Illinois Recipes

Great, Great Grandpa Apell had a huge farm in Illinois with prize-winning corn. He made Popcorn Balls for all the Grandkids at Christmastime. He lived to be 106 and claimed workin' the farm and eatin' corn was the secret! This recipe is delicious!

A spinach dip that can be warmed or used chilled. Either way it always vanishes at our place and the rave reviews just keep coming! After dip is finished, break off pieces of the bread bowl and enjoy the best part of all.

Loaded hot dog on a poppy seed bun made Chicago-style with no ketchup.

Rump roast simmered with seasonings until fork-tender. So easy, so tasty!

Make this family recipe for delicious potato dumplings, easy to customize.

This Chicago original is a one-pan dish that starts on the stove and finishes in the oven. It's made with browned chicken-on-the-bone pieces, baked with garlic, onion, and yukon gold potato wedges sopped in white wine. Garnish with a lovely pan sauce and peas (or baby lima beans yummm!). Once an economic meal named for Mt. Vesuvio near Naples, it has turned into a signature Chicago dish that you'll absolutely love.

A delicious, minimal prep recipe to serve as a side dish with dinner, or for company! My husband would live on this if I let him, and our entire family loves it! A slow cooker recipe too easy not to try!

This recipe is so delicious and easy to make. I come from a really Swedish town - Rockford, Illinois - where Swedish pancakes are a favorite for Sunday morning breakfast. My Dad used to make these for us at home for a special treat. Serve with butter and maple syrup, or lingonberries if you've got them.

I have it on good authority that this is the real deep dish pizza dough that's used in Chicago. The real thing is nothing like bread, or even pizza, dough. It is a buttery, flaky crust that is achieved by: 1) using corn oil (not butter) and 2) minimal mixing and kneading times. The pizza itself is built with cheese, toppings, and sauce, in that order. I suggest you use 6-in-1® tomatoes which are far superior to other brands. Classico® ground tomatoes are very similar. Contrary to popular opinion, cornmeal is not used in the dough by Chicago pizzerias.

Home cooks will find deep-dish pizza, with its unique buttery cornmeal crust, more forgiving than its New York counterpart. No need to worry about having the hottest oven or too many toppings - just make sure your sauce is very thick and flavorful! I garnished mine with parsley and more Parmesan cheese.

This is a specialty of Springfield, IL. If you only use one slice of bread and one hamburger patty, it's called a ponyshoe!

Every time we have a party I'm requested to make this dish. Wonderful mixture of pasta, bacon, mushrooms, and onions.