Not that we don’t love celebrating the United States of A with cookouts, beer and jello shots, but we’re thinking our next celebration is going to be for our states. Individual states tend to get overshadowed this time of year when we’re partying in honor of our country, so we want to show them some love. And really, who doesn’t love another reason to celebrate? From Alabama’s fried green tomatoes to Wyoming’s buffalo burgers, we have a recipe for everyone and their home. So celebrate where you live (or pretend you live somewhere else) and eat up!
1. Alabamian Fried Green Tomatoes: Also a movie from the ’90s, these tasty morsels definitely precede the film. What a great way to use those pesky leftover tomatoes that won’t ripen, especially when they’re dipped in a buttermilk ranch dressing. Thanks, Alabama. (via Smith + Ratliff)
2. Alaskan Akutaq: Okay so this isn’t really Akutaq. But, in our defense, we didn’t think you could find caribou tallow at your local Whole Foods. We’re improvising with this no-churn blueberry cheesecake ice cream instead. (via Just Putzing)
3. Arizonan Chimichanga: What’s better than deep-fried Mexican food? Deep-fried Mexican food for breakfast! Enjoy these breakfast chimichangas with avocado and cotija cheese, and imagine you’re basking in the nice, dry heat of Arizona. (via Half Baked Harvest)
4. Arkansawyer Southern Fried Catfish: This recipe trades in the fried piece for a spicy greek yogurt glaze. Yum, we’ll take it. Plus catfish is one river food you can feel good about buying farm-raised. (via Prevention RD)
5. Californian Fish Tacos: What could be more Californian than a rainbow slaw of fresh veggies atop your fish taco? Why oh why don’t avocados grow in every climate? (via A Pinch of Thyme)
6. Coloradan Cowboy Cookies: This is basically your favorite cookie on crack. It has cinnamon, oats, nuts and chocolate. They’re the perfect snack for camping, cookouts, mountain hikes and all sorts of summertime adventures. (via Little Figgy)
7. Connecticutian Clam and Bacon Pizza: Inspired by the New Haven-style white clam pizza, this recipe kicks it up a notch with bacon and blanched garlic. Connecticut, you can make us pizza any time. (via Bon Appetit)
8. Delawarean Frozen Custard: Ice cream, fro yo, custard — what would a summer afternoon be without a frozen, creamy treat? Then again, what would your life be without this delicious vanilla bean custard and dark caramel sauce? (via Wonderful Joy Ahead)
9. Floridian Key Lime Pie: Close your eyes, take a bite of this key lime pie with a coconut graham cracker crust and pretend you’re floating in the ocean. All you need is a Piña Colada? (via Port + Fin)
10. Georgian Lattice Peach Pie: Peach pie is our jam. We love adding savory herbs to our desserts for that surprise elegance factor. This sage scented red berry peach pie has sage in both the filling and the crust. (via Sun Shines Pie)
11. Hawaiian Ahi Poke: In Hawaiian, poke basically means “cut into pieces.” Now those are some instructions we can get behind. You basically chop fresh tuna and a variety of veggies to make a refreshing salad that’s perfect to serve at your next luau. (via Mangoes + Palm Trees)
12. Idahoan Potatoes: We suppose you could use any plain fingerling potato for this dish, but we’re pretty sure life won’t be complete until we can eat some fork-crushed purple potatoes. (via Smitten Kitchen)
13. Illinoisan Chicago-Style Deep Dish Pizza: True Chicago deep dish isn’t complete without a giant Italian sausage patty hiding under the sauce. But since your stomach has to be in training to handle that, we’re satisfied with this simple deep dish that’s packed with tons of fresh veggies. (via Minimalist Baker)
14. Hoosier Sugar Cream Pie: At first, this one kind of stumped us. There’s no crust or crumble topping to speak of. And the filling? Well, we’re more accustomed to fruit and nut fillings in our pies. But anything with sugar in the name is something we’re up to trying. (via Pass the Sushi)
15. Iowan Sweet Corn: Sweet corn is one of those American traditions that seems unfair for any one state to claim. That is, until you learn how seriously the Iowans take their corn. (via A Food Centric Life)
16. Kansan Wheat Bread: Remember those amber waves of grain? Yep, that’s Kansas. And while we love bread in all of its forms, this whole wheat blackberry cream cheese swirl bread with vanilla bean glaze sounds like one of those desserts we can get away with eating for breakfast. (via Baking a Moment)
17. Kentuckian Hot Browns: We can see why this is a Kentucky Derby classic. Fluffy biscuit, tomato, turkey, bacon, mornay sauce and a runny egg make brunch perfection. (via Seven Spoons)
18. Louisianan Gumbo: Jambalaya, crawfish pie and filé gumbo, ’cause tonight I’m gonna see ma cher amie-o. Hank Williams had it right, so long as his cher amie was this gumbo. We know it’s ours. (via Local Kitchen Blog)
19. Mainer Lobster Roll: This is one of those state dishes that needs no introduction. If you haven’t had a lobster roll, we suggest you book a trip up north ASAP. (via The Crepes of Wrath)
20. Marylander Crab Cakes: The only thing better than a Maryland crab cake is a Maryland crab cake slider with spicy mayo. Provide a lighter option at your next BBQ with this slider and watch them disappear before your very eyes. (via The Comfort of Cooking)
21. Massachusite Boston Cream Donuts: It’s no secret how much we love donuts. And donuts that take their cue from other iconic desserts are even better. (via And They Cooked Happily Ever After)
22. Michigander Cherry Pie: Cherries are basically our summer candy. Bless you, Michigan, for enabling us to include them in this roundup, especially in the form of a balsamic cherry pie with a black pepper crust. We’ll have seconds, please. (via Adventures in Cooking)
23. Minnesotan Hot Dish: This is one of those dishes you probably haven’t eaten unless you’re from Minnesota. But anything that gives you a grown-up excuse to eat tater tots is okay in our book. (via A Farm Girl’s Dabbles)
24. Mississippian Mud Pie: Whether you’re honoring Mississippi, America or just your chocolate cravings, you can’t go wrong with this red, white and blue velvet Mississippi mud pie. Oreo crust, flourless red velvet cake, blue velvet pudding and cream cheese whipped cream topping — our mouths are overwhelmed with happiness. (via Confessions of a Bright-Eyed Baker)
25. Missourian Kansas City Style Ribs: Now we’re talking. Move over Memphis, Texas and the Carolinas — this is BBQ. It’s smokey, sticky, fall-off-the-bone perfection. (via The Meatwave)
26. Montanan Huckleberry Pie: You know what we love more than pies? Cute mini pies. It’s an even better excuse to eat it all ourselves. If you can’t get huckleberries, blueberries will do. (via Tyler Nicole)
27. Nebraskan Kolaches: If there were ever a time to be thankful for the waves of Eastern European immigration to the Midwest that occurred in the late 19th century, it’s now. And what better expression of thanks than these jammy, buttery homemade cookies? (via Culinary Serendipity)
28. Nevadan Piñon Nut Cookies: What can we say, Americans love their desserts. And if you can get some American or Italian pine nuts, you should definitely make these salt and pepper butterscotch-pine nut cookies. (via Lori’s Mississippi Kitchen)
29. New Hampshirite Apple Cider Caramels: Whoever said apple cider is only for autumn clearly hadn’t tried these sea salt caramels. (via Solano’s Kitchen)
30. New Jerseyite Salt Water Taffy: Looking for an afternoon taffy-pulling adventure? Enlist some help for the actual pulling part while you oversee the boiling hot sugar that makes this delicious salt water taffy. (via Vanilla + Lace)
31. New Mexican Stacked Enchiladas With Green Chile: When asked if you want red or green salsa on your food, the true New Mexican response is, “Christmas.” You can apologize to your burnt taste buds later. (via The Pioneer Woman)
32. New Yorker Bagels: We won’t need a deli anymore once we learn how to make these. Don’t forget to serve them with some schmear and lox. (via Kitchen Joy)
33. North Carolinian Pulled Pork BBQ Sandwich: Mmm, consider our mouths watered. And is that JAM in the background? #SaltySweetYum (via Rachel Cooks)
34. North Dakotan Lefse Potato Crepes: Spread your lefse with melted butter, cinnamon and sugar and be thankful you can enjoy something that tastes like an elephant ear, without any deep frying involved. (via Adventures in Cooking)
35. Ohioan Buckeyes: As if we needed more reasons to eat peanut butter and chocolate. But really, we’re not even mad. It may be candy, but at least it has protein from the peanut butter. (via Smitten Kitchen)
36. Oklahoman Fried Okra: Now is the time to be bold. Now is the time to be daring. Now is the time to incorporate okra into your normal veggie rotation. We love veggies than can mask themselves as fries, and we were thrilled to add these crispy cornmeal okra fries to that list. (via Garden + Gun)
37. Oregonian Marionberry Pie: If you haven’t heard of the marionberry, supposedly it’s the “cabernet of blackberries.” And whenever you compare something to wine, you pretty much guarantee that we’ll try it. (via Oh, Sweet Basil)
38. Pennsylvanian Shoofly Pie: The Amish cousin of sugar cream pie, this delicacy uses molasses in a dessert that’s so sweet you’ll have to shoo the flies away. (via Simple + Satisfying)
39. Rhode Islander Frozen Lemonade: Thank Rhode Island for your favorite carnival beverage. Whip this up with some of North Dakota’s lefse crepes and you’ll have your very own street fair in the kitchen. (via The Kitchn)
40. South Carolinian Shrimp and Grits: You can call it shrimp and grits and savor its homey goodness, or you can call it spot prawns and polenta and impress your dinner party guests. (via Guilty Kitchen)
41. South Dakotan Kuchen: Kuchen really just means cake, but any state that takes cake this seriously is the state for us. (via Ask Chef Dennis)
42. Tennessean Apple Stack Cake: This dessert developed when settlers who were isolated in the Appalachians wanted a way to enjoy a scrumptious fruity cake during the winter. Use dried apples and apple butter to create this rustic delight, and don’t even worry if it tilts or some crumbs show through. It’s just more rustic that way. (via Brave Tart)
43. Tejano BBQ Brisket: Tex-Mex never looked better than these Dallas style brisket tacos served on buttermilk bacon fat tortillas. Come on, that’s not even fair. (via Taste + Tell)
44. Utahan Jello Mold: Did you know Utahans eat twice as much green jello as any other state? We’ll leave them to it, but will certainly be borrowing this jello and ice cream creation. Change the color of the jello, change the color of the dessert! (via The Food Librarian)
45. Vermonter Maple Candy: If you’re new to candy making, it doesn’t get simpler than this. There’s only one ingredient: maple syrup. (via Food Shed)
46. Virginian Peanuts: We doubt George Washington Carver envisioned this result when he was experimenting with peanuts, but we like to think he’d be proud. These chewy bars have a shortbread crust, a fluffy marshmallow layer and some peanut rice krispie magic. (via Averie Cooks)
47. Washingtonian Apples: Your favorite childhood breakfast with a homemade spin — an apple cinnamon pop tart spin, that is. (via Carissa Miss)
48. West Virginian Pepperoni Rolls: Use pre-made rolls and get yourself some of these pepperoni rolls in less than half an hour. Score! (via Inspired by Charm)
49. Wisconsinite Cranberries: Cranberry lime coconut macaroons are a perfect, refreshing summer treat. (via Baking is a Science)
50. Wyomingite Buffalo Burgers: Home on the range with bacon blue bison burgers. Yum! (via Barbells + Bellinis)
Are you ready to show your pride and whip up your state’s dish? Which of these states are you envious of? Leave us your thoughts below or on Twitter.
