Chook Me!

What kinds of foods do Americans like to cook at home?

Aside from holidays of course. I know Americans like turkeys with stuffing and cranberry sauce on special holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas. And I know they like to order takeaway pizzas. But what do they cook at home? I've heard Americans are really big into microwave dinners (like Healthy Choice and Hot Pockets) and I also know they like to cook Hamburger Helper casseroles and sh-- like that. I know some of them like to stir-fry vegetables and chicken and similar. Most Mexicans seem to think that Americans eat nothing but McDonalds, but I know this stereotype is not true. I just wish I could convince the Mexicans. I'm guessing that most Americans probably don't like couscous or plov or other ethnic foods which I find scrumdiddly-umptious. And I know Americans don't really like all ethnic foods in general except for maybe Chinese, Mexican and Italian.

Public Comments

1. Haha wow. You're completely mislead my friend. But, being an American myself, here are some of the things i like to cook at home: Cheeseburgers Homemade French Fries Transparent Pies Enchiladas Chicken Pot Pie etc..
2. fried chicken,green beans,corn,bbq ribs,fried pork chops,mac chesse fast food is huge hear mostly because of how busy people are and how easy it is,and most the time its actually cheaper to eat out
3. fried chicken steak and mashed potatoes BBQ pasta fish lobster and most americans think hot pockets and microwave dinners taste like shit
4. I love to cook for my family. Today I made beef stew. Using my slow cooker, I cooked the meat in beef broth then added potatoes, carrots, peas and pearl onions. I thickened the broth with equal amounts of butter and flour mixed together and stirred into the stew. Homemade cornbread rounded out the meal with cookies and ice cream for dessert. My husband was so happy with the meal, he did the dishes. We love couscous especially with stir fries. We also like curry dishes from India cuisine and very rarely have microwaved meals for dinner. We like a variety of foods from Chicken and Dumplings to Beef Wellington.
5. Cooking in America has been on the decline for a few decades, but I'm actually seeing a bit of a backlash. There is a growing "slow food" movement taking hold, and this recession has forced a lot of people to look at their budgets and realize that home cooking can be a real money saver. I wouldn't think of ordering a pizza; I can make one much better for half the price. You won't find Hamburger Helper in my pantry either. I've been interested in cooking for most of my life, but have really gotten into it in the past 5 years. There's really nothing I won't try, although like most Americans I shy away from organ meat and offal. I love couscous. I make hummus quite a bit, I roll my own pasta, I make chicken stock, I make bagels...been messing around with sushi. Never heard of plov - you've got me on that one.
6. I think that a lot of what Americans cook largely depends on where you live. In the South, we love Bar-B-que, but depending on where you live in the south, the cut of meat and the sauce vary greatly. For example in North Carolina, the west side of the state and the east side prefer different types of BBQ Sauce. In Alabama, we prefer pork, in Texas, they prefer Beef Brisket, In Missouri and Memphis TN, they prefer ribs. Of course that's not all we eat. I grow and preserve a lot of what I eat. Tomatoes, jellies and jams, green beans, turnip greens or collard greens. Also in the south they (not me though) fry lots of things, especially chicken and pork chops. My experiences in the North, they like a lot of ethnic foods, Asian, Italian, etc. Basically, all over ther US, while we have certain things each regions prefers, we're pretty much open to anything. My favoite meal of all is truly Southern. Meatloaf, fried okra, mashed potatoes, cornbread and pinto beans.
7. There's no answer to this question. Americans who live in the South near the Mexican borde enjoy Mexican foods. Some Americans are crazy about couscous, but it really depends on their ethnic background. The thing with Americans that is rather unique is that everybody comes from somewhere else! That really affects what your family eats. A roast beef dinner with potatoes is a very common family meal. Chicken prepared any number of ways is also a common family meal. My family eats a lot of pasta - spaghetti and meatballs, lasagna, ravioli... Many family's eat some type of fish on Fridays (especially around Easter time). In the summer time we like to cook hot dogs, sausages, or hamburgers on a grill. Americans are crazy about grilling food in the summer time. In winter, we like all kinds of stews. Pizza on Saturday night is very common. Pork in a variety of forms is also common. In my house we cook a pork roast in a pot with saurekraut. Irish folks will cook pork with cabbage in a pot (especially around St Patrick's day). There are so many nationalities in America that it is hard to describe a typical meal because it depends on where your family is from. In general, however, Americans eat way too much fatty foods and eat more beef and other meats than vegetables. We like Hot Pockets and stuff like that because it only takes a minute and you can eat it and keep going on with whatever you are doing. There are many many McDonald's around and there are always people in there no matter what the time of day is (and other fast food places). The food is cheap and easily accesable so it's popular. There are many ethnic restaurants and stores in all the big cities. Near me there are many Asian food markets and stores that cater to Muslims. It all depends on your ethnic background, and to the city's history as to what kinds of foods are common. But it is true that fast food places like McDonald's are everywhere - North South East West, rich folks, poor folks, black folks, white folks, no matter where you go you'll find fast food! By the way - most Americans assume Mexicans live off of tacos and burritos and little else!
8. not all Americans like the stuff you mentioned. I hate cranberry sauce and the rest of my family dislikes stuffing. we don't eat frozen foods except the occasional pizza. we never have hamburger helper, and McDonald's is very very rare for our family. what Americans like really depends on the region of the US they are raised in. But i can tell you what I cook and my family likes. we eat a variety of foods. felafel's, tabbouleh, lasagna, spaghetti, seco, encebollado, mondongo, ceviche, cabbage rolls, stuffed peppers, salmon patties, enchiladas (Guatemalan), any BBQ, any meat, any potatoes, any rice, any pasta. vegetables with every meal & lots of salads (caesar, tossed, potato, pasta, fruit)
9. Salads: shrimp/chicken spinach tomato mozzerella Soups: chicken noodle soup, beef stew new england clam chowder tomato ramen noodles chili Fish: salmon (baked in an oven) catfish ( usually baked in a pan) Vegetables: baked potatoes (topped with cheese, sour cream, salsa, butter, onions, jalapenos) mashed potatoes, french fries squash ( cooked in the oven) boiled brocolli with melted cheese on top brussel sprouts (baked on a stove) all the normal vegetables really, baked on the stove with a little butter or something Other stuff: grilled cheese (sometimes with ham) quesedillas nachos burgers (like the kind you make out of real meat) mac n cheese spaghetti reuben sandwiches ( swiss cheese, thinly sliced roast beef, thousand island dressing, and saurkraut grilled) beef briscuit lamb chops tacos chicken and rice (cooked with cheese) other cornbread we usually eat a slice of bread or a roll with our meals most people I know like all kinds of food, but its rare for someone to cook ethnic food in their homes. people go out for kinds of food like thai, indian, japanese, mexican, french etc.
10. Why would you say "And I know Americans don't really like all ethnic foods in general except for maybe Chinese, Mexican and Italian" .... That is completely untrue. Just check the restaurant listings and ethnic grocery store listings for any major city in the US. When I have a lot of time to cook, I love cooking Greek, Indian or Thai. I never buy hamburger helper and I eat at McDonald's maybe 3-4 times a year. I admit to relying on frozen dinners a lot lately as our busy schedule has made cooking 2x a day pretty impossible. Typical everyday meals in our home tend to be: Meatloaf, Mashed Potatoes and broccoli baked chicken in mushroom gravy, rice and asparagus Chili or stew and a salad Oven fried fish, baked potato wedges, slaw hot dogs, macaroni and cheese, green beans