Burgers are the most "American" food. Louis' Lunch, a New Haven, Connecticut restaurant, is credited with inventing the "hamburger sandwich" around 1900. A burger is portable, adaptable to each taste, and offers good value, making it an emblem of freedom and enterprise.
The wiener/frankfurter may have been created in Germany or Austria, but the modern hot dog is American. The hot dog's American genesis tale begins with a German immigrant selling "dachshund sausages" from a food cart in the 1860s. Since then, hot dogs have symbolised summer cookouts, baseball games, and family days.
Pizza was born in Naples, Italy, but America has made the simple tomato sauce-topped flatbread its own food category. Chicago's ultra-thick pies, New York's thin and floppy slices, and California's fresh toppings originated after Italian pizza arrived in New York in 1905.
Apple pie was likely created in England, with influences from other European countries. Even if it wasn't born in the US, its apple abundance made it a popular dessert in the 19th and 20th centuries, invoking images of family, home, and the holidays.
Macaroni and cheese is another American classic that arose out of a need for cheap yet filling meals during hard times. But Americans own it. Some consider boxed mac and cheese a convenience food. For others, it's a holiday tradition created with secret family recipes.
Tacos are popular in Mexico, but Americans have loved them for decades. Tacos were brought to the US by Mexican migrants in the early 1900s. Mid-century Americanization added hamburger, Cheddar cheese, and iceberg lettuce. In the recent decade, Mexican-style tacos have gained popularity.
Delmonico's, one of New York's oldest restaurants, invented the New York strip. The restaurant is noted for its thick, juicy steaks, which are sometimes termed "Delmonico steaks" Popular owing to size, softness, and name. Restaurant chefs and home grillers may easily prepare it.
Modern spaghetti and meatballs is an American dish, despite appearances. By the 1950s, New York-style Italian-American red sauce establishments became a staple of American cuisine. Spaghetti and meatballs aren't only a restaurant dish. It's easy to make at home, so many American families eat it on weeknights.
Pot roast is America's favourite Sunday night dinner. It's big enough to serve the whole family, but it's easier to make than roast beef or prime rib. The Yankee pot roast has tomato and root vegetables, while the Mississippi pot roast has pepperoncini peppers and ranch dressing.