If You Grew Up In Kentucky, You Definitely Love These 7 Classic Dishes
By Sarah McCosham|Published December 30, 2022
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Sarah McCosham
Author
I write like it's my job - because it is! I have a Master's in English and love words: crossword puzzles, Scrabble games, Wordle, and, of course, good, old-fashioned books.
I'm a writer and editor at OnlyInYourState, and a contributing writer at Cincinnati Magazine. I love the Great Outdoors and am endlessly awestruck by this beautiful country of ours. Coffee keeps me going, yoga keeps me sane, my kids keep me grounded, and my writing keeps me inspired.
Kentucky cuisine is wholly, wonderfully, and deliciously unique. It’s a little Southern and a little Appalachian, with regional flavors and ingredients thrown in for good measure. Kentucky cuisine is barbecue and fried chicken, pimento cheese sandwiches and honey-topped cornbread. It’s biscuits and burgoo stew made by Kentucky matriarchs using generations-old recipes that have been committed to memory. If you grew up in Kentucky, you’ll definitely love these classic dishes, and if you didn’t? Well, give them a try!
Burgoo is a Kentucky favorite; this stew is made with a tasty combination of pork, beef, chicken, corn, carrots, onion, celery, and lima beans. While there are numerous homemade variations of this classic, Moonlite Bar-B-Q Inn is known far and wide for its amazing burgoo stew, served with two cornbread muffins and crackers.
Whether you grew up with Grandma's pan-fried chicken or a bucket from the Colonel, fried chicken is a classic Kentucky dish that's earned the state icon status.
This Nilla Wafer-topped dessert is a delicious masterpiece that's creamy and soul-satisfying. Whether you call it "banana pudding" or "banana pie," this is one of those Kentucky dishes that shows up at every family reunion and cookout!
Don't hate on bologna! This deli outcast is a staple in every Kentucky kid's lunchbox, and even better when fried. Starnes Bar-B-Q does this 'wich right, which is always, always served on white bread.
Whether you make it from a mix or from scratch, in a cast-iron skillet or cake pan, no proper Kentucky meal would be complete without cornbread (served with butter and honey, of course).
Hailed as the "pâté of the South," pimento cheese is a delightfully sweet and spicy spread that we put on just about anything, and is especially dreamy with country ham, a la Wallace Station.
What are your favorite classic Kentucky dishes? Share them with your fellow foodies in the comments below!
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