Betty Crocker Reveals the Top-Searched Recipes By State & We've Never Heard of Some of Them
The holidays are a time of family traditions, activities with loved ones, and deliciously festive food. Some people have their recipes that never change, the timeless classics that last through the decades and are passed down through generations. However, others enjoy finding new holiday recipes to try every year. And one of the most reliable and well-known resources for finding new (or old) cherished holiday recipes is Betty Crocker.
Betty Crocker (who, unfortunately, is a fictional character created by advertisers), has been providing recipes for about a century, and has become one of America's most beloved and trusted resources for all things baking and cooking. According to its website, Betty Crocker started out in 1921 by answering people's kitchen-related questions, and since then has established herself on television, radio, print cookbooks, and her thriving website, which reportedly gets around 12 million visitors per month.
The Betty Crocker Cookbook became a bestseller in 1950. Since then, there have been over 63 million Betty Crocker cookbooks sold worldwide. I'll never forget being gifted my first Betty Crocker Cookbook as a going away gift for college. I would sift through the pages to find something that looked simple enough for my abilities, and vividly recall stumbling upon the recipe for "Fluffy Meatloaf"—which I ended up completely botching. However, the memory of me attempting my first meal on my own will stay with me forever.
With so many people turning to Betty Crocker as a recipe resource, it's no surprise that every year the brand releases their list of "Top-Searched Betty Crocker Holiday Recipes By State."
"@bettycrocker has unveiled the top-searched recipes on BettyCrocker.com during the holiday season," General Mills shared via its Instagram account to announce the debut of this year's list.
After recently revealing its 2022 list results, the choices for each state already have everyone talking while wondering if we'd cook our state's chosen dishes. As soon as I got a peek at the list, my eyes went straight to my home state of Florida, to my family's home states of Mississippi and Louisiana, and to my current state of residence, New York.
According to the list, Betty Crocker fans in Florida were searching for Cobia with Lemon Caper Sauce. Meanwhile, those in Mississippi reportedly sought out Lemon Icebox Pie. In Louisiana, folks reportedly wanted Bread Pudding with Bourbon Sauce. Finally, those in New York were looking for Ice Cream Cone Cakes.
I must admit, the Florida gal in me has never heard of cobia—let alone tried it for myself. However, after talking with my Aunt Trisha, who is a Mississippi native but has spent decades in Florida, I was reassured that this certainly is a popular dish for those in the southern U.S.
"Cobia is also what we knew on the Mississippi coast as 'lemon fish,'" she says. "Jim [her husband and my uncle] and his buddies liked to fish for them out around the oil rigs. They would filet the catch and baste them in butter and grill them."
And according to my aunt, some Floridians are very passionate about their favorite types of fish. "We also some have dear friends who named their youngest son 'Cobia,' calling him 'Coby'—And he named his first child, a son, 'Carp!'"
Although I grew up around Mississippi and Louisiana natives, I had never heard of lemon icebox pie or tried bourbon sauce on my bread pudding. So, I immediately called my parents to learn more.
When I asked them about lemon icebox pie, they were quick to express their excitement.
"Oh yeah!" my dad says. "Those are excellent. We used to buy them all the time and keep them in the refrigerator. They're sort of like key lime pie."
And when I asked about bread pudding with bourbon sauce, my mom agreed, "Yep. That's absolutely the best way to eat it!"
As for the ice cream cone cakes being the most-searched item in New York, I'm a bit surprised. I've never tried one and haven't seen anyone eating them. But, my curiosity is peaked enough to give this recipe a try.
What about your states? Do these recipes surprise you, or are they some of your family's favorite traditions? Whatever the case may be, Betty Crocker's holiday recipes by state can give us plenty of new ideas to try this holiday season.
