midwest

&quot;When I first made this, my husband, who grew up in Chicago, said it reminded him of the subs he used to get at Portillo's growing up.  It is a tasty Italian sausage, topped with a medley of sauteed peppers, onions, garlic & Italian spices.  It is then fnished off with a melting of mozzarella on top and all placed in a warm toasted bun.&quot;

Chicago-style Italian Sausage Subs

sausage

red bell peppers sliced

Onion sliced

Garlic

Olive oil

basil

Oregano

tomatoes

Mozzarella shredded

Hoagie buns

A recipe for homemade Gooey Butter Cake, complete with its signature crispy-chewy foundation, fantastically sloppy, sweet filling, and snowy blanket of powdered sugar. 

How a Glorious Mistake Resulted in Gooey Butter Cake: A St. Louis Tradition Since the &#8217;40s

instant yeast

milk

unsalted butter, melted

sugar

eggs,

vanilla extract

lemon zest

unbleached all-purpose flour,

salt

Cooking spray

unsalted butter,

full-fat cream cheese,

brown sugar

corn syrup

egg,

all-purpose flour

Powdered sugar,

Reprinted with permission from Midwest Made by Shauna Sever, Running Press, 2019.

The Kitchn

Shauna Sever

Step 1: Make the dough:

In the bowl of an electric mixer, whisk together the yeast and milk. Set aside for a couple of minutes. Whisk in the melted butter, sugar, eggs, vanilla, and lemon zest. Add the flour and salt. Fit the bowl onto the mixer along with the paddle attachment. Mix on medium speed for 3 to 4 minutes, or until shiny. It will be a very loose dough-batter hybrid. Stop the mixer and scrape down the bowl well about halfway through the mixing time. 

Step 2: Make the dough:

Spray a medium bowl with cooking spray or oil it lightly. Scrape the dough into the bowl and dust the surface of the dough with a couple of teaspoons of flour. Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap. Let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, 45 minutes to 1 hour. 

Step 1: For the cake and topping:

Position a rack to the center of the oven and preheat it to 325°F. Spray a 9x13-inch glass baking dish with cooking spray. 

Step 2: For the cake and topping:

Flour your hands, transfer the dough to the baking dish, and pat dough into an even layer. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise a second time for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare the topping.

Step 3: For the cake and topping:

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the butter and cream cheese on medium-high speed until smooth and creamy. Add the granulated and brown sugars, vanilla, and salt, and beat until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the corn syrup and egg and beat until smooth. Reduce the mixer speed to low and gradually beat in the flour. Fold the batter by hand a few times with a large flexible spatula until well blended. 

Step 4: For the cake and topping:

When the dough has finished its second rise, dollop the topping over the dough. Use a small offset spatula to spread it evenly. 

Step 5: For the cake and topping:

Bake until puffed and golden, but still quite loose in the center, about 40 minutes (it will appear almost liquid under the surface in spots, but will quickly set upon cooling. Have a peek at the bottom of the cake through the glass dish; if it’s deeply golden, you’re in good shape). Let cool completely in the pan set on a wire rack. Dust with powdered sugar before slicing and serving. 

https://cdn.jwplayer.com/previews/mRtkXqDL

When I set out to write my new cookbook, Midwest Made, I spent countless hours paging old PTA and church cookbooks, digging through the recipe boxes of my grandmother, mother, and aunts, and asking for tips from extended family to get certain treats just right. But it wasn’t as simple as just curating a cohesive recipe list from the thousands of recipes I collected in my research and travel across 12 midwestern states. I wanted to bring all of these recipes into the present and give them a refresh, while keeping their roots intact. To me, that called for eliminating pre-packaged ingredients as much as possible, and let me tell you — even as a born and raised Midwesterner, navigating the sheer volume of cake mixes, day-glo gelatin, packets, and non-dairy whipped topping in retro recipes was really something else. 

I knew there would be a handful of iconic midwestern recipes that might present more of a challenge than others. One of those was the beloved Gooey Butter Cake, which hails from St. Louis. With its unique hybrid structure of crispy-chewy foundation, fantastically sloppy, sweet filling, and snowy blanket of powdered sugar, it just wasn’t possible to create a book of home baked Heartland favorites without it. The problem was that the majority of available recipes for it run on boxed yellow cake mix, pudding mix, and other instant ingredients. Now, I’m not a snob about boxed mixes (I blew half my bank account on Betty Crocker Triple Fudge Brownie Mix during both my pregnancies), but my goal for the book was clear, and a Gooey Butter Cake formula like this wasn’t going to cut it. Luckily, history was on my side. As it turns out, the most common version of “gooey butter cake” is just a shadow of what this midwestern classic was truly meant to be.

The Best St. Louis Gooey Butter Cake

A step-by-step guide to making picture-perfect buckeyes, featuring a creamy peanut butter center surrounded by a snappy chocolate shell. 

How To Make the Best Buckeyes (Without All the Mess)

(16.3-ounce) jar creamy peanut butter (not natural),

cream cheese,

graham cracker crumbs (from about 8 graham crackers)

chocolate chocolate

refined coconut oil

Coconut oil substitute: You can use canola oil in place of coconut oil, but the chocolate won’t be as “snappy.”Storage: Buckeyes can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks, or frozen for up to 3 months.

Grace Elkus

Step 1

Place the ingredients in a bowl. Place the powdered sugar, peanut butter, butter, cream cheese, graham cracker crumbs, and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. (Alternatively, use an electric hand mixer and large bowl.)

Step 2

Beat until combined. Beat on low speed until just combined, then increase speed to medium and beat, stopping often to scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl, until the mixture is smooth and holds together when squeezed in the palm of your hand, 2 to 3 minutes.

Step 3

Form into balls. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Form the mixture into tablespoon-sized balls (you should get about 72 (1/2-ounce) balls) and place in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet. Refrigerate until very cold and firm, at least 2 hours.

Step 4

Melt the chocolate. Melt the chocolate with the coconut oil in a double boiler, stirring until smooth. Alternatively, melt in the microwave in a medium heatproof bowl in 30-second increments, stirring between each, until the chocolate is mostly melted (continue stirring after you remove it to melt the rest of the chocolate). Let cool 5 minutes.

Step 5

Dip the balls. Line a second rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Transfer 12 of the chilled peanut butter balls onto it. (Keep the rest in the refrigerator to keep them chilled and firm.) Insert a toothpick into the center of one of the peanut butter balls (don’t let it poke all the way through) and dip it into the chocolate, leaving a small opening (about 1-inch across) at the top of the buckeye. 

Step 6

Shake off the excess chocolate. Lift the buckeye out of the chocolate and turn the toothpick horizontally so that you are holding it at a 90° angle to the bowl. Gently shake your hand up and down so that any excess chocolate drips off the buckeye and back into the bowl. (You want to remove as much excess chocolate as possible so that it doesn’t pool around the bottoms of the buckeyes.) When the dripping has stopped, twirl the toothpick so that that very last drip wraps around the buckeye and blends in with the rest of the chocolate. 

Step 7

Remove the toothpick. Turn the buckeye upright and place back onto the baking sheet. Use your finger or a second toothpick to gently push the buckeye off the toothpick (you’ll cover up the hole it leaves later). Repeat with the remaining buckeyes. Transfer 12 more peanut butter balls from the refrigerator to the baking sheet with the finished buckeyes and continue dipping until all the buckeyes are dipped. If, at any point, the peanut butter balls begin twirling around on the toothpick as you dip, making it difficult to control, return to the refrigerator until chilled. 

Step 8

Smooth over the toothpick holes. Use your thumb and forefinger to gently pinch the peanut butter filling where the toothpick has left a hole, then use your finger to smooth it out. (You want to wait until the chocolate is set up enough to do this so the buckeye doesn’t slide around.) 

Step 9

Refrigerate until the chocolate is set. Refrigerate until the chocolate is hardened, at least 10 minutes.

Green Bean Wild Rice Casserole is a deliciously cozy main or side dish on cold winter nights. Made with a wild rice blend, fresh green beans, and homemade cream of mushroom soup. It&#39;s savory, comforting, and hearty.

Green Bean Wild Rice Casserole

olive oil

onion

celery (~2 stalks, sliced lengthwise and small diced)

garlic (pressed

thyme (chopped)

white pepper

salt (or

beans

wild rice blend

vegetable broth

condensed cream of mushroom soup

Crispy onions

parsley (optional, for garnish)

Preheat oven to 375°F. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat with olive oil. Add onion slices and celery with a pinch of salt; cook for 4-6 minutes until starting to turn soft and translucent.

Add garlic, thyme, white pepper, and another pinch of salt (additional black pepper as desired). Stir in green beans and uncooked wild rice blend. Remove the mixture from the heat and stir in vegetable broth and cream of mushroom soup until combined.

Transfer the mixture to a 9x13 baking dish. Bake for 45-55 minutes, until the casserole is bubbling, with most liquid absorbed and the rice is tender. Optional: stir once during the cooking process.

Let sit for about 10 minutes before serving to allow it to set up. Garnish with fresh parsley and/or crispy onion pieces.

Hatch Chile Tater Tot Hotdish

beef

onions

peas, drained

corn, drained

French Style Green Beans, drained

Veg-All, drained

Roasted Hatch Chiles, chopped

Cream of Mushroom Soup

Soy Sauce

tater tots

shredded cheese

Vegetarian Tater Tot Hotdish is a comforting Midwest casserole. This meatless version has a super savory, creamy filling with lots of veggies, a cheesy layer, and it&#39;s all topped off with golden, crispy tater tots. You&#39;ll love how easy it is to make, too!

Vegetarian Tater Tot Hotdish (Casserole)

unsalted butter

celery (diced)

carrot (diced)

garlic (finely chopped)

red pepper flakes

Salt and pepper (to taste)

corn

peas

parsley (chopped)

Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup

Monterey Jack cheese (shredded)

Parmesan cheese* (freshly shredded)

30-34 frozen tater tots

Preheat oven to 375°F. To keep this a one-pan recipe, cook the filling in a 10-inch cast-iron skillet, or oven-safe skillet.

In the skillet, over medium heat, melt butter and heat the olive oil. Once hot, add onion, celery, and carrot. Cook for 3-4 minutes, and add a pinch of salt to begin layering in the flavor.

Add garlic and season with salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes, to taste. Stir and cook for another 3 minutes, until all the veggies are tender. Stir in frozen peas and corn.

Remove from heat. Stir in the parsley and cream of mushroom soup until fully combined.

If cooking in the same skillet, spread the filling evenly across the pan. Otherwise, transfer to a 3-quart baking dish. Sprinkle both kinds of cheeses on top. Then, line the tater tots across the entire top of the hotdish.

Bake for 28-33 minutes until bubbly and tater tots are golden brown. Let sit 2-3 minutes before serving. Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0q9rT6UKTBA

FULL RECIPE: https://www.forkinthekitchen.com/vegetarian-tater-tot-hot-dish/

Vegetarian Tater Tot Hotdish is a comforting Midwest casserole. This meatless version has a super savory, creamy filling with lots of veggies, and a cheesy layer. It's all topped off with golden, crispy tater tots. You'll love how easy it is to make, too, and it can be prepared all in one pan!

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Vegetarian Tater Tot Hotdish

This coffee cake features the signature sweet and gooey topping over a sturdy yeast-dough base. A dusting of confectioners' sugar puts it over the top. Taking inspiration from rich yeasted doughs like brioche and Danish for our recipe for St. Louis Gooey Butter Cake, we doubled the amount of eggs. Using milk in the dough instead of water gave the cake even more substance, while doubling the sugar lent more than the obvious sweetness—it helped tenderize the cake. To get the right velvety, custardlike consistency for the topping, we beat in some cream cheese with the butter and sugar. Vanilla pudding mix added flavor and produced a creamy, gooey-yet-sliceable texture.

St. Louis Gooey Butter Cake

milk, heated to 100 degrees

teaspoons, yeast

large, eggs, room temperature

teaspoon, vanilla extract

teaspoon, salt

(7½ ounces 213 grams), all-purpose flour

tablespoons, unsalted butter,

tablespoons, unsalted butter, softened

(57 grams), cream cheese, softened

large, egg, room temperature

(1⅔ ounces, 47 grams), all-purpose flour

vanilla pudding mix

confectioners' sugar

Remove the cake from the oven when the perimeter is golden brown and the center is still slightly loose; the topping will continue to set as the cake cools.

For the dough: Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 200 degrees. When oven reaches 200 degrees, shut oven off. Line 8-inch square baking pan with foil sling. Grease foil and medium bowl.

In bowl of stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, mix milk and yeast on low speed until yeast dissolves. Add sugar, eggs, vanilla, salt, and flour and mix until combined, about 30 seconds. Increase speed to medium-low and add butter, 1 piece at a time, until incorporated, then continue mixing for 5 minutes. Transfer batter to prepared bowl, cover with plastic, and place in warm oven. Let rise until doubled in size, about 30 minutes. Spread batter in prepared pan. Heat oven to 350 degrees.

For the topping: In bowl of stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, beat granulated sugar, butter, and cream cheese on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Reduce speed to low and add corn syrup, egg, and vanilla until combined. Add flour and pudding mix and mix until just incorporated. Portion dollops of topping evenly over batter, then spread into even layer.

Once oven is fully heated, bake until exterior is golden and center of topping is just beginning to color (center should jiggle slightly when pan is shaken), about 25 minutes. Cool in pan at least 3 hours. Use foil overhang to lift cake from pan. Dust cake with confectioners’ sugar. Serve. (Cake can be refrigerated for 2 days.)

Top 7 midwest recipes from across the web

The most viewed midwest recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 6,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine

Top Tags

Chicago-style Italian Sausage Subs

How a Glorious Mistake Resulted in ...

How To Make the Best Buckeyes (With...

Green Bean Wild Rice Casserole

Hatch Chile Tater Tot Hotdish

Vegetarian Tater Tot Hotdish (Casse...

St. Louis Gooey Butter Cake

Top 7 midwest recipes from across the web

The most viewed midwest recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 6,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engineic_arrow_forward_48px

Top Tags

Chicago-style Italian Sausage Subs

How a Glorious Mistake Resulted in ...

How To Make the Best Buckeyes (With...

Green Bean Wild Rice Casserole

Hatch Chile Tater Tot Hotdish

Vegetarian Tater Tot Hotdish (Casse...

St. Louis Gooey Butter Cake

The most viewed midwest recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 6,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine