12 Indiana Dishes That Only Make Sense If You Grew Up There
Growing up in Indiana means understanding why a sandwich can be bigger than your head and why putting chili next to peanut butter makes perfect sense.
These regional favorites might puzzle outsiders, but locals know exactly what makes each dish special. Every Hoosier has memories tied to these comfort foods that define home cooking across the state.
Let’s try to understand these odd but truly amazing dishes.
1. Breaded Pork Tenderloin Sandwich
Picture a pork cutlet so massive it hangs off the bun like a crispy, golden frisbee. Nick’s Kitchen in Huntington started this madness back in 1908, and Hoosiers have been obsessing over it ever since.
The sandwich became Indiana’s unofficial signature dish because locals appreciate generous portions and simple preparation. Most restaurants pound the meat thin, bread it heavily, then fry until perfectly crispy.
I remember ordering my first tenderloin at age seven and needing both hands just to hold it steady while eating around the edges first.
2. Sugar Cream Pie (Hoosier Pie)
Known as desperation pie because pioneer families could make it with basic pantry staples, this custardy creation uses just cream, sugar, flour, vanilla, and nutmeg.
The Indiana Senate officially recognized sugar cream pie as the state’s unofficial pie in 2009.
Unlike fruit pies, this dessert relies entirely on simple ingredients transformed through careful cooking into something magical. The filling sets into a smooth, vanilla-scented custard with a golden top.
Every church potluck and family gathering features at least three versions, each baker swearing their recipe came from great-grandmother’s handwritten notes.
3. Persimmon Pudding
Southern Indiana celebrates persimmon season each fall with Mitchell’s famous Persimmon Festival, where this dense, spoonable dessert takes center stage.
Native American persimmons grow wild throughout the region, providing free ingredients for resourceful families.
The pudding resembles thick cake batter more than traditional pudding, with a rich, almost molasses-like sweetness.
Families guard their recipes carefully, often passing down techniques through generations of home cooks.
Timing matters everything since persimmons must be perfectly ripe or the pudding turns bitter and inedible, teaching patience to eager dessert makers.
4. Chicken and Noodles Over Mashed Potatoes
Carbs on carbs might sound excessive to outsiders, but Hoosiers understand the comfort of thick, roux-based chicken and noodles ladled generously over creamy mashed potatoes.
This combination appears regularly in homes, diners, and school cafeterias across the Midwest.
The dish originated from practical necessity, stretching chicken further while creating a filling meal for large families. Wide egg noodles absorb the rich chicken gravy perfectly.
Sunday dinners at my grandmother’s house always featured this combination, served in deep bowls with plenty of black pepper sprinkled on top for extra flavor.
5. Chili with Peanut Butter Sandwich
School cafeterias across Indiana serve this unusual pairing that makes perfect sense to locals but confuses everyone else.
The plain peanut butter sandwich serves as the perfect dunking companion for hearty chili, creating a protein-rich, satisfying meal.
The combination likely started as a budget-friendly way to make cafeteria chili more filling and appealing to children. The creamy peanut butter balances the spicy, acidic chili beautifully.
Teachers often remember students who requested extra peanut butter sandwiches just for dunking, treating the bread like oversized crackers for their favorite soup pairing.
6. Fried Biscuits with Apple Butter
Brown County’s Nashville House has served this signature dish since the early 20th century, turning simple biscuit dough into golden, puffy treats.
Instead of baking, the dough gets fried until crispy outside and fluffy inside, then slathered with spiced apple butter.
The combination represents Indiana’s agricultural heritage, using local apples slow-cooked with cinnamon and spices. The warm, fried biscuits provide the perfect vehicle for the thick, sweet spread.
Tourist season brings crowds specifically for this treat, often waiting in long lines just to experience the warm, cinnamon-scented combination that defines Brown County dining.
7. Brain Sandwich (Evansville)
Evansville keeps this German-influenced Ohio River Valley tradition alive at places like Hilltop Inn, serving battered and fried pork brain on a bun with onions and mustard. The dish reflects the area’s strong German heritage and river town resourcefulness.
Preparation involves soaking, cleaning, and carefully battering the brains before frying until golden and crispy. The texture resembles scrambled eggs with a mild, almost creamy flavor.
Local restaurants report that curious tourists often order brain sandwiches once, while longtime residents consider them a nostalgic connection to their grandparents’ generation and simpler times.
8. Amish Haystack Suppers (Northern Indiana)
Shipshewana’s Amish community created these build-your-own meals as church fundraisers, starting with a crunchy base of crackers, chips, or rice, then adding seasoned meat, vegetables, and cheese sauce in layers.
Each person customizes their haystack according to personal preferences.
The concept allows large groups to eat together while accommodating different tastes and dietary needs. Countless local variations exist, with each community adding their own special touches.
Fund-raising events feature long tables where families work together building haystacks, creating both a meal and a social experience that strengthens community bonds throughout northern Indiana.
9. Evansville-Style Stromboli
Forget the East Coast rolled pastry version – Evansville’s stromboli is a hearty sandwich featuring ground sausage with sauce, onions, mozzarella, and peppers on crusty bread.
Pizza King popularized this local interpretation, creating a regional festival celebrating the dish.
The sandwich developed as a unique Evansville creation, completely different from traditional Italian-American stromboli found elsewhere.
Local restaurants compete to create the most generous, flavorful versions.
Ordering stromboli outside Evansville often results in confusion and disappointment when the rolled pastry arrives instead of the expected loaded sandwich that locals consider the only true stromboli.
10. St. Elmo’s Fire-Breathing Shrimp Cocktail (Indianapolis)
St. Elmo Steak House serves jumbo shrimp with horseradish cocktail sauce so potent it makes grown adults weep and gasp.
The restaurant has built decades of reputation around this single appetizer, even inspiring a city-wide eating championship.
The sauce contains enough fresh horseradish to clear sinuses instantly, creating a memorable dining experience that visitors discuss for years afterward. Servers warn first-time customers about the intensity level.
Indianapolis considers the shrimp cocktail a rite of passage, with locals bringing out-of-town guests specifically to watch their reactions to the first bite of fire-breathing sauce.
11. Catfish Fiddlers (Southwest Indiana)
Southwest Indiana taverns specialize in bone-in fried catfish pieces called fiddlers, particularly popular around Evansville and Newburgh.
These smaller catfish portions fry quickly and stay tender while developing a perfect golden crust outside.
The tradition connects to the Ohio River’s abundant catfish population and the region’s tavern culture. Local fish houses compete to serve the crispiest, most flavorful fiddlers with traditional sides.
Regular customers develop preferences for specific sizes and preparations, often requesting extra crispy coating or particular seasoning blends that make each restaurant’s fiddlers unique to their establishment and local following.
12. Fried Cornmeal Mush
Amish Country restaurants and Hoosier breakfast buffets serve cornmeal cooked into a thick porridge, cooled into a firm loaf, then sliced and pan-fried until golden.
The result resembles polenta but with a distinctly Midwestern preparation and presentation style.
Diners typically serve fried mush with maple syrup, creating a sweet breakfast combination. The dish originated from practical necessity, using inexpensive cornmeal to create filling, satisfying morning meals.
Blue Gate Hospitality and similar establishments keep this tradition alive, introducing visitors to the simple pleasure of crispy-outside, creamy-inside cornmeal that tastes like childhood comfort food.