Wisconsin Recipes

These are the best and easiest brats you'll ever taste.

Easy to make and tastes wonderful. You can use either turkey or chicken. You can serve it plain, on salad greens, or in a pita. Very versatile. If in season, try substituting black cherries for the grapes.

I don't have a clue where my Dad got this particular recipe, but he used to build it during hunting season when we had fresh venison (elk, antelope, mule or whitetail deer), 'hanging and aging'. I still make it when the opportunity presents itself.

New potatoes are baked in a savory sauce of butter, horseradish and lemon juice.

These are delicious looking cream puffs or eclairs filled with whipped cream and topped with melted chocolate.

This is a recipe we have used for the past 5 years. The beer really tenderizes the ham. Using beer is probably a Wisconsin thing. We seem to find many uses for it. But don't worry, the ham will not taste like beer when it is done other than maybe a small hint on the bottom portions. I don't like beer at all, so I was quite skeptical at first, but when I found out that the ham I had at my friend's house for Christmas the year before had beer used to make it, I tried it and have been hooked ever since.

Coal miners in the Midwest would take these for their lunch. They keep warm rather long wrapped in a towel. Some housewives would stuff one end with a savory filling, and the other with a sweet one. That way you could have your dessert with your dinner! For a true coal miner meal experience, be sure to roughly chop the potatoes.

This is a cupcake that smells as good as it tastes. It's an old Polish recipe from some of the best bakers in Milwaukee!

Having company over to watch the big game? This is a delicious, macho, and easy recipe for all sporting fans and tailgaters alike. These juicy bratwursts melt in your mouth and are even better when washed down with an ice-cold beer. Prepare in the morning and they will be ready for any afternoon game time.

This yummy recipe won my mom a blue ribbon at the Wisconsin State Fair. It is very beautiful and flavorful!

This is a really good lentil soup recipe I created based on the favorite German Lentil Soup which has been served for years at Karl Ratzsch's in Milwaukee. Serves a small crowd, tastes great the next day, and freezes well. Garnish with croutons.

This chili earned its blue ribbon at a chili cook-off three years in a row! It is a mild, sweet chili, but it could always be spiced up with a little hot sauce. In Wisconsin, chili has macaroni noodles in it, which my husband thinks is the best part of this recipe. Enjoy! Add canned kidney beans with the macaroni, if desired.

This is my Wisconsin version of a classic Bloody Mary drink. On special occasions, garnish with skewered bite-size pieces of Wisconsin Cheddar, Monterey Jack, pepperoni, salami, green olives or cocktail shrimp on top. Best when consumed before noon.

These savory pizzas are bathed in a tomato and lamb topping, then cut into wedges to serve. Served hot or cold, these may be an appetizer, or put a little salad in the middle, and fold up like a taco for a quick meal.

Wanted to do something different with brats, so I put this together from ingredients I had in the cupboard.

I learned this dish while stationed at Kleine Brogel AB, Belgium. It is authentic!

When sour cherries are in season, this preparation really shows off their color and flavor. Do not omit the salt as it keeps the sorbet 'scoopable' instead of a solid block of ice. Preparation time does not include time for pitting cherries. I get mine in Door County, Wisconsin, already pitted.

This delicious pie is a ribbon winner from the Wisconsin State Fair.

In Wisconsin, brats are considered a staple at summer picnics. These are a twist on the traditional grilled brats. I have found once people try them, they soon become a favorite.

This is a great healthy and easy-to-make chili, made famous at Firehouse Station No. 2 in Madison, Wisconsin. Serve with corn bread johnny-cakes.

As a native Wisconsinite, I love cheese curds. I also love potato salad. Cheese curds are one of those food items that you won't find in all grocery stores nationwide, but you could substitute with chunks of cheddar cheese.

My husband loves to fish, so we have this quite often. This is a nice change of pace, and tasty tasty! Sweet and spicy.

Great for the holidays- once you serve this pie, everyone wants seconds! Try a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top while still warm. MMMM!

This is a pesto cream sauce where you make the pesto ahead and freeze in portions to use for another night. I got this recipe from a restaurant in Green Bay called St. Brenden's. I usually make this on a Saturday afternoon when I have some free time (and freeze it all), but I have made it on a week night and only froze two portions. Triple the pesto ingredients and use one portion tonight; freeze the rest for later.