The most popular home-cooked meal in every state
Of course, every state has iconic local dishes, favorite meals, and even favorite brunch items. But every state also has its own beloved dish to make at home.
The folks over at Porch, a home improvement site, pored over thousands of Instagram posts that used the hashtag #homecooking to parse out every states' favorite home-cooked meal.
While it makes sense that the people of New Mexico would love their tacos, and that Louisiana natives enjoy chowing down on crawfish, some pairings aren't as clear. You might not think that Pennsylvania has a connection to peanut butter cookies, but you'd be surprised to know that the first mention of a peanut butter cookie recipe came from a cookbook published in Philadelphia.
Keep scrolling to find your home state, and see if your favorite food to cook matches up.
ALABAMA: Biscuits
Biscuits and the South — specifically Alabama — go hand in hand. Alabama's minor league baseball team is even called the Montgomery Biscuits. In fact, according to Southern Living, "Early Southerners actually considered the biscuit a delicacy."
ALASKA: Salmon
Alaska accounts for "90% of the wild salmon yield" in America, according to Food Republic. It should come as no surprise then, that Alaskans love cooking (and eating) salmon.
ARIZONA: Torta
Torta is a popular Mexican street food. While toppings vary, and can range from avocado to spicy peppers and carnitas, a torta in essence is a soft bun sandwich.
One of the most prevalent types of torta is the torta ahogada, which translates to "drowned sandwich" as it comes submerged in a chili pepper sauce.
It makes sense that Arizona residents would love their tortas, since Arizona has thefourth-highest population of Latino residents in the US.
ARKANSAS: Chicken spaghetti
Spaghetti is a classic and quick home-cooked meal no matter where you are — the people of Arkansas are doing dinner right.
CALIFORNIA: Tri-Tip
Tri-Tip is a cut of steak that was first popularized in California in the 1950s. According to the New York Times, its name comes from the fact that the cut "is triangular and is the tip of the sirloin."
Traditional sides for a good Tri-Tip steak dinner are "Santa Maria-style salsa, grilled garlic bread, salad, and small pinkish-colored beans of Hispanic origin — pinquito — stewed with tomatoes, onions, and spices."
COLORADO: Kale salad
Colorado is a notoriously healthy state, and regularly the least obese state. A healthy kale salad seems totally fitting.
CONNECTICUT: Sunday sauce
Sunday sauce, sugo della domenica in Italian, is generally defined as a red, tomato-based sauce "cooked with a variety of meats including meatballs, pork chops, spare ribs and sausage."
Fittingly, Connecticut has the 9th highest population of Italian Americans.
DELAWARE: Pilaf
Pilaf, according to Dictionary.com, is "a Middle Eastern dish consisting of sautéed, seasoned rice steamed in bouillon, sometimes with poultry, meat or shellfish."
FLORIDA: Cupcakes
Who doesn't love cupcakes? If you don't feel like baking them yourself, we've got you covered with this list of the best cupcake in every state.
GEORGIA: Okra
Okra is a traditionally Southern dish (best served fried). You can get it at almost any restaurant down there, including in Georgia.
But what is it exactly? Technically, it's a fruit. The leaves, flowers, and seeds are all edible, so it's a solid investment to grow yourself some okra.
HAWAII: Pork butt
Despite its name, pork butt doesn't actually come from the pig's behind — it's actually the meat from the pig's shoulder.
Pork (or pua'a) is a staple of Hawaiian cuisine, specifically Kalua pork. Kalua pork is made in an imu or underground oven, where the meat slow roasts for hours and becomes very tender.
IDAHO: Eggs
While eggs are a staple of many breakfasts across the nation, Idaho has a special egg dish named after it: the Idaho Sunrise.
The Idaho Sunrise consists of a eggs, bacon, and cheese all combined together in a baked potato bowl — delicious.
ILLINOIS: Chicken Alfredo
Chicken Alfredo (or anything else Alfredo) was popularized in America by the Italian chain restaurant Olive Garden. Alfredo sauce, which was "invented" by Alfredo di Lelio in Italy, is made up of heavy cream, butter, and cheese. Add some pasta and chicken and you've got yourself chicken Alfredo.
INDIANA: Mashed potatoes
If you don't know what to do with all your leftover mashed potatoes, you might want totry adding flour and egg— you'll have gnocchi in no time.
While mashed potatoes are a pretty simple food to make, if you're not in the mood to make your own, we tested out four different brands of instant mashed potatoes to see which was best.
IOWA: French fries
Turns out that Iowans like making their own Fries, though you just grab some frozen ones if you're looking for a quick fix.
Whether you think fries belong in ranch or in ketchup, we can all agree that fries are delicious.
KANSAS: Tofu
Tofu, also known as bean curd, is a popular protein substitute for vegetarians. According to WalletHub, Wichita, Kansas, is one of the top 100 cities in the nation for vegetarians based on affordability, diversity, accessibility, and quality.
KENTUCKY: Fried chicken
It's not a huge surprise that Kentucky residents like their fried chicken — KFC does stand for Kentucky Fried Chicken after all.
LOUISIANA: Crawfish
One of the most tried and true signs that summer has arrived in Louisiana is to smell the air — if you can smell crawfish, you know summer is here.
Crawfish (aka crayfish, crawdads, mudbugs) are a staple of Louisiana cuisine, andcrawfish boils are a part of Louisiana's social life.
MAINE: Lobster
There's a pretty good reason you associate Maine with lobster — the state provides 90% of the nation's lobster.
MARYLAND: Crab cakes
Maryland is specifically known for its blue crabs, which reside in the Chesapeake Bay. Crab cakes are a popular way to transform them into a delicious, handheld snack.
MASSACHUSETTS: Clam chowder
There are different types of clam chowder, but it's a safe bet to assume that Massachusetts residents are cooking up New England clam chowder in their homes.
Dictionary.com defines New England clam chowder as "a thick chowder made from clams, potatoes, onions, sometimes salt pork, and milk or cream."
MICHIGAN: Smoothies
According to nutritionist and celebrity trainer Harley Pasternak, the easiest way to eat healthier is to take advantage of your blender and make smoothies, because substituting smoothies for meals helps build healthier habits.
MINNESOTA: Chicken thighs
Chicken thighs, according to the Huffington Post, are an underrated piece of the chicken. Not only are they extra flavorful and juicy, according to Kitchn, chicken thighs are cheaper than breasts or wings.
MISSISSIPPI: Fried chicken
Fried chicken isn't just popular in Kentucky — it's a popular Southern dish, which explains why Mississippi residents are cooking it frequently as well.
MISSOURI: Barbecue sauce
Kansas City has a thriving barbecue scene— the only one outside of the South. While other cities focus on specific meats, Kansas City "does it all and does it all well," according to Doug Worgul, author of "The Grand Barbecue." Basically, any meat is fair game in Kansas City, and served in a thick, tomato-based sauce.
MONTANA: Miso soup
Miso soup being a favorite of people who live in Montana is, admittedly, a wild card. Miso soup is a Japanese soup consisting of water, miso (fermented soybean paste), tofu, and seaweed.
NEBRASKA: Lobster
Don't let Nebraska's landlocked status fool you — apparently they have an affinity for seafood, and specifically lobster.
But you might want to think twice about eating lobster in Nebraska. It's the only state in the US that's triply landlocked, meaning that it is a full three states from the nearest gulf, bay, or ocean.
NEVADA: Crab
While Nevada is not technically known for its crab, you can find them in Lake Tahoe. Plus, Las Vegas is a big foodie destination.
NEW HAMPSHIRE: Bread
Turns out that the people of New Hampshire like to bake their own bread. See the best bread machines to buy here.
NEW JERSEY: Grilled shrimp
With 130 miles of Atlantic coast, it sort of makes sense that New Jerseyans love throwing shrimp on the grill.
NEW MEXICO: Tacos
Nearly half (48%) of New Mexico's population is Latino, so it makes sense that the state would have a soft spot for the traditionally Mexican meal of tacos.
NEW YORK: Ceviche
Ceviche is "a dish made of raw fish marinated in lime or lemon juice often with oil, onions, peppers, and seasonings."
New York City especially is big on ceviche, and seafood in general.
NORTH CAROLINA: Shrimp and grits
Grits— coarsely ground corn boiled in milk or water — are a traditionally Southern dish. It makes sense that shrimp and grits would be popular in a coastal Southern state like North Carolina.
NORTH DAKOTA: Pasta
It makes sense that North Dakota would appreciate their pasta — it produces a significant chunk of the wheat grown in America.
OHIO: Mac and cheese
Who doesn't love a good bowl of mac and cheese?
OKLAHOMA: Scallops
Oklahoma seems to be another example of a landlocked state loving seafood — scallops are a type of mollusk, like squid, octopus, and oysters.
OREGON: Pot pies
Pot pies — savory, flaky pies baked inside of a baking dish — can come in many different varieties, like this ramen-infused spin on the classic chicken pot pie, or this Chicago deep-dish pizza pot pie.
PENNSYLVANIA: Peanut butter cookies
The first-ever mention of peanut butter cookies is thought to have appeared in in "Mrs. Rorer's New Cook Book," which was published in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in 1902. She called them "Peanut Kisses."
RHODE ISLAND: Pad thai
Pad thai is a common street food in Thailand made up of rice noodles, egg, tofu, shrimp, veggies, and crushed peanuts.
SOUTH CAROLINA: Smoothie bowl
Not every smoothie bowl has to be a work of art— all you need is some frozen fruit, some type of liquid (like milk, juice, or even yogurt), and the toppings of your choice.
SOUTH DAKOTA: Pie
Who doesn't love pie? The people of South Dakota know a good dessert when they see it.
TENNESSEE: Crab legs
Crab legs aren't as common as crab cakes or plain crab, but they're still a delectable meal. They're versatile too — there are at least four different ways to cook them.
TEXAS: Wild game
Wild game is any animal hunted for sport or for food.
It's no surprise that Texans love to hunt their own dinner, whether it be venison, turkey, quail, or pheasant.
UTAH: Muffins
There are a lot of muffin pans out there — we've rounded up the best ones.
VERMONT: Greens
The term "greens" is pretty vague, but with Vermont frequently called a "hippie epicenter," it's not shocking that they love a healthy, vegetarian dish.
VIRGINIA: New York strip steak
What makes a strip steak a New York strip steak? The bone — or lack thereof. As soon as a strip steak loses its bone, it becomes a New York strip steak.
WASHINGTON: Rice cakes
According to the Huffington Post, Seattle, Washington, is one of the top 10 gluten-free cities in the US. Maybe it has something to do with their love of rice cakes...
WEST VIRGINIA: Winter squash
There are at least 11 types of winter squash you should know about, including acorn, butternut, pumpkin, and spaghetti.
WISCONSIN: Meringue
Meringue is a popular dessert consisting of "a mixture of beaten egg whites and granulated sugar whipped together." It's popular in France, Italy, and, apparently, Wisconsin.
WYOMING: Turkey
Turkey hunting is popular pastime in the least populated state in the US.
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