Let's face it, Illinois has got a bad rap on a lot of things, but there is something to love about Illinois. The food that was created in the state.

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I had no idea when I moved here from the east coast what a horseshoe or a Chicago-Style hot dog was. And what the heck is a deep-dish pizza? However, I soon found out what all these delicious meals were and why they were so popular in Illinois. It's because they were all created in the state.

Chicago Style Hot Dog

I'll never forget my first Chicago-Style hot dog and the looks I got when I put ketchup on it (I was 10 people). Man, you would've thought I commented a crime and I guess in a way I did. NEVER PUT KETCHUP ON A CHICAGO-STYLE HOT DOG! Lesson learned. The famous meal was creat in Illinois, like most things, at the Chicago Fair in 1893.

Horseshoe

Wait, isn't that what goes on a horse? Not in the state of Illinois who knew that a slap of meat on texas toast and topped with french fries and a massive amount of cheese would be delicious? Now, I am going, to be honest, I have never had a horseshoe because well the cheese and we all know how much I hate cheese, but my husband gets this all the time and it does look appealing (minus the cheese of course). It's considered an open-faced sandwich and was created in Springfield. You will see this dish in the central and southern parts of the state.

Deep Dish Pizza

I can argue for hours on what NYC pizza is better than a deep dish, but for the sake of this article let's talk deep dish. Look, it's ok and for those who grew up with it sure it's the best pizza around, but there has to go to be a faster way to cook this pizza. It usually takes anywhere between 45 minutes to an hour to ensure that it's cooked through and yeah it's delicious and I like it, but nothing will ever taste like the pizza I grew up with in NY. The Chicago Deep Dish Pizza was invented at Pizzeria Uno in Chicago in 1943.

Other legendary foods invented in Illinois include Italian Beef Sandwiches, Twinkies, Cracker Jack, Brownies, and even the most popular of them all and I am sure you have this in your kitchen, popcorn. So see, Illinois does have a few good things about the state, even if they might cause you to gain a few pounds.