Trying Regional American Foods | Casseroles, Dessert Salads, Pies

[@BerylShereshewsky]

I realize a lot of you are missing some important context, I made this video talking about why a lot of these dishes are, the way they are: kzbin.info/www/bejne/epPMZHh9addroa8&t=

[@yonabaum8447]

Lol

[@tremolo2109]

Thank you! I was disappointed too, I think of this community as being so much better. Maybe it's mostly people in general feeling licensed to mock America, but these regional dishes are typically from non-wealthy Americans who have often been mocked by the wealthy and the media. Everyone's food deserves respect for what it is, even if we realize that these dishes (often holiday dishes) shouldn't be eaten everyday.

[@louisejohnson6767]

I agree 100% Beryl. The whole point of your channel is about trying new foods, or familiar foods prepared in ways that are new to you. Plus judging people for what they eat, is first world obnoxious.

[@Nikki-sf6bs]

If we have tasted a dish you try and we do not like it do you want us to just not say anything? I am okay with that. Just clarifying.

[@BerylShereshewsky]

@@Nikki-sf6bs what? no that is not what I am referring to. I am talking about comments on this or any video that bash people or a food for simply existing.

[@jillmiranda07]

Tater tot casserole is like shepherd's pie through a game of telephone.

[@cherryredmarlene]

omg haha

[@livingliminally]

Hahahaha truth

[@Nikki-sf6bs]

#truth

[@bkworm16ify]

Every family has it own tater tot recipe.

[@jordynlillibridge2769]

😂 thats a good way to put it lol

[@bhavyaa_14]

I know this video is about food but the thing that attracted me the most was the cat collar😅

[@_biomacromolecules7782]

Maybe not the same one, but its available on misspatina too if you want to get one! :)

[@BerylShereshewsky]

I bought this on my trip to Japan! I love it too!!

[@bethanytaylor1704]

The lime jello salad is missing. Pistachio pudding mix. Hello from Utah. We eat jello salad every Sunday. :)

[@a.human.]

You can also find them on Miss patina website , Ruby Granger used to wear it so much on her videos

[@bhavyaa_14]

@@a.human. tysm☺️

[@nineredberries]

Hi! Would you do a video on Native American food dishes sometime in the future. Would be so fascinating! I keep hearing about Fry bread but haven't heard about other American Indian dishes. Wonderful videos! Thank you so much! (Edit: Fry bread)

[@blueowl8928]

Would LOVE to see this!

[@Angibbabee]

I’ve never even heard of Indian bread. O would love to watch a video of hers solely based on native dishes!!

[@jenna1903]

id recommend not calling native people indians it’s not very factual and is very out dated. i believe you are talking abt frybread (sopapias). my family is from jemez and grew up close to the res where many native people would sell frybread and other baked goods and food.

[@jenna1903]

@@Angibbabeeindian bread is naan bread (from india). you probably didn’t mean any mal-intent but the bread that many native people make is actually called frybread (sopapias), frybread has a lot of history behind it and id recommend you watch a video about the origins of frybread.

[@msjkramey]

@@jenna1903 indigenous people aren't all the same. Some prefer Indian, some prefer Native American, some prefer Indigenous, their idividual tribe name, etc. It's better to ask how an individual wants to be referred to than to blanket everyone

[@l.c.8475]

"Why am I gaining wight when all I'm eating is salads" The salads:

[@americana3555]

😂 LOL

[@agungsyam9703]

I kinda confused i thought salad meant to be healty🤷‍♂️

[@ckandrews1]

If you go to a potluck in the southern US, yep! 😆

[@TorIverWilhelmsen]

@@agungsyam9703 Yes, "fruit salad" can be a very misleading title.

[@littleblackcar]

A "salad" is technically a non-soup dish made up of chopped ingredients so, yes, gelatin molds with fruit and vegetables suspended in them are salads.

[@ashablue78]

Yes please do a Native American episode! I’m convinced that the best food is the most local one which uses local indigenous ingredients. I would love to learn about these!

[@latoyasinclair6599]

One thing I realize from this video is many Americans don't have access to fresh foods. A lot of these recipes were "use what you got in the pantry" foods. Interesting. Southeast cuisine is so much different but I think it's because of the abundance of produce that grows in that region.

[@BerylShereshewsky]

Yes this is so true, many of these dishes originated in places with short growing seasons!

[@juniperjenny287]

I would say, as a ruralish Midwesterner, that a lot of these dishes originated in a time when fresh food was not available, during the depression or in the post war years of the 1950s, and they have persisted even though that food scarcity has largely ended. And many of these jello recipes are in search of church supper / potluck foods that can survive without refrigeration on a groaning outdoor buffet table on humid ninety degree days. In fact, a lot of the foods I consider traditional in my family are less recipes than just gluttonous consumption of fresh summer veggies at their freshest, passed down along with preservation techniques for the winter months. Corn on the cob, not seasoned at all, and a weekend spent freezing it; green beans, picked and snapped that morning and stewed low and slow with onions and bacon, and a weekend spent freezing or canning them; tomatoes still warm from the sun served in thick slices with a little salt, and a weekend spent cooking them down into sauce and juice using equipment that has been passed down three generations. One salad we always have consists only of sliced cucumbers and thin sliced white onions, floating in a dressing of white vinegar, sugar, and water, kept in the fridge all summer and regularly restocked with the veggies or a little more dressing as available or needed. Delicious on those slabs of tomato!

[@traciechakraborty3829]

you have to put these dishes in context. to 1950's housewives canned foods felt like liberation and modernization. even my grandma who's southern and loved cooking low and slow from scratch would still pull out jello and pudding mix and campbell's soup.

[@BerylShereshewsky]

@@traciechakraborty3829 yes totally! That’s such a great point!

[@michelleg.4587]

This a fact. I grew up eating processed foods. Which as I grew older would not/will not touch them with a ten foot pole. All naturals foods only☺️

[@jordynlillibridge2769]

Something to keep in mind about America is that between the depression of the 30s, to then world War 2 with War time rations, food was not as abundant as it is today. People canned out of necessity. My dad is palenstian and my moms family has been in American for at least 4 generations now, originally from Sweden. My maternal grandmother remembers making cake in the morning for her family to eat, and having beans on bread most days, because it's all they had. Corn casserole also came about due to lack of food, and though nuttionally lacking, is something still made to this day. Something else to keep in mind is this is a small snippet of food. America has so much diversity and many more dishes than this. You will met no American who thinks any of these salads is anything other than a dessert.

[@bodyofhope]

My great grandmother made the most delicious coconut cake every single morning. Except, later they found out she went to the store and bought coconut cake from the bakery 😬😆 She got busted!

[@Shay45]

This makes a lot of sense when thinking about how American cooking habits formed. It clears things up

[@malenandino3328]

Another thing to keep in mind about América Is that Is a continent lol

[@julianasouza9062]

Yes, some food is not nutritional but it gives the feeling that you are full. When people don't have abundant food that's the best they can have

[@necromancerbb]

Yeah a lot of it seemed like "bunker recipes". Or something on a survival trip/living in an extremely remote area.

[@alyssamurphy4661]

Hi from Wisconsin! I'm actually surprised about the lack of green beans, onion, garlic, worcestershire sauce in the tater tot casserole. I guess it varies even throughout the Midwest!

[@SlavicCelery]

She made that wealthy person version of the casserole. Onions, green beans and garlic are bulking ingredients. They also taste good. But, clearly stretching out meat there.

[@elliemarie4588]

I was thinking the same thing! I’m from MN and I was like, she missing some ingredients there...

[@a697ag]

I am so making this for brunch this weekend! Even though it's going to be in the mid 90Fs in NYC

[@bridgettleigh2912]

Same

[@kristaadams7663]

Also from MN/WI here and I put Green beans and corn in mine with those seasonings. Also, I tried adding French's fried onions last time I made it and it was sooo good!

[@AZ-tf2hx]

Just a general thing but I LOVE the way you have people talking about the dish playing over/through the footage of you making it. It’s different to “standard” cooking videos and I love being able to hear about the dishes and people’s relationships to them!

[@PhantomSavage]

I love Armadillo eggs! The kind you made though can get a little overpowering, all the ingredients were right but the better ones in my opinion use smaller peppers that are more bite sized (maybe 2 or 3 bites). The big ones are common, but the smaller ones are far more balanced. In Texas we usually don't fry our jalepeno poppers either, we just wrap them in bacon and smoke/grill them, so the Armadillo egg is just kind of an evolution of our poppers. You should do more regional American episodes, there are so many regional foods in the states you really almost have to treat it like Europe in some ways. We've got things like boudin in Lousiana, Chow Chow (a common southern pickle relish), Stuffies from Rhode Island, Akutaq in Alaska, Lutefisk from Minnesota/Wiscosin, Chitlins, the Onion Smash burger from Oklahoma... the list goes on and on and on. You could do a whole series on them if you really wanted to.

[@AviatorMaus]

You blew my mind for a minute! I was like, "armadillos lay eggs!?!?" Lol

[@bconsilio3764]

Those are truly regional!

[@EatTravelHappy]

Onion burgers are the best!👍👍👍

[@FleaChristenson]

Frito chili pie in Oklahoma! And now I want boudin. And gumbo. And etoufee.

[@lillyess385]

Places that have short growing seasons will rely heavily on canned, pickled and processed foods. It makes sense the American mid West and the Canadian prairies would traditionally have these types of foods. Leafy greens and nightshades take lots of water and warm weather to grow. I live on the prairies, it snowed until the end of May and there were frost warnings until June. It probably will start to get cool again in mid August. If it wasn't for food imports from California and Mexico, we wouldn't be indulging in green salad today either.

[@harrybetteridge7532]

As a youngster my family lived on a sheep station miles from town, to get greens into our diet mum would soak peas and let them them sprout then feed it to us kids on sandwiches or as a side . Now days sprouts are a trendy restaurant thing.

[@garlicgirl3149]

Truth

[@qaaqqutsiaqtaatsiaq8796]

Yeah, as a Greenlander I can confirm this. I live in the north, so we mostly eat local food. I.e. meat and fish. We do import foods from other countries, mostly canned foods or things like pasta or rice, like dry ingredients. Fresh fruits and vegetables, forget them. If they have them you probably can’t afford them lol

[@Tater_the_tot.First_of_HisName]

Also explains why us northerners can and pickle everything.

[@Ketutar]

Huh. I come from Finland, and we have difficulties growing corn, sunflowers, and soybeans. Because of short and relatively cool summers. You have all those in Canadian prairies. Salads, cabbage, potatoes, tomatoes, have never been any problem in Finland. We have even very little wheat, it's more rye, barley, and oats, but I know of Manitoba wheat.

[@alskjflah]

When the first guy said Tater Tots are “fancy” potatoes, I lost it.

[@SilvaDreams]

They are more like french fries... But at the same time not.. You just have to eat them to understand.

[@jenlc1536]

@@SilvaDreams I always thought of them as chubby lil hashbrowns

[@grayonthewater]

Lol yeah for those who don’t know, it’s consider like cheap trashy food

[@alexachen996]

@@jenlc1536 I LOVE that definition! 😂

[@Haaspants]

Believe it or not, there are people not in America who don’t know what tater tots are.

[@DysonTony]

I would love to see a regional Canadian episode

[@sarahrose1765]

All Canadian food is Quebecois or Indigenous ( with the exception of butter tarts!)so it wouldn't be a long video 😂😂😂

[@DysonTony]

@@sarahrose1765 I'm on the west coast and yeah there's some indigenous stuff but there's lots of different cuisines throughout Canada, from the hutterites in Manitoba, Nanaimo bars from BC, butter tarts from Ontario. There's definitely a lot more than just quebecua and indigenous Foods

[@lillyess385]

@@sarahrose1765 I'd disagree. Each province has its own unique cluster of immigrants and as a result variations of food. Calgary specifically is famous for the Ceaser, which has Italian origins and Ginger beef, which is Americanized Chinese food. Look beyond Quebec.

[@VogueLovesU2]

Blueberry grunt, boiled dinner or Jiggs dinner, the Halifax donair + donair sauce, hodge podge, moon mist ice cream....

[@liadanducky]

Fish n brewis 😝 yummy!

[@redtankgirl5]

My dad taught me at a very early age, just as the girl from NY said, ‘Try everything at least once. You may not like it but you can’t judge without trying it first and you may be surprised.’ One of the best pieces of advice my dad gave me. I applied that to not just food but life and it became good advice. Funny how parents turn out to be so much smarter than we think they are when we are kids hahaha. Just kidding.

[@garlicgirl3149]

My dad too! Kudos to fathers😄

[@allsubstance]

Oh no, you said that out loud on the internet where parents can "hear" you. lol. My parents taught me that too, and it was reinforced by a kid in our school lunchroom who ate everything on his plate. He may be the only reason I tried (and love) carrot salad.

[@Finn959]

Did you ever try heroin?

[@Ellilvia]

@@Finn959 Your dad must have been really bad at giving advice.

[@Finn959]

@@Ellilvia yeah I've been in and out of rehab twice already. Who's your profile pic she's cute

[@amethystjean1744]

That strawberry pretzel "salad" is really just a philly cheesecake recipe from the 90s (don't you all remember when brands were all putting recipes in magazines or publishing free cookbooks?)

[@coffeegirl18]

I totally recognized that too. My mom had clipped a ton of those out for her recipe cards.

[@jessicaaye3738]

My mom was addicted to that philly cream cheese cheesecake recipe on the box since I was in elementary school. I can't make it any other way at almost 40 lol

[@debthomas8799]

my grandma was making it back in the 70s so it was around long before the 90s!

[@Keesha_Hardy]

@@debthomas8799 Yeah, the lady already mentioned that it came from her grandmother, so it would have to have existed before the 90s

[@CarinaPiersay]

This is the BEST only I don’t think of it as a salad. I haven’t had this in AGES!!

[@suzannecooper5323]

Frito Pie. It’s about as much of a “pie” as those “salads” were salads.

[@missgillybean]

I see references to Frito pie…but in the UK I have no clue. I could google but I’m not sure I want to know 🤦‍♀️

[@Iceechibi]

@@missgillybean it’s chili poured over frito lay corn chips, topped with cheese. I make it when I have leftover chili as I am a Texan and it’s a common here. Food trucks and ice cream trucks will sell it here where they cut the side of a small frito lay chip bag and server it with a spoon right in the bag. When I make it at home, we use bowls as I’ll buy the big bag of frito lay corn chips.

[@missgillybean]

@@Iceechibi so it’s kind of nacho-esque then? That sounds like something I’d make at home. I was expecting something much worse!

[@mnmb3640]

Frito pie is the best!!!!!

[@suzannecooper5323]

@A H it’s really not. Sorry to disappoint you.

[@katieaustin951]

Haha I’m a Texan and had an armadillo egg last night! So yummy. Sometimes we put the sausage inside the jalapeño instead of outside, but sometimes we don’t use it at all and just let the bacon serve as the protein. Suggestion for you to try regional styles of North American barbecue as an episode because there’s so many! Or even global barbecue, like with Korean barbecue and the other kinds out there!

[@Bllue]

It's complicated to make barbecue at home though, much less a ny apartment

[@buxomboba8210]

My brother always makes bacon jalapeno poppers; armadillo eggs without the sausage, jalapeno poppers without the breading. So good.

[@nessrinetle]

I'd love to see a "food intolerance" episode if that makes sense. For example, I have celiac disease and it's quite hard to enjoy traditional dishes taht I'm not familiar wth so I'd love to see what celiacs around the world eat

[@yesthatsmycat9919]

YES!

[@Annastarheart]

I would like to see that! Hi

[@brianaberrios]

Me too

[@PockASqueeno]

Beryl: “I think I found a recipe that I don’t really like that much.” Also Beryl: *keeps eating it*

[@TheMimiSard]

Here's the thing about how diverse America is, America is 50 small countries all in a big country trench-coat. It's not the only country like that, but it's one of the major examples.

[@TheMimiSard]

I agree the strawwberry pretzel salad looks like a simplified strawberry cheesecake.

[@debodatta7398]

right, USA, China, India, Brazil, Nigeria and Indonesia are the major examples of that

[@bodyofhope]

Truth.

[@rubysoffner4557]

I disagree. Although there are regional differences such as food and local culture, there is still a large degree of homogeniety between different people from different US states if you compare it to e.g. south american, african countries or Europe, where not only each people speaks different languages but also have entirely different cultures. Having a variety of different food dishes does not make different countries. Not that that is a bad thing

[@peacelizard]

I would argue you could break it into way more than 50 countries. Id be shocked if every single food wasn't represented in the US somewhere, even if it's not a huge scene like some others

[@artsyfartsypaige16]

Another iconic Midwestern dish is puppy chow!! It’s super easy and literally one of the best things in the world. The main three ingredients are plain Chex cereal, peanut butter, and powdered sugar. You mix it all together and BOOM puppy chow! (I do recommend using a recipe tho to get the measurements right) (quick edit: forgot to mention that melted chocolate is another important ingredient! Whoops!)

[@SilvaDreams]

Always known that as Chex Mix, which ironically they now days actually sell. But even my great grandparents made it for us kids back in the 1980's.

[@elliemarie4588]

As someone who has made puppy chow many times I find it easier to measure with your heart when making it, it’s all about ratios and what you prefer anyway. And I’ve always known it to have chocolate as well as peanut butter melted together, and of course as much powdered sugar as possible.

[@candicehoneycutt4318]

I told my friend on the east coast about it and she legit thought I was talking about actual dog food. No dog food, just an oddly named but fantastic snack 😂

[@Shay45]

Omg puppy chow is the best. My mouth is watering just thinking. 😋

[@niseplank4527]

So yummy!

[@iluvmusicals21]

You should make pizzas from different regions in the US; New York, Chicago, Detroit...

[@allieren]

It could start a riot in the comments. 😂 People are passionate about their regional pizzas! (Detroit style is the best)

[@candicehoneycutt4318]

I'd suggest St.Louis style pizza, but I have a feeling Beryl might not like it 😂 the cheese is kind of an acquired taste

[@CableFlame]

@@allieren I have to admit, I tried it for the first time the other day when Pizza Hut was doing it (which I'm sure wasn't super accurate, but...) and I have to admit, it was my favorite pizza ever. Like, where has this been my whole life, and why have Detroiters (?) been hiding it from the rest of us? It's SOOOO GOOOD. (FWIW, I like pretty much ALL pizza. They're so different from each other, and they all have their charms!)

[@CableFlame]

@@candicehoneycutt4318 I have heard things about St. Louis style pizza. I'd love to try it sometime.

[@TheJustineCredible]

I swear in the late 70's my mom was the queen of casseroles. My mom did a few versions of tatter tot casseroles. One was very similar to the one shown here but she would "doctor it up" by adding Worcestershire and dry mustard to the beef before mixing in the cream of mushroom soup. Sometimes she'd add extra saute'd mushrooms and she'd use a blend of cheeses. She also did one with Sloppy Joes under the tatter tots and a drizzle of BBQ sauce at the very end over the cheese. Every so often when I get nostalgic, I'll make mom's tatter tot casserole but I use Onion Tatter Tots. (Try this sometime!) As far as the Lime salad, I can only say this: kzbin.info/www/bejne/baW6pnpopLV_adE

[@ajlichty7399]

I have a version of this where I add relish, mustard and ketchup to the meat, then a cheese sauce, then the tater tots on top. My kids call it cheeseburger casserole.

[@karabowman811]

Beryl, if you do another US regional recipes I would like to suggest a 7 layer salad. It’s delicious and always a great addition for gathering.

[@heathergleiser]

I get that a lot of this food might not appeal to people who grew up outside these regions but I felt I should jump in with some context. As someone who spent a quarter of her life in the Midwest, where it’s cold and dreary and the produce is hit or miss for much of the year, you have to make do with what you have. I don’t think a lot of folks get that when refrigeration and canned goods took off here in the 50s that it was a HUGE revolution, especially for women who were often expected to be the one cooking. It saved time and that’s where a lot of foods like this came from. Companies released cookbooks centered around using all the new convenience foods and they’ve become embedded in the culinary tradition in many places, including the southeast where I’m from. Heck, now I’ve got a craving for the fruit and marshmallow salad variation I grew up with after watching this!

[@Shay45]

I love watching old commercials of those things

[@garlicgirl3149]

Exactly!!!! Know the history.

[@susanp1492]

Wow that’s so cool to know

[@ayonibrahim4951]

Lovely video, as always :) I know this was about the regional differences in modern (past 100 or so years) American foods, but I think it would be really cool if you one day did an episode about the foods of the Indigenous people of America! It fascinates me that there are certain ingredients (such as dairy) that are completely omitted in most if not all Native American recipes; instead, you'll find the inclusion of things like chokeberries, which many people (including myself) know nothing about! I think the history of Native American food culture is super interesting, incredibly varied and deeply complex, sometimes in unexpected ways - just consider the controversial significance of frybread, for example. Anyway, awesome stuff, looking forward to the next one!

[@PaulaFernandesSongofruins]

I love how she doesn't like the lime jello salad but continues eating it nonetheless. Gotta love her for being respectful of all cultures and cuisines ❤️

[@PaulaFernandesSongofruins]

@@kimh9283 True, most of these dishes are ancestral recipes handed down the generations. And back then, people made use of whatever was available to them, they didn't have choices like we do now. Necessity is the mother of invention 🙏

[@erikkadiana]

Lol the girl that presented the lime salad wasn’t sold on it either tho😂😂 she was warning beryl

[@Moneypanda012]

There’s another Texas one called ‘Frito Pie’ that I had never heard of till I moved here. It’s got Texas chili (canned with no beans), shredded Mexican or cheddar cheese, a bag of Fritos, jarred jalapeño. Then you pour the meat cheese jalapeño mixture into your tiny Frito bag and scoop it out with a spoon. It’s actually kinda good in a savory way.

[@yvonnepalmquist8676]

I thought Frito Pie was more casserole-like (hence the pie) and the "in the bag" version was called a walking taco?

[@BrittanyLaurenWhalen]

@@yvonnepalmquist8676 I just make homemade chili and do everything you said into a bowl. It doesn't have to be in the bag.

[@jojonoir]

@@yvonnepalmquist8676 nah traditionally the Frito pie is just made in the bag or in a bowl. It's not baked like a casserole.

[@samr3468]

This reminded me of tacos in a bag (fritos) that I would have often in elementary school 😂😂

[@rottndachs]

I grew up in OKLAHOMA eating Frito chili pie in the 60's as a school lunch. A fun size bag of Fritos opened at the top, chili poured in, and cheese. All you needed was a spoon. We added beans to our chili because we aren't as rich as those Texans that can use all meat.. LOL For me, nothing beats a fry bread taco.

[@kyla6107]

I don't know if you have tried it, or if it's been recommended, but I think something great to try would be a Navajo Taco (key element being the fry bread).

[@tekhnollama]

You're always respectful with the foods you don't love, but you give me LIFE when you take the first bite of something you do. I can see rays of light and rainbows and sheer happiness coming through your eyes and you don't even need words to describe the dish. Stay foodie, Beryl :)

[@britw2625]

“Pistachio pudding” is basically the lime dish but made with cool whip and pistachio pudding mix. Cherries are good in it too. I like it best out of that ambrosia salad family.

[@taradiane]

Yes, love the pistachio dessert, as my family calls it!

[@defectiveshark7602]

Yesss, my family just calls it the green stuff XD

[@CableFlame]

I know that as Watergate Salad.

[@taradiane]

@@CableFlame oh wow, I remember that now that you've mentioned it!

[@sammysoppy3361]

yes that’s so good! idk why liz’s family adds cottage cheese that feels utterly unnecessary

[@webbersmells]

If you do this again, I recommend making funeral potatoes, or for a less morbid name “party potatoes”. It’s a potato casserole made with frozen hash browns, mixed with sour cream, cheese, and cream of chicken soup and covered with corn flakes. It’s a staple at potlucks and is soooo sooo good!! Also, strawberry pretzel salad is the best summer dessert. I’ll die on that hill lol

[@CyberMachine]

A video on funeral food would be interesting though.

[@IndigoChild1307]

I have never made strawberry pretzel jello with pineapple. I'm curious now.

[@sus1221]

Funeral potatoes are so good! I top mine with crushed sour cream and onion potato chips.

[@chefykitty]

@@sus1221 Man I'm tired. It took me way too long to figure you hadn't crushed sour cream. My brain was seeing them as two separate things. Sour cream. Onion potato chips. I was wondering how one crushes sour cream.

[@Lwpilgrim]

Yes to funeral potatoes! We don’t add the corn flakes to ours, just extra cheese on top.

[@Pip45274]

We have an adaption of Ambrosia Pudding in New Zealand where it's known just as Ambrosia. Typically we use berry yoghurt and whipped cream as the base and add chocolate, marshmellows and berries. It's often served at potlucks and BBQs like in the US, the perfect cold dessert for hot kiwi summers! I encourage everyone to try the NZ version!

[@cailin9633]

That sounds fantastic, I'm making this asap!!

[@coffeegirl18]

I think I'd enjoy that version! Also I can make very small substitutions with my diet 💜. Berries are encouraged on it, citrus not so much.

[@rini9325]

that sounds delicious

[@mmprice1275]

I live on a strawberry farm in NC. The strawberry pretzel salad we just call a pretzel tart. My family loves it! The sweet/creamy/salt is amazing.

[@BerylShereshewsky]

Omg a strawberry farm!! 🍓 that’s so cool!

[@Amelie2004]

Yesssss!! We also make “pretzel salad” in my family! It’s a staple at all gatherings where if my mom doesn’t make it then I have to - demanded by the family lol We do make it slightly different. We only partially crush the pretzels so they are more broken than crushed. We also use black cherry jello and strawberry jello. To help with firming the jello, we use crushed pineapple and frozen sweetened and sliced strawberries. All this to say you can make this dish your own in terms of texture and flavors! Stick with the pretzel base and cream cheese/whipped cream middle and enjoy your creation!!!

[@mojobear93]

Tater tot casserole was a staple in our house growing up in Tennessee. It's basically a deconstructed cheeseburger.

[@odyDgonz]

Wow, I feel like this the first time Beryl doesn't like something she's tried 😂 You're so brave for trying so many "interesting" dishes... The tatertotts casserole looks very tasty tho 👍

[@latinamarie80]

She also doesn’t care for herring( fish) I believe. Correct me if wrong.

[@sarahmansor7024]

i actually like it when people are honest abt what they dont really like because theres no way one can like everything. its ok

[@grayonthewater]

I still don’t trust her opinions too much, she likes everything lol

[@sarahmansor7024]

@@grayonthewater hahaha maybe she doesnt have that picky palette. easy to like new foods😆

[@sarahmansor7024]

palate*

[@carolgage4569]

Ambrosia Salad was included in our family’s Easter dinner…its sweetness is great when offset by salty Easter Ham…

[@shaybob1711]

This was awesome. If you decide to do a "Part 2" episode you should really look into Cincinnati Style Chili... aka... Chili Spaghetti! our chili is greek based instead of tex-mex based so its super runny, doesnt include beans (can be added, see below), and has a distinctive taste. You really shouldnt eat it alone like you can with tex-mex... you have to put it over something. We put it over Spaghetti noodles or make Cheese Coneys out of them. For the Spaghetti dishes we call them 3 ways, 4 ways, or 5 ways. 3-way = Spaghetti, chili, and cheese 4-way = Spaghetti, chili, cheese, and onions OR beans 5-way = Spaghetti, chili, cheese, onions, and beans. **disclaimer... for the cheese you want to use finely shredded cheddar cheese and you want to use a mountain of it. Seriously, put enough cheese that you think its just too much then add another handful or two. I promise you its worth trying out! Oh... and while Cincinnati style chili has a distinctive taste you can still do chili Spaghetti with tex-mex chili and, while different, is just as yummy. I like to mix it up between the two because our chili tastes so different.

[@janiceisaacs6755]

I grew up in Indiana, not far from Cincinnati, I do miss the chili! I live in VA and was so excited about 10 years ago when we got a Steak n Shake in Hampton. They served my 5 way with a fork!!! I never did get a soup spoon, even though I asked. It was pretty funny watching people try to twirl that spaghetti with the toppings flying off in all directions!

[@heatherl8063]

Skyline chili. I thought it was weird when i first tasted it, but it grew on me.

[@leapintothewild]

4-way bean Skyline with a coney on the side! Great after a night out, even better sober 😆 I'd rather starve than eat Gold Star!

[@shaybob1711]

@@leapintothewild GOLD STAR FOREVER!!! Still love Skyline but my clermont county heart still prefers Gold Star!

[@leapintothewild]

@@shaybob1711 haha I’m convinced we all just love whatever we tasted first! Years ago when I visited my aunt and her new husband, he took us to the original Skyline in downtown Cincinnati and also Steak and Shake. Then years later when I lived up there for a job in my 20s, our crew would hit a Reds game, bars on Pete Rose Way or a river barge, then head over the bridge to the old Skyline in N KY to finish off the night. It’s been Skyline ever since and I think Gold Star is hideous! 😂 Now I’m vegan so it’s all a memory, but honestly don’t know how I’d handle it if I were in the area!

[@tatersprecious5827]

It’s so funny that I’ve basically eaten every one of these (other than the jalapeño one). I live near Seattle. Those grandma “salads” really hang on for generations. We make the cranberry one every Thanksgiving and Christmas. And usually a “fluff salad” with pistachio pudding, Cool Whip, marshmallow, and crushed pineapple. 😂

[@vysharra]

My great grandmother went as far as to peel the grapes and mandarin oranges to maintain the fluffy texture of the salad. Bananas were allowed (but banana allergy runs in my family so they fell out of favor by my generation), cherries were always a risk since they would ‘ruin’ the white color but were very tasty, and celery was for *heathens*. I was always told it was basically a ‘flex’ dish. It requires a ton of canned and shelf stable ingredients that were pretty new post war and not always cheap. It was incredibly luxurious at its inception but now that processed ingredients have fallen out of flavor, fresh and local ingredients are the ‘fancy’ ingredients. The grass is always greener, I guess (unless it’s like jello). (I’ve never had apples in ambrosia. Fresh pineapple is the most daring since it was so crisp, but it sounds good.)

[@angelinacarmen6777]

My family makes this with pistachio pudding mix. We add grapes as well. I love it on Thanksgiving.

[@bodyofhope]

We are very blessed that we have access to fresh produce in our generation. Fresh fruit like oranges were given as Christmas gifts during the Depression era and war times, because it was considered very luxurious.

[@niseplank4527]

Fresh pineapple also breaks down the Jello. I actually love Sunshine Salad.

[@garlicgirl3149]

Yeah the Ambrosia salad I grew up with was different but the same😅. The mandarin orange, pineapple, shredded coconut, marshmallow and pecans were the must haves. The one I always made had grapes...no banana or apple. Go figure. All tasty😋

[@leapintothewild]

@@bodyofhope I was born in 1963, my brother in 1968, and my dad always put oranges and whole walnuts in the bottom of our Christmas stockings. They were still a treat for us farm kids even then!

[@CHEFPKR]

My wife's family grew lived through the dust bowl. Things like cream of mushroom soup, canned green beans and elbow Mac will become a casserole. After talking to my wife's late grandmother a lot of what they made was more or less out of necessity.

[@louisejohnson6767]

Like Haitian Dirt Cookies.

[@ginafranciosi3252]

Necessity, the mother of invention 👍

[@VanitysGunn]

@ngan dinh Yes, Emmymade did a video about it. kzbin.info/www/bejne/gGiZl6ikbdJopNE

[@louisejohnson6767]

@ngan dinh , a type of clay is used. The place that I saw it was on a KZbin channel called Emmymade. The woman Emmy, is charming, and a lot of fun. She has a series called hard times cooking, and the cookie recipe is found there. She had to send away for the right kind of clay. Emmy's channel is worth checking out.

[@taradiane]

Yep, but sets of my grandparents grew up during the depression in areas that were already poor before the depression....so much of this stuff is very familiar to me through them because they kept eating them all throughout their lives as it's what they grew up with and passed onto their kids also.

[@heatherjohansen5555]

For a part 2, try funeral sandwiches! They’re basically meat & cheese sliders baked in a casserole dish with a butter/mustard/sugar glaze. Definitely in the comfort food, not health food, category.

[@quinnaddison420]

I hate that this sounds so good

[@elizabethmeier5486]

Funeral sandwiches with funeral potatoes

[@lavendarcrash2941]

To cut down on the sweetness, I make my ambrosia with sour cream and condensed milk instead of Cool Whip and pudding. The miniature marshmallows absorb a bunch of the liquid to give you the fluffy awesome texture.

[@monicavictoria787]

Beryl it would be awesome if you could make an episode highlighting funeral foods from around the world 😊

[@poohbearsmom2964]

Caitlyn Doughty did a funeral foods episode on her channel that was really interesting.

[@kaylizzie7890]

Funeral potatoes

[@gabyponte6497]

@@poohbearsmom2964 I love caitlin!

[@TheLadybughug]

@@poohbearsmom2964 she is freaking awesome!

[@courtneyknight7957]

I love tatertot casserole but we usually mix green beans with the meat and mix the cheese in and make sure the tots get crispy on top bc it adds a nice texture to the dish

[@shereebee7406]

Here in New Zealand we make ambrosia with whipped fresh cream, yoghurt, tinned boysenberries and marshmellows. Soooo good 👍

[@lindsiebelt6]

Beryl, my mom always made tuna casserole which she learned from my grandma. It’s basically tuna, cream of mushroom, peas, and egg noddles topped with cheese and potato chips. It’s got every food category in one and my mom always paired it with homemade cornbread. Plus, it makes for some really good leftovers! 😊

[@elliefafellie]

Interesting how the recipes can vary so much. I made tuna casserole out of a 1969 Betty Crocker Cookbook just the other day and it consists of canned tuna, canned mushrooms, egg noodles, sour cream, milk, salt, pepper, and topped with a parmesan cheese and butter-bread crumb mixture.

[@LindaC616]

@@elliefafellie that's the one my mom always made

[@PerpetualJoy]

Oh man, you needed a breakfast dish too! Biscuits and chocolate gravy, it's an Arkansas/Ozark mountain and (I think) Appalachian mountain food :)

[@yourblondeness]

Agree, I would love to see this. It's an extremely unique food, and I don't think many people have heard of it!

[@namxphueng]

It‘s so disheartening to see bad comments on some of the dishes. Everyone has a different pallet and while some of the food might not be everyone‘s favourite, these are still family recipes that have a special place in people‘s heart. E.G there are dishes that I personally don‘t cook in my home after moving out, but I love eating those dishes from time to time at my parent‘s house since they connect to my childhood.

[@CyberMachine]

I'm sorry but these are incredibly unhealthy dishes. There's a huge problem in America of healthy food being too expensive for most people to afford. These dishes reflect that. What other country eats like this?! And on top of that we have extremely expensive health care.

[@nicotinedealer7653]

@@CyberMachine im not american and even i understand why americans shouldnt be shamed for it. not their fault that america was founded on infertile land.

[@CyberMachine]

@@nicotinedealer7653 Clearly you're not because our land is very fertile so move along

[@nicotinedealer7653]

@@CyberMachine I've only heard of the term "food desert" only in the American context. Clearly your land isn't

[@CyberMachine]

@@nicotinedealer7653 Maybe you should actually search what it means before repeating it.

[@beccagriffin3105]

When I think of the word "salad", I don't automatically think of a leafy green salad. To me, a salad is just chopped or bite sized ingredients mixed together. Leafy salads, desert salads, fruit salads, pasta salads, potato salads, taco salads, etc. Just "stuff" mixed together. Often, those dishes were made to really stretch foods. My grandmother had 14 siblings and my mom (her daughter) had 7 siblings. I always say that my grandmother was the queen of making a few really simple ingredients go a really long way... and somehow she created some of the most amazing dishes. Some of my favorite dishes that I grew up eating were those dishes with "salad" in the name but were absolutely not leafy green salads. I believe a lot of it came from her living through the Great Depression, living through wartime rations with multiple kids to feed. Times that really forced people to get creative with food. I think what trips people up is that leafy green salads have really always (as long as I can remember) been something that people associate with as a health food. So when you start to throw other ingredients into the mix that don't fit into that category (which health food will be totally different person to person), it can be confusing when that isn't your perception of what a salad is; and what you're used to. They are salads when you think of it in the context that it's just a mix of ingredients. If you look at salads that way, you can really start think outside the box and open your mind to new recipes that you never would have thought to put together yourself. The dishes in the end might completely surprise you.

[@aprilewilson]

Yes! In our family, any cold side dish was considered a "salad" - even if it was canned pears with a dollop of cottage cheese on top. That was "pear salad."

[@mo-xi9it]

As an American, I am very interested in what’s going to be in this video, as a lot of traditionally American foods originate in other cultures!

[@bast713]

YES! Western PA represent! I'm going to say it. Strawberry pretzel salad is a pita to make, but worth it. I cooked for a senior living facility and we made it on a regular basis - we always started 3 days before it was on the menu to give each layer time to set. It's a minimum two day project if the kitchen gods are smiling. At some point in the last century in the US, I think a salad also came to apply to a cold casserole (usually with Jello, but not always.) I can't fully explain it, we just have to pick our battles.

[@nelldrik]

I love that you did this episode & especially what Sam said about how there are no weird foods...there are just things that are unfamiliar to us. I feel like your channel really embodies that ethos in a way that is hopefully becoming less rare. I also really enjoyed the unexpected trip down memory lane this episode gave me! Both my grandmas were at best mediocre cooks, but one of them made a version of the lime jello salad that I LOVED as a kid. Hers didn't have marshmallows and used 7-Up instead of heavy cream though, so I think it was more light/refreshing and less decadant. I really want to try making Liz's family's version though & seeing how they compare! My other grandmother would make a fruit salad for Thanksgiving/Christmas of frozen berries, grapes, and bananas. She would fold in homemade sweetened whipped cream & serve it with shredded coconut & mini marshmallows & nuts on the side for people to add as they wanted -- it's really only now I'm realizing that this was probably a version of ambrosia that she had adjusted over the years to her own tastes. If you do another episode, you should definitely do carne asada fries or a California burrito (which has fries & carne asada in it)!

[@SamElle]

OMG OMG THANKS FOR INCLUDING ME!!!! I hope everyone tries ambrosia salad!!

[@jojonoir]

I love it! Pass me a bowl lol

[@user-ql4dg1rn3s]

omg i see u everywhere

[@iluvzurara2]

Girl what part of nyc you from?? I THINK I’ve heard of the name ambrosia salad but I’ve never known what it was and can’t say it’s common at all where I’m from in queens. Maybe I’m ignoring it which is totally possible hahahhaa

[@SamElle]

@@iluvzurara2 hey girl!!! I’m in south Brooklyn!!!

[@coffeehi]

I love your energy!!!! Ambrosia is one of my favorites 😋😋😋

[@169MadHatter]

Respectfully, bc ily and this video Beryl, I'm excited to see another video in this series that focuses on regional american foods from non-white or non-european american communities (or commentaries about the origins of each dish)! this is a huge country with so many people so many histories, I would just love to see more.

[@BerylShereshewsky]

Can you submit?

[@jaydagraham2407]

Yes!! I would love a video of southern regional foods!

[@anemicfrog721]

@@BerylShereshewsky I really can’t submit any recipes since i’m not from these areas, but there’s famously Louisiana which has an abundance of French-Black/Creole cuisine, and in New York, there’s a fusion Cuban-Chinese cuisine!! Hopefully you can find recipes from those regions :)

[@dcyork2703]

NO!!

[@Whereisnicolenow]

@@dcyork2703 why

[@Summer-sc1ph]

Midwest cuisine is wild haha. Everyone wants to say that southern cuisine is fattening, but look up north too!

[@paigey-poo4235]

And then there’s the west coast where we will replace any ingredient of any recipe with cauliflower just to prove it’s possible 😅

[@nineredberries]

I did it! I made the strawberry pretzel salad! It was actually really good! Thank you for the inspiration to try a new dish... and motivation! (I really don't like jello but this dish was ok!)😊🌈💕

[@jdhermansenparker]

Just caught this video. Next time you'd like to try a regional US food, I'd like to suggest both the Runza and the Frenchie. I have only ever had them in Nebraska, though I have heard that the Runza can be found in other areas and goes by the name Bierock.

[@jayerlinger9459]

Oh! If you want a less sweet ambrosia. I use sour cream. Recioe- 1 can mandarin oranges, 1 can of chunk unsweetened pineapple. 1 cup of marshmallows 1 cup coconut. Along with 1 cup sour cream. Mix well. Make at least 5 hrs ahead of serving to soften the marshmallows. I 5hink.its called a 5 cup salad

[@pammiller1985]

That is the way I am more familiar with! Make sure you drain the cans of oranges and pineapple also

[@catevans2125]

This sounds more like the ambrosia salad my grandmother made. She also added chopped pecans and sometimes bananas.

[@bloop310]

This is how we make it

[@mikemulholland8350]

Though it's super simple, a fluffernutter is something I think that's uniquely Americana and would make a great addition if you decide to do another video on this!

[@candicehoneycutt4318]

Omg yes. Such a good snack

[@supernova622]

Soooooo gooooood

[@andrewthezeppo]

I grew up on them because though I never lived there myself, my dad grew up in Pennsylvania where it is most popular.

[@pussiriffic]

Can there be a part 2 of this??? I want you see other regional dishes across USA too 💕

[@humayraismail6618]

Love the artist's work! Please do some of YOUR childhood favourites

[@kst6959]

Would love a video for each state (or region). SO much good food out there based on the immigration patterns of the last 150 years. I feel like the world is going to think all America can "cook" is Jello. 😆

[@twnfmtx]

Hi Beryl, a recipe you should try is King Ranch Casserole. It's a South Texas thing. I"ll send you the recipe if you're interested.

[@priyankamohantyms3870]

Oh my gosh I’m from India and my mom makes a version of the ambrosia salad! Except we don’t have cool whip, so we have custard instead! It’s available at most old multi cuisine restaurants here too, usually called fruit custard with jelly

[@lamias5470]

i was just thinking that! im bengali and im like wow its really similar. my auntie makes it with custard, bananas, apples, grapes, and nuts and its soo good

[@emmeviene]

Us too in the Philippines! Ive had some versions of the buko salad that Beryl was talking about that has marshmallow and instead of cool whip, nestle cream is used.

[@joycechan-barretta9882]

@Mahima Bhat that’s so interesting! So the dry fruits and tutti frutti are toppings for the vanilla ice cream? Or is there ice cream melted? Also, is tutti frutti the cereal?

[@garlicgirl3149]

Funny, I grew up with Ambrosia salad but we did not use cool whip.

[@garlicgirl3149]

Funny, I grew up with Ambrosia salad but we did not use cool whip.

[@bethwilliams8748]

The strawberry pretzel “salad” looks quite similar to jelly slice we have in Australia. Except ours has a crushed biscuit (cookie) base and a condensed milk and gelatin filling.

[@nicolekatmi]

This is very sweet and salty. It’s one of my favorites. I’d love to try that version! What would you call it? The same thing?

[@canaryblack1013]

@@nicolekatmi Probably just "jelly slice"

[@bree4673]

That sounds really good!

[@paytonthompson1625]

The entire time she was making it I was like “soo kind of like a jelly slice?” 😂

[@partituravid]

*gag* no thanks. Pass the Pavlova.

[@Jenidala23]

I guess i dont really understand the whole "its not a salad" if its sweet. Salads can be anything, sweet or savory. I still enjoyed the video!

[@Katriicat]

Here in Germany we call this kind of salad simply “fruit salad” 😂 I mean, there are savory salads with pineapple or apple in it and they still count as “normal” salad, so... 😂

[@moubhattacharyya1141]

In Sweden mimosa salad. Somewhat similar.

[@lauran.9427]

My ma always made "Green Jello"... which is cool whip, pistachio jello and crushed pineapple.... I HATE ALL FORMS OF JELLO(except bottom have of pretzel jello)....and ALL FORMS OF FRUIT SALADS🤮🤮... BUT....I DO LOVE....My Ma's "Geen Jello"😉

[@lbjohnston21684]

A regional dish I grew up eating in Eastern Ohio is pork and sauerkraut on new years. My mom would always buy the bags of sauerkraut at the supermarket (you might not be able to find it) she drains and rinses the kraut and browns some pork chops in the skillet then adds it to the sauerkraut in roasting pan with some water and covers it. She cooks it in the oven until the pork falls apart and serves it over mashed potatoes.

[@shaymich2395]

That artist captures the way the light dances.

[@quitkus]

I'd love a video on how people around the world make their favorite meals vegetarian or vegan

[@rapa2894]

As an American, I make the tater tot casserole with impossible meat. I also add extra veggies, onions, mushrooms, and peas to give it a bit more nutrition than just the basic version here. I also make my own sauce rather than using the canned soup.

[@td8043]

Indian vegetarian meals , even the ones which are considered as an indulgence are considered vegan . If you want to have vegan desserts, appetizers, main courses , India is the place.

[@lisathaviu1154]

Lime and lemon jello figures in a lot of “salad” recipes from the past. Perfection Salad was once very popular, which, if you look up the recipe, you will be appalled. My aunt made something that I never had the courage to try, mainly due to her overall terrible cooking. It was tuna salad that she would submerge into 1/2 jelled lime jello. IDK what else she put into it. Some things are better not to know.

[@brandihein5585]

Putting food into jello was a whole thing for a while. Had to google to remember the term: aspic! Sometimes meat flavored jelly stuff with gelatin, sometimes what you normally think of these days as 'jello' and leaned sweet. Some suuuuper interesting recipes from the era of their height for sure.

[@mbrac2271]

Easiest Ambrosia salad is cool whip ,can of fruit cocktail (drained) chopped walnuts, shredded coconut, and mini marshmallows, mix all together and chill

[@TheCrazyNette]

For the Ambrosia salad, try cutting the cool whip with plain Greek yogurt, sour cream, small curd cottage cheese or mayo (I know, I know) but any of those really helps cut down the sweetness and gives the dish a really nice tangy flavor.

[@kaitlins7386]

Oooo next time you do this do Cincinnati chili! I'll get Skyline and discuss its origins for ya.

[@lizryan7451]

That would be fun! I love Cincinnati style chili ❤

[@KnickKnackPatty]

Different styles of chilli in general would be a cool video!

[@magnificent6668]

It's Greek.

[@scross5326]

In my (humble and taste tested) opinion... Skyline and Dixie chili is best with spaghetti, Gold Star goes best on cheese coneys. My Cincinnati born-and-bred hubby and I did the test with all three brands of chili. 😛

[@catevans2125]

Cincinnati chili is a love it or hate it kind of dish - it would be interesting to see which camp Beryl would fall in (personally, I do not like it , probably because I am originally from the Southwest).

[@lizryan7451]

Funny enough, I just made strawberry pretzel salad for the first time the other day! It really is a great combo of salty and sweet. My favorite midwestern potluck dish has to be funeral potatoes. They're creamy and cheesy with a crunchy cornflake topping, and they're incredible!

[@iluvmusicals21]

Strawberry pretzel salad is so good.

[@annbrookens945]

I'm a 60-some year old rural-IIlinoisan who has attended potlucks my whole life. I never heard of "Funeral Potatoes" until maybe 20 years ago when they were suddenly everywhere! They taste AMAZING! I read somewhere that the fish originated in Utah? Beryl definitely needs to try it!

[@erinhowett3630]

Funeral potatoes are best potatoes. I'm from Cincinnati but live in Alabama now, and I've had funeral potatoes in both places. It's always wonderful.

[@bree4673]

I was going to suggest she try funeral potatoes as well!

[@KnickKnackPatty]

What are funeral potatoes?

[@ChoochooseU]

The thing about “regional dishes” in the states is that it’s really according to the exact people you got it from in that region and what era. We are truly a melting pot and what is considered potato salad in the south to one region- might not be the same literally a county away much less when you consider the family origins ( Indigenous Native Americans, African Americans, Italian German, French , Irish, Scottish, etc etc) Also is that a coastal city or landlocked. So many factors.

[@garlicgirl3149]

A splendid comment!!! A person who gets cuisine in USA.

[@janiceisaacs6755]

Thank you!

[@windyhawthorn7387]

True I have had so many different types of potato salad. Even the chicken or fish salad is different. My dads recipe used Gefilte fish and canned cactus. Mine has picked okra in it with onions, garlic, mustard, cheese, mayo, pickles, salt and pepper. My chicken salad has fresh basil and parsley His was creamy with cranberries and pecans in it.

[@MostlyCloudy]

So true.

[@leah9324]

My great grandma made the cranberry marshmallow salad for Christmas every year! Now I make it 🥰

[@elizabethglowacz5615]

My grandma and now I always make a "pink salad" for thanks giving and Christmas. It's cream cheese, jellied cranberry sauce, raspberry jello, and frozen raspberries. It's a Staple and something I always look forward to around the holidays

[@DeniseMarieplaylearnteach]

When you announced strawberry pretzel salad, I smiled and audibly moaned! I started making this in 1975 after tasting it at a teacher potluck. I would bring it as a dessert to every family potluck for years. One of my daughters now makes it for family and friends’ potlucks. It’s a keeper.

[@bethanyc4221]

Hi beryl! I’m from Houston too and sometimes we add cheddar to the middle for those who don’t like cream cheese. And in another variation whether it’s smoked or grilled it is often glazed with barbecue sauce. The sweet and acid in the sauce cuts the richness a little bit and really amps up the flavor. I definitely recommend giving it a try like that!😁

[@AlexNgiam]

I live halfway across the world, and I’ve heard so much about Tater Tot Casserole. When I finally visited the USA years ago, that was one (amongst many other dishes) of the first dishes I tried. And I love it! But it’s one of those dishes where you need to devour it fresh out of the oven, wait too long and the tots gets soggy!

[@shafali1972]

Hi, i live in Texas and we do a breakfast version of the tater tot, we use a roll of breakfast sausage and we add whatever kind of salsa you like as well with the soup, its a tasty side potato that goes well with eggs.

[@chefykitty]

It's AMAZING the next day, if you don't mind the soft potatoes. The flavors meld more overnight in the fridge, especially when it all gets mixed up in your bowl after reheating.

[@chefykitty]

@@shafali1972 That sounds amazing!!!! I might try that with those flat hash browns like McDs has, that you can get in the freezer section

[@AuntieEmmers]

One voice that is missing (which goes missing in my topics when discussing America) is a Native American perspective. Please consider including their voice in some of your videos. We are still here ;)

[@TheJustineCredible]

Um, your artist paints in the Van Gogh impressionist style. I'd love to share with you a very, uniquely Illinois dish. Something invented in Springfield, IL - called the Horseshoe sandwich. There are a few different versions but the original was created in 1928 at the the Old Leland Hotel by Joe Schweska. The original hand only ham as the meat of the sandwich but there are varieties that have both ham and turkey. (which I actually prefer). Basically it's an open face sandwich with pan sizzled slices of ham and turkey over toasted thick cut (now called "Texas Toast") white bread, covered in French fries (crinkle cut preferred by all) and smothered in a homemade beer cheese sauce. When it gets really cold and snowy here in the Midwest, I start craving this rich, filling dish. I also tend to add a bit of Wostershire sauce and a bit of cheyanne pepper for a bit of a kick. I like mine more "spicy" than most Midwesterners. Although I'm born and raised in the Chicago Suburbs, I have lived about half of my adult life in and around the south. I actually picked up my taste for spicy foods as a child when my dad, who worked in television would take the family to visit restaurants owned by fellow station colleagues. Mostly they were Mexican and Pilipino so spice was never spared!

[@xlovemeifyoudare]

Funeral Potatoes are my favorite Midwest casserole!

[@sinndymorr6358]

I adore potatoes. Gonna search the recipe.

[@emeralddarkness]

Ah yes, that great classic

[@candicehoneycutt4318]

I have a copycat recipe from an elderly lady known for her cooking, but I've never had an excuse to make it lmao

[@emeralddarkness]

@@candicehoneycutt4318 just do it as a side dish! It's a lot like scalloped potatoes, and is just as delicious without a funeral haha

[@candicehoneycutt4318]

@@emeralddarkness I'd have to cut down the recipe 😂 it's made to feed like 40 people

[@sapphire3735]

Did anyone else eat “porcupine balls” growing up 😂😂😂 whenever my friends came over my grandpa told them he picked it up on his way home 🤭😂😂😂

[@leahmadlom4594]

My daughter has requested porcupine balls for dinner tomorrow night!

[@AlphaFemmeXtine]

The meatballs with rice? I love those.

[@truditurner8714]

My Mum used to make this when I was a child!

[@CableFlame]

I've never heard of this. I have NO IDEA what this may be! Can you share more?

[@AlphaFemmeXtine]

@@CableFlame I will give you my perception of what they are. Basically, you use ground meat and rice to make meatballs. Traditionally it's beef with rice simmered in tomato sauce. I have used pork, beef, chicken or a mix of pork and beef. I love them in tomato sauce (I'm Italian so my sauce is my go-to), but I have also used instant rice and done the pork/beef ones in bbq sauce. I like them plain with no sauce too. I have tried these so many different ways and never had one I didn't like. I discovered these when I was super broke. I had $10 to feed my family for a week and it was a great way to bulk up the meatballs and make the meal stretch. There's a gazillion different recipes. You should totally try them.

[@mixelle_0]

When I’ve lived in Houston my whole entire life and have never eaten an “armadillo egg” 😅

[@Shay45]

I have heard of it but have never eaten it.

[@metallicbonsai7981]

Ditto, though I have had jalapenos stuffed with cream cheese and wrapped in bacon. I always just heard them called stuffed jalapenos. Is that the same dish?

[@calihhan4706]

The thing I love the most about all of these videos are the people talking so heartwarming and passionate about their dishes 😍🥰

[@Luvknots78]

We do strawberry pretzel salad for every holiday. I even make a version using frozen red raspberries. It is so good.

[@meenaelizabeth8644]

When i was a kid my grandma used to make ambrosia salad all the time for family events but she would use pistachio pudding mix 😋

[@LePsychicSidekick]

Being Southeast Asian, this is really fascinating to see! Some very interesting combinations that make me rethink about food. I've never heard of cool whip before.

[@annbrookens945]

It's an artificial whipped cream, marketed frozen, then you thaw before use. Cheap and convenient.

[@tiffany6900]

Omg the strawberry pretzel salad reminds me of this jello cheesecake my family makes! Not sure where we got the recipe from because we’re Chinese but I grew up eating the cake every summer because of how refreshing and light it was.

[@beth-bi9yv]

My mom used to make that for my birthday. I'm a type 1 diabetic so as a kid wasn't allowed much sugar, but this dish you could use diet jello and creamcheese is low sugar and still create a 'cake like dessert '

[@dpw6900]

I believe I am the only one in my family that still makes this family holiday staple. Fruit salad The volume of ingredients is flexible and of course the ingredients used is also flexible. I usually use equal volumes of sectioned grapefruit, sectioned orange, canned mandarin oranges, canned fruit salad, sliced grapes (half green/half purple), sliced banana and 1/3rd volume of chopped walnuts. Drain fruit and put aside. Make the sauce/ dressing for the salad by whipping together 60/40 ratio of marshmallow cream and miracle whip then fold into fruit and chill overnight.

[@OhwellNoelle]

I’m from Texas but I’ve never heard of that… we have stuffed jalapeño but I’ve never heard of armadillo eggs.

[@cyndi4006]

I live in Houston and have never heard of armadillo eggs either! Stuffed jalapeños, yes. Armadillo eggs, no.

[@kelseyjean222]

My dad‘s side of the family is French-Canadian and we make salmon pie and tourtiere in the holiday season.

[@lynnpayne9519]

Mine too, both of those and Chinese pie

[@OldManMoko]

As a Head Chef..... I'm both curious and terrified at some of the things I'm seeing.....

[@rring44]

I can see the Strawberry pretzel one being dressed up to be a legit cheesecake on a menu

[@OldManMoko]

@@rring44 Totally, It's essentially a strawberry cheesecake slice. It's pretty common around the world, but the cool difference being the pretzels instead of biscuits as the base, that's an interesting take and makes a lot of sense.....

[@rring44]

@@OldManMoko That is what I meant. Salty sweet can just hit that certain spot sometimes.

[@annbrookens945]

I really want to LOVE this strawberry pretzel salad but...I hate pretzels. I try them again every few years and I just don't like that definitive pretzel flavor. I want someone to make this with a different crust! Uh, for me, I mean!

[@lexichantel96]

@@annbrookens945 I bet you could use salty crackers and get a similar result that you’d like better. The crunchy salty carb base is what’s most important!

[@eowin6732]

Tater tot casserole is also awesome for breakfast… just switch ground beef for sausage. Yummm!!!!!

[@daciaharms]

Nebraska girl here & we use green beans in our tater tot casserole. Also corn & sometimes carrots too. It just depends what's available/left from canning the summer garden. My grandpa had a huge garden (6 boys to raise) and my grandma got a canning area in the basement when my dad & uncle built their addition. My grandpa was tickled when I chose canning for my 4-H project after my grandma passed on. My dad is the grandpa with a garden now so the tradition lives on. 😊 I've cheated & used the frozen mixed veggies since moving to the city. I saw someone else mentioned kohlrabi & that was my favorite as a kid with a little salt. My grandpa used to plant some just for me. I really love this channel because it brings up so many beautiful memories that I thought were forgotten.