Heartland Hot Dish

In this episode of Heartland Hot Dish, Jamie, Kieron, Daniel and Max sit down to a Dearborn dinner table overflowing with flavor. Known for its rich Arab American culinary traditions, Dearborn transforms the evening meal into a true feast — full of dishes meant to be shared, savored, and celebrated.

In this flavorful episode of Heartland Hot Dish, we head to Dearborn, Michigan — home to one of the largest and most vibrant Arab American communities in the country. With Jamie LeBoeuf as our guide and Daniel, Max and Kieron, we explore the foods, markets, and traditions that make Dearborn a true culinary treasure.

In this warm and earthy episode of Heartland Hot Dish, Claire Smith of Teffola returns to the kitchen to show us the beauty of baking with teff. This tiny, nutrient-packed ancient grain has deep roots in Ethiopian food traditions — and Claire is helping it find a new home in Midwestern ovens.

Daniel, Max and Claire talk about:

• Bread baking with teff: The unique flavors, textures, and challenges of working with teff flour, plus tips for blending it with other grains with sourdough starters

• Kefir and more : Discuss the love and process of maintaining Kefir, creme fraiche and yoghurt and clotted cream.

• Elderflower cordial: Making a fan favourite

In this hearty episode of Heartland Hot Dish, we trace the journey of beef stroganoff — a dish with aristocratic Russian roots that found a second life in American kitchens and Midwest church cookbooks. What began as tender beef in a rich sour cream sauce has morphed through the decades into everything from family-friendly weeknight dinners to beloved potluck staples.

Toady Marcy, Daniel and Max dig into:

• Origins & history: How a 19th-century Russian nobleman’s chef first created the dish with potatoes not noodles, and how it traveled across Europe and into American cookbooks.

• The Midwestern makeover: Why beef stroganoff, often ladled over egg noodles, became a comfort food favourite in the Midwest, complete with shortcuts like canned mushroom soup and Marcys mums recipe and her love of sour cream.

• Cultural snapshots: Stories of family tables, casseroles, and recipe cards that made stroganoff a symbol of practicality and nostalgia.

Warm, creamy, and deeply satisfying, beef stroganoff is more than just a dish — it’s a taste of migration, adaptation, and memory on the plate.

Getting Jiggly with Salad takes a nostalgic (and slightly wobbly) dive into the quirky Midwestern tradition of Jell-O salads. Once a staple at church potlucks, holiday tables, and backyard barbecues, these technicolor creations blur the line between sweet and savory, dessert and side dish.

In this episode of Heartland Hot Dish, Daniel, Marcy and Max explore:

• The history: How gelatin salads went from high-society delicacies to everyday Americana thanks to convenience foods and Midwestern ingenuity.

• The varieties: From lime Jell-O with cottage cheese to layered fruit “salads” and whipped cream clouds, we share the classics (and some eyebrow-raising combos).

• The cultural role: Why Jell-O salads hold such strong nostalgic power for Midwestern families — and how they’ve become both cherished tradition and punchline.

• Modern twists: How contemporary cooks are reimagining gelatin desserts, honoring the past while updating them for today’s palates.

Playful, colorful, episode celebrates a dish that refuses to sit neatly in any category — much like the Midwest itself.

In this episode of Heartland Hot Dish, we sit down with Claire Smith, founder & CEO of Teffola, to peel back the layers on teff — a tiny ancient grain that’s steadily making its way into kitchens far beyond Ethiopia. Claire shares the story of how her family farm in southern Michigan transformed its identity, growing teff among other grains, and building a transparent supply chain from field to breakfast bowl.

This week on Heartland Hot Dish, we’re getting wonderfully twisted as we explore the Midwest’s deep, doughy love affair with pretzels. Michigan pretzels here aren’t just snacks — they’re soft, salty symbols of community, celebration, and a proud German-American heritage.

We’ll take you on a tour of:

• Classic Michigan bakeries
• Surprising dips
• And yes, we’ll dig into fun pretzel trivia, from medieval superstition to how the Midwest helped popularize America’s hard snack pretzels.

So grab a mug of something cold, tear off a piece of pillowy pretzel, and join us as we celebrate one of the Midwest’s crunchiest, coziest culinary icons.

This week on Heartland Hot Dish, we’re cracking open a cold one — of the fizzy, sugary sort — to explore the Midwest’s deep love affair with soda (or as most of us say, pop). From garage fridges stocked with Faygo and Vernors, to childhood memories of cracking cans at Little League games, we dive into why pop is practically a cultural cornerstone here.

We’ll trace how regional sodas got their start, share stories about quirky Midwestern flavors (red pop, anyone?), and tackle the age-old debate: is it pop or soda? Expect fizzy fun facts, taste tests, and a few burps along the way.

So grab a glass (or a straw straight from the can — we won’t judge) and join us for a bubbly ride through the Midwest’s pop culture.

This week on Heartland Hot Dish, we’re slicing into one of the Midwest’s most towering comfort foods: the 8-Layer Casserole. Part potluck legend, part family reunion hero, this dish proves that more really is more.

We’ll explore the origins of the layered casserole tradition — from church basement suppers to grandma’s kitchen — and break down what makes this stacked wonder so beloved. Is it the tangy tomato sauce? The gooey cheese? The cozy medley of beef, noodles, and veggies all getting to know each other in one dish?

Expect stories of generational recipes, playful debates over which layers must make the cut, and tips for building a casserole that stays tall and tastes like home.

On this episode of Heartland Hot Dish, we’re diving into the humble yet mighty Walking Taco — the snack that turns a bag of chips into a portable party. Born at county fairs, tailgates, and Friday night football games, this Midwest staple is equal parts convenience and comfort.

We’ll unpack the origins of the Walking Taco (a.k.a. “Taco-in-a-Bag”), explore its many regional twists — from Doritos to Fritos to even Flamin’ Hot Cheetos — and chat about why this crunchy concoction captures the spirit of Midwestern gatherings so well.

Get ready for stories from concession stands, family reunions, and maybe a few tips for hosting your own build-your-own Walking Taco bar. Spoiler: you’re going to want extra napkins.