I love, to a degree that is probably unhealthy, Buffalo Wing Dip.
Here is a Seven Layer Version that is particularly over the top!
Edited to note - Certainly cook the bacon by baking it as the recipe notes, but divide the shredded cheese and add half to the cream cheese. Hold back the other half for now. After the dip is layered and ready to go in the oven, it benefits from a more patient approach of 350F for 20-30 minutes. Add the reserved shredded cheese in the last 10 minutes of cooking.
Nice! I will keep that one in mind for BF.
I polled my family: one US born and raised, others immigrants. Got the following responses:
Mac and cheese
Pizza
Chili
All these are debatable as to origins, but still considered very American, by us at least.
Burgers n fries and whatever goes for “pizza” in most parts 
Yes, I know fries are originally Belgian, but the combo of burger n fries is, to me, quintessentially American.
Belgian fries might considered be the best by many, but how could we know where frites, fries or (British) chips originate?
If the potato came from Peru, maybe fries originated there. (Lomo saltado, yum)
Agree , fries are a very (North) American side.
Would you like fries with that?
I suspect people have been frying potatoes for as long as they’ve had potatoes. It’s just a good idea.
By the by, I live about 15 miles from the small town of Mossley, where the first fully documented fish & chip shop opened in 1863.
Hi, I had to look this one up. Looks good and it’s tempting because I’m butchering a whole top sirloin this morning. I’ve found several recipes with the usual wide variations (some add ginger, green onions, some omit, some serve fries on the side, some put them in with the sauce and get them soggy). I’ll have to see if I can find any ají amarillo chiles hereabouts.
I tend to trust Serious Eats for good basic recipes when I haven’t done something before and don’t know what I’m doing. If you have the chance to check this one from SE (or if anyone else is familiar with lomo saltado), does it look pretty representative of the dish?
Many thanks!
Definitely Banana Split and Chili con Carne comes to mind.
As mentioned above buffalo wings, pizza, burgers and fries,
The plate in the photo is a much more elegant affair than the only version I’ve eaten - at a place in Lee, MA.
There the beef, onions, fries and tomato were all mixed together. With a mini-mountain of rice on the side.
Although not as inelegant as the plate of Arroz Chafua, which was my order and which may have been the biggest plate of food I’ve ever been served.
I agree, carnitas were not traditional Mexican cuisine. Pigs were brought here originally by Christopher Columbus then Hérnan Cortés brought them from Cuba to Mexico.
And most of us thank him every day for this gift!
I work as a public school counselor, and I love the perspective of my foreign exchange students on things food and culture.
This year’s crew
I’ll start with Tunisia (Tuniz)- This girl brought me harissa, so I automatically loved this kid. She liked burgers and all, but was quite addicted to Coco Puffs. OMG. 15 year girl was so bright, it freaked our whole faculty out. Won’t soon be forgotten. Coco Puffs? Uff!
Italiana (Sardinia)- This girl was from Sardinia. She was impressed with the quality of our lamb and most of our meats. She was impressed at how few people here get their meat from a big box store. She thought we all got meat at WalMart or CostCo. Thought gyros were heaven sent. Thought peanut butter was amazing. Tres leches cake? Smiley face. Thought thanksgiving was the greatest holiday. So many flavors she’d never experienced.
Deutsche girl (Hamburg)- fried chicken and BBQ ribs was her pleasure. Loved chocochip cookies. magic happened when a Mexican girl in our school brought tres leches cake in for them. Mexico met beautifully with Germany that day. She adores that cake (as do I).
Japan (Chiba)- What a sweetheart. Loved all these kids but the ones who struggle most with English tend to learn the most by the end. Culver’s walleye sandwich brought her to life. Side of fries, then the coup de grace: frozen custard (caramel pecan frozen custard). I made sure to observe her eyes when she started in on it. Didn’t have to say a word. Winner, winner. Tres leches was really foreign to her; but she loved that.
This was just this year’s crew. One thing I noticed so many foreign tongues despise: root beer. I have so many from the Latino diaspora that just can’t believe anyone likes root beer. Then I say we put a scoop of ice cream in there… I get the look of horror.
Had a boy from Germany try root beer, and he said “it’s kind of lake fizzy Jagermeister without alcohol.” Right on, brah!
Gracias por llevar el puerco!!! Nos encanta.
Great thread. But to clarify, the CDC. says that uncooked cooke dough is not safe, even when frozen. They also say steaks need to be cooked medium, never medium or (shudder) rare. I prefer to court danger, and live life on the edge.
Big American grain fed dry aged Prime steaks
The part about “safe” uncooked cookie dough was in reference to products like these.
https://www.target.com/p/nestle-toll-house-edible-cookie-dough-chocolate-chip-15oz/-/A-79642133
“shudder” - agree. CDC says a lot of over-the-top stuff.
If I can’r sample my cookie dough prior to baking and must eat my steak medium or well, why would I bother?
I was curious so I did a quick look on CDC for outbreaks. I may have missed some, but it looks like 70 sickened from cookie dough in 2009 and 20-odd in 2019; no deaths. Although my quick search is almost certainly incomplete, it seems the average American is more likely to be struck by lightning than get sickened from cookie dough.
Regarding steak, just don’t buy from Costco. My in-laws do, and are in their 80s which worries me at least a little as an e.coli illness at their age could be pretty bad. I’ve gone over the risks of needling/mechanical tenderization carrying potentially dangerous bacteria from the surface to the interior, but they’re not willing to give up the low prices and tenderness.
I’m less worried about us younger folks so I won’t fuss if they serve us the same. And looking again at numbers, the risk is not high (and seems most often related to ground rather than needled beef, but cases of the latter, if they exist, might get buried in the noise). But I’ve also started stocking them up with monster bone-in ribeyes that I cut myself, as well as picanha steaks (less often), so they don’t get the Costco stuff as much as they used to.
You’ll be old soon enough 
“I’m less worried about us younger folks so I won’t fuss if they serve us the same. And looking again at numbers, the risk is not high”
