I am partial to the cuisine of the New England area. As a New Yorker, the northeast region of the United States just reigns supreme food-wise in my opinion. Don’t get me wrong, I do love the southern comfort food of my now-home Alabama, but there’s just something about the food history and traditions of the northeast that just make my heart (and stomach) happy. Connecticut’s dishes were no exception to this.

Okay, so you saw a plate of cheeseburger sliders and thought “how is this relevant to what she was babbling about New England food before?” but hear me out. Steamed cheeseburgers are a true Connecticut invention, originating in the early 1900s and made famous by Ted’s Diner in Meriden, CT. Instead of grilling or frying the burgers, they are cooked using steam, resulting in incredibly juicy patties and gooey, melty cheese. I also find that the steam really locks in the seasoning and makes the meat really flavorful. I couldn’t resist making this quirky yet beloved classic as a slider version for an appetizer.

I weirdly did have a steamer tray already (I have a lot of random kitchen tools) so I just had to form the mini burger patties, season with salt and pepper (it really doesn’t need anything more), and put them in the steamer tray over simmering water until they were cooked through. About halfway I added the sliced American cheese to get nice and melty, and you can argue with someone else about whether or not American cheese belongs on burgers. This unconventional method of cooking burgers rendered truly delicious results. A classic “don’t knock it til you try it” situation.

For the main course, I went with arguably Connecticut’s greatest culinary contribution: white clam pizza. New Haven-style pizza (or “apizza”) is a thin crust, coal-fired pizza celebrated for its charred edges and high-quality toppings. Since I don’t have a pizza oven and my home oven only gets to 500°, I could not make an authentic version, but I did one of the most famous variations. White clam pizza is made with clams (who would’ve guessed), garlic, an olive oil crust, and pecorino cheese. I made a sort of creamy, cheesy pizza sauce for mine because I just prefer pizza with sauce, but that was me going a little rogue there. It’s my kitchen and I make the rules around here.

This was so delicious! It was kind of like New England clam chowder but in pizza form. Which actually makes me think I should’ve gone even more off the rails and added bacon to it. I haven’t quite mastered pizza crust yet, but the toppings are what really shined here anyway. I just did a quick garlicky béchamel and added sharp white cheddar cheese and canned clams. Cooked it as best as I could in the home oven and sprinkled parsley over the top. It was actually way more simple than it seems, and will definitely be a repeat dish on homemade pizza nights.

Who else knew the Connecticut was nicknamed “the Nutmeg State”? Okay, me either. But it’s adorable and I had to make something with nutmeg for dessert. I’ve really been enjoying making homemade ice cream in my kitchenaid mixer. I explained how I do it in my Northern California post, but basically I just whip some heavy cream, fold in sweetened condensed milk and whatever toppings, and let it freeze for a couple of hours.

I also made snickerdoodles to go with it because they are warm and delicious and I thought they’d be good friends. Freshly grated whole nutmeg is extremely key here. The powdered stuff in the jar is just not the same. It’s worth investing (like, $6) on a jar of whole nutmeg because you can also use it for béchamel and homemade eggnog.

Steamed burgers, clam pizza and nutmeg ice cream may not have been a very cohesive meal, but it sure was a delicious one. Next stop, Delaware.