Midwest Regional Foods: Hotdish, Curds and Burgers

Midwest regional foods make a visitor from the coasts say they have never seen that before: hotdish, a casserole baked in a church basement, cheese curds that squeak, butter burgers and the Juicy Lucy, a burger with the cheese sealed inside. They come from farm kitchens and neighborhood taverns across the Midwest.

What are the Midwest regional foods worth knowing?

Ask a Midwesterner for a list, and you will hear hotdish, cheese curds, butter burgers and the Juicy Lucy within a minute. Others will add bratwurst, fish fries, kolaches, pasties, runzas and frozen custard. Each has a home state and a story, and each is best eaten near where it was born.

The region is large, and its food varies by state and by the immigrants who settled it. German, Scandinavian, Polish, Czech and Italian families all left marks. What they share is a love of hearty, affordable, shareable food.

A useful way to read the map is by landscape. The north woods and lakes lean toward fish, wild rice and dairy. The prairie states lean toward beef, wheat and corn. The big cities add the food of later arrivals, from Mexican and Puerto Rican kitchens to Vietnamese and Somali restaurants. A traveler who eats across the region tastes all of these layers in a week.

What is hotdish?

A common question for newcomers is what hotdish is. It is a baked casserole, usually built from a protein, a vegetable, a starch and a creamy binder, and it is a staple of Minnesota and the Upper Midwest. The term covers many types of baked casseroles rather than one recipe. If one version stands for the whole category, it is tater tot hotdish, with ground beef, a creamy soup based sauce and a layer of tater tots on top.

Scandinavian immigrants who settled the region are part of the story, and hotdish became a fixture of church suppers, funerals and potlucks. If a friend invites you to a potluck, bring a dish, and expect to leave with a recipe.

The dish is judged by its balance. The base should be moist but not soupy, the seasoning should be gentle and the topping should be crisp. Cooks have strong opinions about the soup, the vegetable and the cheese, and every family claims the best version. If you are served a plate, say thank you, and ask for the recipe.

Why do Wisconsin cheese curds squeak?

Wisconsin cheese curds are young pieces of cheddar, formed when the whey drains from the vat. When they are very fresh, the protein strands rub against the enamel of your teeth and squeak. They are eaten plain from a bag or fried in batter as a bar snack.

A cheese shop just south of Sturgeon Bay is described as the cheese gateway to Door County and sells fresh curds. The best advice is to eat them within a day of the make. Fried curds are served hot with a dipping sauce, and a basket is meant to be shared.

What is a Wisconsin butter burger?

A Wisconsin butter burger is a griddled patty served on a bun with a pat of butter, either melted on the burger or spread on the toasted bun. A chain built on the butter burger spread the style across the Midwest. One source argues that the chain's version is not a true butter burger, since it uses buttered buns rather than butter on the patty.

Whatever the debate, a butter burger is rich. Pair it with a salad or a custard for balance. The patty is usually small and thin, pressed on a hot griddle until the edges crisp, and the bun is soft and toasted. Onions, pickles and a slice of cheese are the usual extras, and ketchup is a matter of taste.

Who invented the Juicy Lucy burger?

The Juicy Lucy burger has cheese sealed inside the patty, so the first bite releases a molten center. Two bars on the same street in South Minneapolis each claim to have invented it. One credits a customer who asked for cheese between two patties, and spells the name Jucy, with a missing letter that has become its signature. Sources do not settle the argument, so treat both claims as legend.

Take care with the first bite. The cheese is hot, and it will burn your tongue. Let the burger rest for a minute, and cut it in half to release steam.

How do you order your first Midwest plate?

Start with the dish that matches the setting. At a church supper, take a spoonful of hotdish and a roll. At a tavern in Wisconsin, order a basket of curds and a beer. At a griddle burger joint, ask for the house burger with butter. At a South Minneapolis bar, order the stuffed burger and wait before you bite.

Ask the staff for tips. Midwesterners are proud of their food and glad to explain it to a visitor.

Be prepared for portions. Midwestern kitchens are generous, and a plate that looks small may come with sides, bread and a dessert. Share, ask for a box and plan to eat lightly before and after. The point of the food is to feed people, and it does.

What else should you eat around the Midwest?

For a sweet note, read the best frozen custard in Milwaukee. The best walleye in Minnesota guide covers the lake fish, and the Great Plains regional foods guide moves west. The US guides page lists more.

A regional dish is a good thing to keep track of. Get the Mosey app, rate each plate by its flavor, its comfort and its welcome, and build a Midwest list that records the foods you want to eat again.