# Cuisine of Minnesota

The cuisine of Minnesota is a type of Midwestern cuisine found throughout the state of Minnesota.
Typical Minnesota cuisine is based on Norwegian, Swedish, and German cuisine, with heavy Native American (particularly Ojibwe and Dakota) influences. Other European cuisines that influenced Minnesota cuisine include Czech, Cornish, Italian, and Polish cuisine. Since the 1960s, Minnesota's cuisine has also been influenced by the cuisines of the various immigrant and refugee groups who have settled in Minnesota; immigrant cuisines popular in Minnesota include Somali, Hmong, Mexican, Indian, Vietnamese, Korean, Ethiopian, Burmese, Laotian, and Liberian cuisine. Minnesotan cuisine also has regional variations. In rural Minnesota, Scandinavian dishes and foods like hotdishes are common. Fusion cuisine is popular in the Twin Cities, home to the inventions of the jucy lucy and the bundt cake. In the Iron Range, Italian inspired dishes are eaten, like pizza rolls and porchetta sandwiches. Pasties are also eaten in Northern Minnesota.
Foods typical in Minnesota cuisine are generally affordable, filling, and hearty, reflecting Minnesota's long, cold winters. The majority of dishes are comfort foods. Minnesotan foods are also rarely spicy. Though not typical Minnesota cuisine, archetypal fair foods are offered at the Minnesota State Fair including dozens of foods offered "on a stick", such as Pronto Pups and deep-fried candy bars.

## Side dishes

Mashed potatoes and gravy, asparagus, and green beans are Minnesota staples, often eaten at Thanksgiving or large dinners. French fries are often enjoyed with jucy lucys and corn dogs, along with other foods.Typical sides include pickles, locally grown boiled new potatoes seasoned with fresh herbs or horseradish, baked beans, and vegetables such as buttered peas, and carrots. Preferred to rice or pasta, potatoes are often served alongside buttered rolls and homemade strawberry jam. Potatoes are also served as tater tots, home fries, and mashed. Mashed rutabaga is another common side dish.

### Appetizers

Wild rice is eaten plain or as a side with other dishes.
* Minnesota-style cheese curds are very popular, they are often served battered and deep fried
* Sauerkraut - sliced and fermented cabbage, was brought to Minnesota by German immigrants
* cabbage rolls
** sarma
* Deep fried ranch- a street food that was invented at the state fair.
* Tater kegs- a larger tater tot that is stuffed with cheese and meats. This appetizer can be found st restaurants across the state and was invented in Minnesota.
* Corn on the cob, typically locally grown sweet corn
* Gravlax
* Minnesotan sushi- an appetizer that contains a pickle, covered in cream cheese and wrapped in ham, and cut into slices like sushi.
** Deep fried Minnesotan sushi
* Basil wings - dry rub chicken wings made with tempura fried basil, and numerous spices. Basil wings are a fusion dish originating in the Twin Cities.
* wild rice cranberry bread- a Minnesotan bread that can be found at bakeries across the state.
* Potatoes with strawberry jam and buttered rolls

### Dumplings

Many dumplings of Eastern European origin were brought to Minnesota and remain popular today.
* Kluski - a type of soft, Polish dumpling
* Spätzle- often served in a sauce with meat
* Halušky- small potato dumplings that are often served with meat and cheese
* potato dumplings
* pierogis- a filled dumpling of Polish origin

### Salads

The term salad is used somewhat loosely in Minnesota, with several dishes being referred to salads but bearing no resemblance to a traditional salad. Salads in Minnesotan cuisine often have mayonnaise mixed in.
* Jello salad
* Potato salad
* pasta salad
* Macaroni salad
* Wild rice salad- a salad consisting of fruit, nuts, greens, vegetables, and cooked wild rice.

## Soups

Minnesotan soups include knoephla and booyah. Knoephla stew is popular in Western Minnesota, it is typically made with spätzle, chicken, and potatoes. Booyah stew is a thick stew usually requiring up to two days and multiple cooks to prepare; it is cooked in specially designed "booyah kettles" and traditionally was meant to serve hundreds to thousands of people, but in contemporary Minnesotan usage, booyah has found itself typically served at small gatherings. In cooking booyah, one makes a base or broth derived from meat bones, to which vegetables are added. Beef, chicken, and pork are popular varieties of meat for booyah (with all three often in the same kettle), with vegetables such as carrots, peas, onion, and potatoes also in the mix. A wide variety of seasonings are used.
Cream soups such as cream of mushroom, cream of chicken, and cream of celery are very popular and are often used to make hotdish. Cream of mushroom is so popular it was even proposed as the official state soup. Wild rice soup is considered a staple of the cuisine. It typically includes chicken, much like chicken noodle soup.
Ke'Ke, a Somali-inspired stew made with strips of chapati, was invented in Minnesota.
Walleye chowder is a milk-based chowder, that includes walleye; found in the Arrowhead region.

## Main dishes
### Meat dishes

* Lutefisk - is very popular in Minnesota, and is often eaten during Christmas. Lutefisk is dried whitefish. Usually cod is used, but ling and burbot are also used. It is made from aged stockfish (air-dried whitefish), or dried and salted cod, cured in lye. Lutefisk is traditionally served with boiled potatoes, mashed green peas, melted butter and small pieces of fried bacon. Madison, Minnesota has dubbed itself the "lutefisk capital of the world" as well as claiming the largest per capita consumption of lutefisk in Minnesota. It is also used to make cream of lutefisk soup. It was brought to Minnesota by Norwegian immigrants.
* Swedish meatballs - Are usually made with a mix of ground beef and ground pork, or just with ground beef, which is mixed into a mixture of beaten eggs, breadcrumbs soaked in milk, and grated raw onions or finely chopped and fried onions. Cream is often added for more luxurious versions. The meatball mixture is seasoned with salt and white pepper or a mixture of white pepper and allspice. Swedish meatballs are traditionally served with gravy, boiled or mashed potatoes, lingonberry jam, and sometimes pickled cucumber. It was brought to Minnesota by Swedish immigrants.
** Swedish meatballs stuffed with wild rice
* Norwegian meatballs- A dish that is very similar to Swedish meatballs, except they are shaped like patties and are served with a brown gravy.
* Smoked gravlax- a version of gravlax that is smoked after being cured. It is common in towns on the North Shore.
* Baked walleye- typically with lemon and dill
* Bison steaks
* Lefse buss- a lefse topped with mashed potatoes, gravy, and meatballs.
* Walleye fingers - pieces of cut up walleye that are deep fried. They are especially popular in Minnesota because they are the state fish. It can also be served as a sandwich in Minnesota's pubs where the fish is very popular, deep fried walleye on a stick is a Minnesota State Fair food.
* Iron Range pot roast - a pot roast made with porchetta or pork, potatoes, and seasonings.
* Shore Lunch- a pan fried fish, usually cooked over an open fire, It can be served with fried potatoes, beans, bread, onion, diced bacon and some form of dessert. The fish is usually caught in a lake or river and cooked on shore, hence the name "shore lunch".

### Casserole dishes

Casseroles are a cornerstone of Minnesotan cuisine. There are numerous popular varieties, which are common at potlucks, and large gatherings.
* Mock chow mien- is a variation of chow mien including ground beef and cream of mushroom soup that is baked in a casserole dish.
* Hotdish- is a casserole dish that typically contains a starch, a meat, and a canned or frozen vegetable mixed with canned soup that must be served hot or warm. the most popular varieties in Minnesota are tater tot, tuna, chicken, hamburger, and wild rice hotdish. They were invented in Minnesota or the Upper Midwest; it is one of Minnesota's most iconic dishes.
** Tater Tot Hotdish- is made with ground beef, topped with tater tots, and flavored with thick condensed cream of mushroom soup sauce, but some versions in Minnesota use the official state grain wild rice, or even macaroni, in place of the potatoes. Tater tot hotdish is considered the national dish of Minnesota.
** Hautedish- is a fancy variation of the hotdish, it is deconstructed and contains tater tots, short ribs, a cream of porcini sauce, topped with green beans, and mushroom-Parmesan salad. Unfortunately all restaurants serving this dish have closed.
** Sarma hotdish- a fusion hotdish made with layers of filling, sauerkraut, and cabbage leaves. The filling is usually a mix of tomato soup, ground beef, and rice. This dish is based on sarma and is eaten in Northern Minnesota.
** Tuna hotdish
* Goulash - is made with ground beef, canned tomato, macaroni, and occasionally cream of corn. They are often served at potlucks along with hotdish.
* Baked Penne - is a baked pasta dish consisting of cream cheese, penne pasta, and marinara sauce, it can also be sprinkled with mozzarella and Parmesan. There is also a special variation of baked penne in Minnesota consisting of sausage, ham, and a spicy marinara sauce that is also used on Minneapolis-style pizza.
* Hoppel poppel - is an egg casserole made with leftovers. the casserole dish is associated with the Midwestern United States. The basic recipe for the casserole is home fries (fried potatoes), scrambled eggs, and onion. Sometimes it is topped with melted cheese. Other ingredients like green pepper or mushrooms can be added to the basic combination, and a variety of meats can be used including bacon, ham and salami. It was brought to Minnesota by German immigrants.

### Breakfast dishes

* Lefse with ham and eggs
* Lefse with peanut butter and sugar
* Lefse with cold cuts and scrambled eggs
* Spam and eggs
* Blueberry Muffin- It is a popular breakfast food in Minnesota. It is also the state muffin.
* Rice pudding- is rice mixed with milk and other ingredients. It was brought to Minnesota by immigrants and is enjoyed as breakfast or dessert.
* Potato pancakes- are shallow-fried pancakes of grated or ground potato, matzo meal or flour and a binding ingredient such as egg or applesauce, often flavored with grated garlic or onion and seasonings. They may be topped with a variety of condiments, ranging from the savory (such as sour cream or cottage cheese), to the sweet (such as apple sauce or sugar).
* Breakfast hotdish- a hotdish consisting of eggs, cheese, and sausages.
* Wild rice pancake
* Swedish pancake

### Other Dishes

* Rømmegrøt - is a thick and rich porridge made with sour cream, whole milk, wheat flour, butter, and salt. It is generally drizzled in butter and sprinkled with sugar and ground cinnamon. It can be eaten with cured meat. It was brought to Minnesota by Norwegian immigrants.
* Lefse- It is made with riced potatoes, can include all purpose (wheat) flour, and includes butter, and milk, cream, or lard. It is cooked on a large, flat griddle. In Minnesota it is typically made with potatoes. It is comparable to a tortilla. Lefse is a traditional accompaniment to lutefisk, and the fish is often rolled up in the lefse. It is eaten plain or filled. Other options include:
** Lefse with jelly, lingonberries, or gomme
** Lefse with butter and white or brown sugar
** Lefse with butter and corn syrup
** Lefse with butter and salt
** Lefse with beef and other savory items like ribberull and mustard
* Pasty - Pasties are made by placing an uncooked filling, typically meat and vegetables, in the middle of a flat shortcrust pastry circle, bringing the edges together in the middle, and crimping over the top to form a seal before baking. Associated with immigrants from the UK, they are popular in the Iron Range of Minnesota. They are popular in the iron range of Minnesota, especially as a lunch for iron miners.
* Corn dogs - a sausage on a stick that is deep fried in corn batter. Corn dogs are very popular in Minnesota, and are a common street food at the state fair.
** Corn brat- another variety eaten in Minnesota is the corn brat, a brat on a stick that is fried in cornmeal.This is a popular street food at the state fair.
* Minnesota-style pizza - a thin crust pizza, cut into squares, with hearty toppings. It is popular in the Twin Cities and the rest of Minnesota, with several chain restaurants offering the style.
* Minnesota-style chow mein- made with celery, bean sprouts, ground pork, and topped with processed chicken.
* Walleye cakes - are fish cakes made with walleye meat.
* Pizza rolls- a popular snack food in Minnesota, invented in Duluth.

## Sandwiches

Sandwiches in Minnesota are typically served hot or cold, and were popular among the working class of Minnesota in the Twin Cities, or in the iron mines of Northern Minnesota. Most Minnesotan sandwiches are influenced by Italian Cuisine.
* Porketta sandwich - a sandwich consisting of slow roasted, season pork. It is served on a sandwich with greens (rapini or spinach) and provolone cheese. Porketta remains a popular local dish in towns such as Hibbing, Minnesota with distributors such as Fraboni Sausage.
* Hot beef commercial - an open faced sandwich, with pot roast, mashed potatoes, and gravy.
* Hot turkey commercial - an open faced sandwich, with turkey breast, mashed potatoes, and gravy. Sometimes eaten after Thanksgiving.
* Pulled pork commercial- an open-faced sandwich containing pulled pork, mashed potatoes, and gravy.
* Fried walleye sandwich
* Chapati wraps - made of chapati, Somali rice, meats, and various spices.
* Hot dago - a sandwich consisting of an Italian sausage patty, between two pieces of bread. It is usually topped with melted cheese, and marinara.
* South American sandwich - invented in the iron range of Minnesota. It is a bar snack made with several kinds of minced meat, onions, tomatoes, peppers, celery and other leftovers in between two slices of bread.
* Lefse wraps- a wrap using lefse instead of a tortilla.
* Lefse melt- lefse that has been filled with meat and cheese, similar to a melt sandwich, folded, and toasted.
* Scandinavian Open-faced sandwiches
* Buffalo burger
* Jucy Lucy - a burger with melted cheese in the patty.Two bars in Minneapolis, Minnesota, claim to be the inventor of the burger, while other bars and restaurants have created their own interpretations of the style. In a jucy lucy both patties around the cheese to create a single patty with a cheese core. As the burger cooks, the cheese inside melts. This has the effect of keeping the meat near the center of the burger very juicy. It also separates the cheese from the bun, resulting in a slightly different texture than the usual cheeseburger. Burger toppings such as condiments, onions, and pickles may be added. It was invented in Minneapolis and is one of the most iconic dishes in Minnesota.

## Beverages
### Non-Alcoholic

Craft root beer is popular in Minnesota and there are many brands in Minnesota such as Killebrew, 1919, Lift Bridge, and Northern Craft Root beer. Milk is very important for making cheeses. It is also the state beverage of Minnesota. Swedish egg coffee is a drink made with coffee grounds mixed with and egg in boiling water. It is popular consumed at meal gatherings at churches and at the state fair.

### Cocktails

The Bootlegger cocktail was invented in Minnesota and remains popular today. Akvavit was brought from Scandinavia by immigrants and is produced in numerous distilleries, it is used in some cocktail recipes. The Minnesota Slammer, a popular cocktail in Minnesota, is made with cherry brandy, sweet and sour mix, peach and sour apple schnapps, and lemon-lime soda. A Minnesota martini is a glass of light beer with olives.

### Beer

Minnesota is also home to several breweries, including Hamm's, Summit Brewing Company, Surly Brewing Company, and August Schell Brewing Company, which also produces Grain Belt.

### Wine

Minnesota also produces Minnesota wines. The Minnesota Grape Growers Association (MGGA) is a statewide organization that promotes grape growing and winemaking in the state and also in cold-hardy climates. Minnesota is home to the International Cold Climate Wine Competition (ICCWC) hosted annually in partnership between MGGA and University of Minnesota. This is the only wine competition solely dedicated to the promotion of quality wines made mainly from cold-hardy grape varieties.
Ice wine is also produced in Minnesota at several wineries.

## Desserts and pastries
### Dessert salads

Dessert salads are generally made with jello, jellies, whipped toppings, fruits, vegetables, mayonnaise, and various other ingredients. They are typically served at potlucks, and other large gatherings but can be found in grocery stores in Minnesota as well. The majority of dessert salads were invented in Minnesota.
* cookie salad
* watergate salad
* Jello fluff- made with cottage cheese, canned fruit, jello, and whipped topping
* Snickers salad
* strawberry delight
* glorified rice
* Other dessert salads

### Cookies

Dessert bars a popular cookie that was likely invented in Minnesota or the elsewhere in the Midwest. They are popular at potlucks and as a dessert. Many other cookies were brought to Minnesota by Scandinavian and German settlers.
* Rosettes
* Sandbakelse- Norwegian cookie eaten during Christmas
* lebkuchen- German gingerbread cookie
* Krumkake
* Dessert bars
** Scotcharoos- a variety of dessert bar popular in Minnesota
** Other popular varieties include: peanut butter bars, apple bars, almond bars, toffee bars, oatmeal bars, and the seven-layer bar

### Cakes and sweet breads

* Bundt cakes- a donut-shaped cake, invented in Minneapolis
* Kransekake
* German Christmas bread (stollen)- essentially a German fruitcake made with dried fruit, marzipan, spices, nuts, and topped with icing.
* gingerbread

### Pastries

Many pastries were brought to Minnesota by immigrants, including:
* Poppy seed roll
* Kolaches- made with cream cheese, jam, Nutella, or poppyseed filling in Minnesota.
* Potica- a rolled pastry made of leavened paper-thin dough filled with any of a great variety of fillings, but most often with walnut filling.
* Scandinavian donut (smultring)- a Norwegian donut made with cardamom and cinnamon

### Other desserts

Other desserts invented in Minnesota or the Midwest or brought by immigrants include:
* Lefse- a flatbread brought to Minnesota by Norwegian immigrants, is often eaten as a dessert if it is topped with butter and a variation of sugar and cinnamon or brown sugar
* Sweetened rice pudding
* German baked apples- stuffed with marzipan and other ingredients
* marzipan- a confection made with sugar and almond flour
* Blue Moon- an ice cream flavor that is popular in Minnesota and throughout the Midwest.
* South Minneapolis vanilla ice cream- a flavor of ice cream invented by Sebastian Joe's, and served in restaurants around the Twin Cities.
* Licorice- a popular confection usually flavored and colored black with the extract of the roots of the licorice plant. Licorice is so popular that it was proposed as the state candy in 1997.
* Pie à la Mode- pie served with ice cream, this was invented in Duluth

## Barbecue in Minnesota

Minnesota barbecue utilizes meats such as short ribs, chicken, pulled pork, and fish such as smoked salmon. Brisket is occasionally used in some establishments. Horseradish is used opposed to chiles as a seasoning to suit the Minnesotan palette. Often, Minnesotan barbecue emphasizes locally sourced livestock, meat, and produce. The style is mainly influenced by other barbecue styles from the United States, along with Hmong, and Scandinavian cuisines. This contrast leads to significant differences between restaurants, in some places such as Hmongtown Marketplace one can find pulled pork, served in a traditional Asian hot sauce and accompanied by sticky rice. Whereas, in a Nordic-style restaurant one may find short ribs with lingonberry barbecue sauce and a side of lefse. Additionally, in Duluth one will find gravlax that has been smoked over barbecue.
Historically, barbecue in Minnesota has simply been grilling brats or burgers with barbecue sauce.
Sides of Minnesotan barbecue include traditional coleslaw, fries, and baked macaroni and cheese, but more unique accompaniments are also included: such as lefse, sticky rice, pickles, and broccoli salad.
Meats in this style are often put on sandwiches. The smoked juicy Lucy is one such example. Short ribs with the bones included are often covered in barbecue sauce and put on a bun. In Duluth, smoked pastrami sandwiches have been served.
Minnesota also uses unique sauces: such as lingonberry-infused barbecue sauce, ranch, and traditional Asian hot sauces.
Minnesota barbecue originated in the Twin Cities, but the tradition of smoked fish barbecue started in Duluth.

## Ingredients

In northern Minnesota, along the North Shore of Lake Superior, commercial fishing has been practiced for generations. Settlers were used to the cold, rugged work as many of these immigrants came directly from the coastal fishing villages of Norway. Ciscoes (also known as lake herring), lake trout, lake whitefish, and rainbow smelt are still commercially fished today. Smoked or sugar-cured trout is prepared from local fish in areas along the North Shore like Duluth. Barbecue in Duluth typically consists of smoked lake fish, such as salmon. Grains such as corn, wild rice, and wheat are used. Canned fruits and vegetables are used in hotdishes and dessert salads. Minnesotan cuisine is notable for the common use of wild and foraged foods, including wild rice, blueberry, raspberry, blackberry, chokecherry, morels, hazelnuts, and pecan truffles.
Minnesotan cuisine is notable for its use of kohlrabi and rutabaga. Minnesotan food is also rarely seasoned with hot peppers, instead spices, mustard, and horseradish are used.

### Sauces

While not invented in Minnesota, ranch is a very popular condiment. Lingonberry jam is also quite popular as a dipping sauce for lefse and lutefisk. Lingonberry-infused barbecue sauce is used in some Nordic barbecue restaurants. Cream sauce, a white sauce similar to bechamel but made with cream and seasoned with black pepper, allspice, and nutmeg, is served with lutefisk. White gravy and brown gravy are served with meatballs.

### Produce

The Minnesota Agricultural Experiment Station's Horticultural Research Center at the University of Minnesota has developed three new apple varieties, the Haralson, Honeycrisp, and the Sweetango. These fare well in the harsh Minnesota climate and are popular fruit. Morel mushrooms are the state mushroom, and very popular among Minnesotan chefs. Wild rice is a popular appetizer in Minnesota. It can be eaten in several "ways" such as in a soup or hotdish. Lingonberries are used to accompany lefse and lutefisk. The berry can also be eaten plain as a snack. Lingonberries are also used to make jam. The Minnesota midget melon is a small muskmelon cultivar invented by the University of Minnesota.

### Cheese

Minnesota is known for its dairy industry. Cheeses in Minnesota are made with cow, sheep, or goat milk. Caves of Faribault and Shepherd's Way Farms are among the Minnesota businesses that produce artisan cheese. Caves of Faribault has produced cave-aged cheeses in Faribault since 2001. Shepherd's Way, which began producing cheese in 1998. Minnesota produces numerous cheeses such as: cheddar, brie, Swiss, and gouda.
* Morcella- a sheep cheese which is sprinkled with morel mushrooms.
* Big Woods Blue- a blue cheese made with sheep milk.
* Amablu- is a blue cheese produced in the Caves of Faribault.
* fresh cheese curds

### Meats

* Spam - is salty processed canned pork and ham. It is made and was invented in Minnesota. It can be eaten in many ways, but also plain as a snack.
* Turkey
* Chicken
* Beef, particularity ground beef
* Bison
* Pork
* Porketta - a unique version of porchetta made with pork shoulder or pork butt, and seasoned with garlic and fennel. It is produced in the Iron Range. With producers such as Fraboni Sausage.

#### Sausage

* Polish sausage - is very popular served cold as cold cuts on a platter, usually for an appetizer. It is also a common snack served with beer or plain vodka.
** Krakowska - a type of Polish sausage
* New Ulm Summer sausage - a summer sausage containing mustard seeds and spices, and produced in New Ulm. They are typically smoked over hardwood.
* Bratwursts- Are eaten in hotdog buns or as corndogs.
** Bratwursts stuffed with wild rice.
** Bratwursts stuffed with cheese.
* Hmong sausage- is a long thick pork sausage from Hmong culture seasoned with herbs. These are mainly found in the Twin Cities.
* wild rice sausage - a sausage stuffed with wild rice

#### Fish

* Lake herring
** Pickled herring
* white fish
* walleye
* salmon
* trout
* cod

## Regional variations

Due to Minnesota's ethnic diversity in its various regions and differing landscape, Minnesota has attained numerous regional cuisines. Every region has slight differences in its respective cuisine.

### Iron Range cuisine

Iron Range cuisine encompasses the cooking traditions and dishes of the Arrowhead region and Iron Range of Minnesota. Iron Range cuisine is based on Italian, Cornish, Scandinavian, and Slovenian cuisine. It was heavily influenced by Native American cuisine, seen in the use of wild rice. Many of the dishes were brought by immigrants. Other dishes were invented by the iron mine workers because they needed nourishing foods that they could bring on the go.
More recent immigration trends have introduced Vietnamese, Hmong, Lao, and Thai culinary influences.

#### Foods invented or produced in the Iron Range

* Iron Range pot roast – Pot roast made with porketta or pork, potatoes, and seasonings.
* Lovit soft drinks – Soft drinks formerly produced by Fitger brewing in Duluth.
* Pie à la Mode – Pie served with ice cream
* Porketta – Porchetta variation made with pork shoulder or pork butt, and seasoned with garlic and fennel, produced in the Iron Range.
* Pizza rolls – Frozen pizza snack, invented in Duluth
* Porketta sandwich – Sandwich consisting of slow roasted, seasoned pork, served on a sandwich with greens (rapini or spinach) and provolone cheese. Porketta remains a popular local dish in towns such as Hibbing, Minnesota with distributors such as Fraboni Sausage.
* South American sandwich – Bar snack invented in the Iron Range, made with several kinds of minced meat, onions, tomatoes, peppers, celery and other leftovers between two slices of bread.
* Walleye chowder – Creamy soup made with walleye

#### Dishes brought by immigrants

* Baklava – Layered pastry dessert
* Cabbage rolls – Cooked cabbage leaves stuffed with a variety of fillings; sarma, which uses a meat stuffing, is one such variant.
* Lasagna – Flat pasta and stacked pasta dishes
* Pasties – Savory pastries made by placing an uncooked filling, typically meat and vegetables, in the middle of a flat shortcrust pastry circle, bringing the edges together in the middle, and crimping over the top to form a seal before baking. They are popular in the iron range of Minnesota, especially as a lunch for iron miners.
* Potica – Rolled pastries made of leavened paper-thin dough and a filling, but most often with walnut filling.
* Sauerbraten – German roast meat entree

### Twin Cities cuisine

Twin Cities cuisine differs greatly from the rest of Minnesota due to its ethnically diverse population. Fusion cuisine is quite prevalent in the Twin Cities. Major influences include German, Somali, Hmong, American indigenous, Mexican, Indian, Vietnamese, Korean, Ethiopian, Burmese, Laotian, and Liberian cuisine.
Twin Cities cuisine includes more high-end elements than its rural counterparts, such as the Hautedish, a gourmet version of the hotdish and cheese curds made with brie. Of Minnesota's 16 winners of a James Beard Award for restaurant or chef, 14 are in the Twin Cities. Most recently, Christina Nguyen of Vietnamese restaurant Hai Hai won Best Chef Midwest in 2025 and Owamni, a new indigenous restaurant, won Best New Restaurant in 2022.

#### Foods invented in the Twin Cities

* Basil Wings – Spicy Lao-inspired chicken wings
* Bundt cake – Donut-shaped cake
* Hot Dago – Italian-American sausage sandwich topped with marinara sauce
* Jucy Lucy – Hamburger with cheese inside the patty
* Ke'Ke – Stew made with strips of chapati, invented in Minneapolis by Somali immigrants.
* Minnesota-style pizza – Style of pizza with square cuts (known as Minneapolis-style pizza in the Twin Cities)

#### Dishes brought by immigrants

* Chapati wraps – Wraps with chapati, Somali rice, meats, and various spices.
* Hmong sausage – Long thick pork sausage seasoned with herbs, of Hmong origin
* Sambusa – Fried savory dumpling of Somali origin, similar to samosas
* Banh Mi - a baguette, that is filled with vegetables and meats. It originated from Vietnam.
* pho - a soup dish consisting of broth, rice noodles, herbs, and meat usually beef, and sometimes chicken. It is very popular in Minnesota and can be found in eateries around the Twin Cities.

### Other

In Western Minnesota, Buffalo burgers and bison steaks are common due to the bison ranching industry there. On the North Shore, pickled herring and smoked fish are common foods.

## Food as an event
### Potlucks

Minnesota is known for its church potlucks, where hotdish is often served. Hotdish is any of a variety of casseroles, which are popular throughout the United States, although the term "hotdish" is used mainly in Minnesota, Wisconsin, North Dakota, and South Dakota. Hotdishes are filling comfort foods that are convenient and easy to make. Tater tot hotdish is popular, as is wild rice hotdish; Minnesota is one of the leading producers of wild rice. Dessert bars are also common at Minnesota potlucks. Other dishes include glorified rice, German baked apples and cookie salad.

### Fish fry

The Friday night fish fry, often battered and fried perch or walleye, is traditional throughout Minnesota. It usually also includes french fries, coleslaw, macaroni salad, lemon slices, tartar sauce, hot sauce, malt vinegar and dessert. Some Native American versions are cooked by coating fish with semolina and egg yolk. Fish is often served on Friday nights during Lent, the Christian season of repentance, as a restaurant special or through church fundraisers.

### Booyah

A booyah is a large gathering in which booyah stew is served, typically outdoors. The annual booyah cook off is held in St. Paul.

### Smorgasbord

Smorgasbord is a buffet-style meal of Swedish origin. It is served with various hot and cold dishes. In Minnesota it is served with kolaches, potica, halušky and pierogis.

### Lutefisk Dinner

Lutefisk dinners are large gatherings, typically around Christmas, but also from October to February were lutefisk and other dishes are served. They are often held by churches. The lutefisk is often accompanied with lefse, mashed potatoes, mashed peas, lingonberry jam, cream sauce, and Swedish meatballs.