Midwest

You can't say no to this classic Midwest dish of a burger patty stuffed with melty cheese.

Maid-Rites are a ground beef sandwich with tons of flavor. It’s a quick and easy Midwest classic your family will enjoy for lunch or dinner!

This Salisbury steak recipe uses ground sirloin to get a leaner, meatier-tasting main dish with enough mushroom and onion gravy to top your sides, too.

Right now, throughout most parts of the United States, it’s the dead of summer, and we’ve been going through a heat wave. Here in the Midwest, we’ve not only had temperatures soaring near 100 degrees, but it’s also been incredibly, miserably humid. If you live near here, then you know what I’m talking about. It’s that feeling that when you open your door that someone hit you with a wet blanket.Needless to say, I don’t like to cook a lot in this weather, so I’ve been relying quite a bit on salads, cans of tuna, and dishes that use up leftovers I scrounge up in the fridge. Most of these are passable, with the occasional standout, and every once in awhile I make something that leads me to asking myself what I was thinking. The one I’m sharing this week is one of the standouts.I love a good salad, especially on a hot day, and one of my favorite types is a grain salad like this one. I had a mixture of quinoa and wild rice from a previous meal, and I then searched for something to go with it. A stray cucumber, some cherry tomatoes, and feta were the perfect accompaniment. For protein, I added a can of chickpeas, but you could easily add leftover chicken or shrimp. Some olives added a savory note, so now all I needed was a dressing, which is where this recipe shines.For the dressing, I tried avocado oil instead of the usual go-to olive oil, and it was fantastic. I wanted to keep it simple, but flavorful, so I just added the juice and zest of a lemon, some mustard and a clove of garlic. It really brought the flavors of the salad together, and added brightness to the saltiness of the other ingredients.This is one of those meals that comes together quickly, tastes amazing, and is filling and nutritious. Add these to the fact that I didn’t have to turn my house into a sauna to make it, and it’s going on my favorite recipe list for sure!

If you've ever been to a potluck in the Midwest, chances are you've seen (and devoured) party potatoes. A few shortcuts, like frozen hash brown potatoes, cream of chicken soup, and pre-shredded cheese make this party potato recipe easier than ever.

Tender, moist and scented with vanilla, almond and lemon, these classic confections popular all over the Midwest and the state of New York are more cake than cookie, with a fine crumb and velvet texture from the sour cream in the batter. Even better, they are glazed with both vanilla and chocolate, so you don’t have to pick favorites. These are best eaten within 24 hours of baking, when the cake is at its softest and the glaze at its snappiest. But if you store them in an airtight container at room temperature, they’ll be good for a few days longer.

A great Cast Iron Venison Steak Recipe is something every wild game cook should have!There is no such thing as a perfect steak! But I honestly prefer a lean and protein-packed cut of venison steak cooked in a cast-iron skillet. Cast iron cooking a beautiful cut of venison loin is a true delicacy. The rich and gamey taste is impossible for me to resist. In this easy-to-follow recipe, I'll teach you how to cook venison steak so you'll sink your teeth into a tender and delicious venison steak that's extremely healthy and bursting with flavor. The combination of meat, heat and cast-iron produces a beautiful crust and a juicy deer steak - no rubbing, marinading, or grilling required. Everyone should know how to season steak.If you are getting together with family this weekend, this is a perfect Easter Sunday recipe. Why stick with the same old ham and scalloped potatoes when you can share some of the wild game in your freezer. I love grilling deer steaks out on the patio as much as the next person, but if you are part of the Midwest living crowd, you might in the path of another giant "winter" storm like we are. If we get another two feet of snow like they are expecting, I won't be doing any outdoor cooking like I wanted. So let's fire up our stovetops, grab our aprons, and get ready to enjoy a venison recipe great for any occasion - from weeknight dinners to special celebrations!If you are looking for another great way to use venison steak cooked in cast iron for an appetizer or hors d'oeuvre for your next party, check out my Deer Steak and Mushroom Crostini recipe.If you love venison steak as much as we do, you can also check out Our 15 Best Venison Steak recipes!If you would like to come to North Dakota and experience a great deer hunt, check out the North Dakota Game & Fish Department website. And if you want me to come along with you as your camp cook, photographer, or butcher, you can find out more details here. Did you enjoy this Cast Iron Venison Steak Recipe? Be sure to leave a 5 star rating RIGHT HERE!

If you need a delicious, comforting, creamy, dumpling soup, Knoephla Soup is right up your alley. This German dish is very popular in some regions of the upper midwest and when you try it, you will know why.