomato sauce.

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What’s an easy weeknight dinner without beef, noodles, and gooey cheese? This version of beef noodle casserole combines a shelf-stable favorite—cream of mushroom soup—along with tomato sauce, lots of garlic, sweet onion, and sharp cheddar cheese.

Get the Beef Noodle Casserole recipe.

If you love a good almond croissant, then you're going to love this extra flaky pastry that happens to be the state pastry of Wisconsin! Stuffed with creamy almond filling and glazed with icing, these flaky ring-shaped pastries are equal parts decadently rich and irresistibly delicious.

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BBQ sauce has plenty of variations, but this Kansas City-style recipe just might be the best. It's thick, slightly sweet, and perfectly tangy. Make it and store it, then use in all your favorite BBQ recipes.

Get the Homemade BBQ Sauce recipe.

The best thing about this goulash recipe? Everything cooks together in one pot—even the pasta! Cooking the macaroni directly in the goulash means the pasta gets to soak up all that beef and tomato flavor while simultaneously releasing some of its starch into the pan, thickening the goulash to create a hearty, comforting stew.

Get the Goulash recipe.

Also a holiday casserole staple in the South, corn casserole is packed with sweet corn, balanced by a pinch of paprika and herby chives, and has an insanely tender and custardy texture that will have you on your third helping before you even know what hit you.

Get the Corn Casserole recipe.

When I'm searching for something hearty, filling, and completely classic, I turn to this chicken and rice casserole. It’s the type of recipe my family turns to time and time again during the fall and winter (and all year-round TBH). The best part? Everything is ready at the same time in this recipe, so you can toss it all in the dish (yes, one dish) for dinner ready in under two hours.

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