The Old School Meal Your Grandma Probably Made If You Grew Up In The Midwest

It's not uncommon to come across foods that feel ordinary in one's own region but aren't typically eaten in many other places. And one of those dishes is Amish beef and noodles, which is associated with Mennonite and Amish communities in the Midwest but doesn't seem to be common elsewhere in the United States.

This dish is enjoyed in regions of the Midwest and mid-Atlantic with Amish communities and remains well-known in Amish cuisine, and it has likely remained popular because of its ease and affordability. There are slight variations to the recipe, but put simply, it's a one-pot dinner made from rump roast or chuck roast, which braises in beef broth for several hours alongside chopped onions. Once it's cooked, it's shredded, then added back into the pot alongside egg noodles. The dish is served in bowls and is almost a balance between a hearty pasta dish and a comforting beef stew. It can be enhanced with other add-ons like beef bouillon paste and black pepper, too, for extra flavor.

Amish cuisine is often described as simple yet flavorful — one bite of some apple butter and cottage cheese dip, and anyone would see that. Homemade jams, pickled vegetables, and pies or other baked goods, like pretzels, are just a few items you might find while browsing an Amish market. Amish meals tend to be high in carbohydrates due to common ingredients like potatoes, noodles, and bread. The beef noodles recipe encompasses that comforting cooking style.

Many Amish dishes are made with foods that can be grown or made by hand, allowing families to be self-sustainable. Amish beef and noodles is exemplary of this: beef, which can come from cattle raised right on an Amish farm, plus homemade broth, harvested onions, and homemade pasta. Many of these Amish dishes were born out of a need for sustenance, since many Amish people have traditionally worked physical-labor jobs such as farmers, carpenters, or even furniture makers; and those heartier dishes were necessary to keep them fueled up for long work days. While many still do work those jobs, some recipes — like beef and noodles — have made their way outside of the Amish community.