Combine the water, sugar, and yeast in the bowl of a stand mixer. Let sit for 5 minutes or until the mixture begins to foam.
Add the flour, salt, and butter. Combine with a spoon or the paddle until combined, then switch to the dough hook on low speed until well combined.
Change to mediumspeed and knead until the dough is smooth and pulls away from the side of the bowl, approximately 4 to 5 minutes. Add more flour if needed.
Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl, cover, and let rise in a warm place for about 1 hour. The dough should double in size.
Preheat the oven to 450°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and lightly brush with the vegetable oil.
In a large pot, bring 10 cups of water and the bakingsoda to a rolling boil.
Knead down the dough and turn it out onto a lightly floured work surface. Divide into 8 equal pieces.
Roll out each piece of dough into a rope that’s about 20 to 24 inches long, depending on the hot dog’s size.
Starting at one end, wrap the dough around the hot dog, pinching each end together so that it’s sealed. Place onto the pan and repeat with the remaining dough and hot dogs.
Place the pretzel dogs into the boiling water two at a time boil for 30 seconds and then remove.
Return the boiled pretzel dogs to the pan, brush the tops with melted butter, and sprinkle with the seasalt.
Bake until dark golden brown, approximately 12 to 14 minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack for at least 5 minutes before serving.
Serve the pretzel dogs with ketchup, mustard or plain. Enjoy!
1 (18-ounce) package of cream-filled chocolate sandwich cookies (such as Oreo)
Photo by Getty Images
Directions
Heat oil in a deep fryer or large saucepan to 375°F.
Whisk together the milk, egg, and 2 teaspoons of vegetableoil in a large bowl until smooth. Stir in the pancakemix until fully combined with no clumps.
Dip the cookies into the batter, one at a time, and carefully place them into the hot oil. Fry in batches of 4 to 5 for about 2 minutes, until the cookies are golden brown.
Top the deep-fried cookies with powdered sugar or leave plain. Enjoy!
Get ready for the ultimate North Carolina State Fair food experience! With the State Fair just around the corner, we’ve put together a complete guide to help you savor every delicious moment. Below, you’ll find a handy food map showcasing this year’s new food, State Fair-inspired recipes, and a full list of all the must-try eats for 2024!
Fried, seasoned Alaskan King Crab skewered and topped with half a lemon
Crack Fries
GoldenKdog
Fries tossed in cheese seasoning with several dipping sauce options
Chamoy Pineapples
N&T Concession
Flavored pickles wrapped in Fruit Roll-Ups and stuffed with a variety of fruit candy, sprinkles, and Takis chips. Dipped in Chamoy sauce and sprinkled with Tajin seasoning
Mexican Street Corn Nachos
Red Carpet Amusements
Tortilla chips topped with nacho cheese, corn, a drizzle of mayo, parmesan cheese, and tajin. For an extra kick, add Takis or hot Cheetos.
Jerk Pork Belly Bao
Cool Runnings Jamaican
Tender slow-cooked jerk pork belly in a fluffy bao with a zesty vegetable mix
Tanghulu
The Candi Queen
Traditional Chinese snack with a crunchy, sweet exterior and a soft, tart interior, made with a variety of fresh fruits like strawberries, grapes, and mandarin oranges.
o Acai & Dragon Fruit Bowl: Acai bowl with fresh fruit, including dragon fruit, bananas, strawberries, and blueberries. (Brazilian Bowls)
o Affogato: One shot of espresso poured over vanilla ice cream. (Magdalena’s Chimney Cakes)
o Alaskan King Crab Pop: Fried, seasoned Alaskan King Crab skewered and topped with half a lemon. (Oak City Fish & Chips)
o Aqua Loca: Lime juice, orange juice, tomato, and grapefruit mixed to make a strong and exciting drink. (Just Popping Around)
o Bacon Cheeseburger Corn Dog: Burger and cheddar cheese hand dipped in corn dog batter, topped with cheese and real bacon. (Pioneer Wagon)
o Barbecue Bacon Queso Sandwich: Authentic Eastern NC smoked chopped pork BBQ, drizzled with queso and BBQ sauce. Topped with bacon. (Lawerence & Perry BBQ, LLC)
o Battered Bologna Fries: Bologna sliced into long-cut fries, battered and deep fried, served with Carolina gold dipping sauce. (Granny’s Country Kitchen)
o Big Bacon Wrapped in Cheese on a Stick: Bacon and cheese on a stick deep fried to perfection. (Bubba’s Bacon)
o Birthday Cake Cookie Dough on a Stick: Handcrafted cake batter cookie dough dipped in a birthday cake confetti coating, and sprinkled with rainbow sprinkles. (Kora’s Cookie Dough)
o Buffalo Chicken Pizza Cone: Mozzarella, breaded chicken, Ranch dressing, and buffalo sauce inside a warm pizza cone. (Kono Pizza)
o Buffalo Mac Bowl: Sauteed collards, grilled buffalo chicken, mac and cheese, drizzled with buffalo sauce. (Safari Eatz)
o Buffalo Oyster Mushroom Sandwich: Oyster mushroom, lettuce, and tomato topped with buffalo sauce on a bun. (Fresh AF Vegan)
o Cake Parfaits: Red velvet, brandy almond, and lemon meringue cake parfait served in a covered jar. (Cool Runnings Jamaican)
o Candied Oatmeal Pies: Traditional Little Debbie Oatmeal Cream Pies covered with a sweet crunchy candy exterior. (The Candi Queen)
o Candied Oreo Cakesters (Cake Pops): A soft chocolatey snack cake filled with whipped cream filling and covered with a crunchy candy coating. (The Candi Queen)
o Carmel Apple Mini Cakes: Mini pancakes covered in apple pieces, caramel sauce, and whipped cream. (Hot Chix Hotcakes and Chicken)
o Chamoy Pickles: Flavored pickles wrapped in Fruit Roll-Ups and stuffed with a variety of fruit candy, sprinkles, and Takis chips. Dipped in Chamoy sauce and sprinkled with Tajin seasoning. (N&T Concession)
o Chamoy Pineapples: Flavored pineapple wrapped in Fruit Roll-Ups and stuffed with a variety of fruit candy, sprinkles, and Takis chips. Dipped in Chamoy sauce and sprinkled with Tajin seasoning. (N&T Concession)
o Chocolate Dipped Strawberry Iced Tea: Fresh brewed strawberry flavored iced tea infused with Hershey’s chocolate syrup and garnished with three hand-dipped chocolate strawberries. (Tiki Tea)
o Cotton Candy Mini Cakes: Mini pancakes covered in whipped cream, cotton candy syrup, and topping. (Hot Chix Hotcakes and Chicken)
o Cowboy Bites: Smoked white cheddar cheese mixed with award-winning Texas-style brisket and a generous shake of “Bobby’s Original Rub,” rolled in panko and deep fried. (Fat Boys BBQ)
o Crabcake Sammie: Fried crabcake served on a bun with AF sauce. (Fresh AF Vegan)
o Crack Fries: Fries tossed in cheese seasoning with several dipping sauce options. (GoldenKdog)
o Deep Fried Cannoli: A modern twist on a traditional Italian dessert. Hand-filled cannoli on a stick, deep fried, and topped with powdered sugar. (Fontana Foods)
o Deep Fried Loaded Cheese Puffs: Deep fried cheese puffs loaded with cheese, bacon, jalapenos, and Ranch dressing. (Chester’s Gators & Taters)
o Deep Fried Ribs: Deep-fried baby back ribs hand-tossed in a variety of sauces, including BBQ sauce, lemon pepper, Carolina gold, and sweet chili jerk. Each flavor is inspired by a North Carolina area code. (Lawerence & Perry BBQ, LLC)
o Dill Delight Funnel Cake: Funnel cake with powdered sugar, Ranch dressing, and dill pickles. (The Busy Beaver)
o Dilly Dog: A tangy dill pickle stuffed with an all-beef hotdog, fried in panko batter until golden brown. Try it with peanut butter! (Red Carpet Amusements)
o Fried Cheesy Croissant: Mini layered pastry, fried and topped with cheddar cheese and jalapeno slices. (LaFarm Bakery)
o Fried Fufu: Fufu with a chef’s blend of seasoning and deep fried. (Ethio-Indi Alkaline Cuisine)
o Fried Hazelnut Croissant: Mini layered pastry fried and drizzled with hazelnut topping. (LaFarm Bakery)
o Fried Pickle Mac & Cheese: Loaded fried pickle mac & cheese with a drizzle of Ranch dressing. (Chester’s Gators & Taters)
o Glazed Donut Coffee Float: Rich glazed donut-infused iced coffee over creamy vanilla ice cream, topped with a golden glazed donut hole, and delicate glazed donut crumble rim. (Fluffy’s Hand Cut Donuts)
o Granddaddy Nats Fufu Plate: Signature burger covered in gravy with gomen greens and fufu. (Ethio-Indi Alkaline Cuisine)
o Honey Butter Mozza Dog: Mozzarella cheese rolled in homemade batter with panko then deep fried, drizzled with honey butter sauce. (GoldenKdog)
o Jerk Pork Belly Bao: Tender slow-cooked jerk pork belly in a fluffy bao with a zesty vegetable mix. (Cool Runnings Jamaican)
o Kale Me Shawarma: Sweet potato fries topped with beef and lamb shawarma, pickled red onion, feta crumbles, kale chips, and house-made beet barbecue sauce. (Neomonde Mediterranean)
o Korean BBQ Kimchi Nachos: Korean BBQ kimchi nacho chips with corn, beans, kimchi, jalapenos, mozzarella cheese, nacho cheese, choice of beef or chicken Korean BBQ. (Bulkogi Korean BBQ)
o Loaded Bologna Fries: Battered bologna fries loaded up with chili cheese sauce. (Granny’s Country Kitchen)
o Mango Boba: Cool and refreshing smoothie with mango boba, mango juice, and a small scoop of mango sorbet. (Just Popping Around)
o Mangonada: A unique and delicious drink with chamoy and fresh mango. (Just Popping Around)
o Mexican Street Corn Potato: Baked potato stuffed with Mexican street corn topped with cilantro and lime. (Spudtastic Potato)
o Mema Mia: Battered and deep-fried spaghetti with meat sauce nestled on top of a garlic parmesan toasted hoagie bun with extra meat sauce and cheese topped with sweet southern slaw. (Ezzell’s Something Good)
o Mexican Street Corn Nachos: Tortilla chips topped with nacho cheese, corn, a drizzle of mayo, parmesan cheese, and tajin. For an extra kick, add Takis or hot Cheetos. (Red Carpet Amusements)
o Milly’s Jerk Barbecue Sauce: Sweet and spicy barbecue sauce that provides a kick to any meal. (Cool Runnings Jamaican)
o Minne Cookie Dough Pie: Deep-fried chocolate chip cookie dough wrapped in our light and flaky crust. Served with your choice of vanilla or cinnamon ice cream. (The Original Minneapple Pie)
o Monster Tots: Crispy jumbo tater tots stuffed with massive flavor. Tater tots three times the size of an average tot, stuffed with either buffalo chicken or bacon cheddar and chive fillings. (Hot Chix Hotcakes & Chicken)
o NC Crab and Shrimp Bomb Crusted in Hot Cheetos: A bomb of cheesy N.C. blue crab meat and shrimp rolled in hot Cheetos to form a crunchy outer shell. (Waypoint Oyster Bar)
o Peach Cobbler Pizza Cone: Warm pizza cone with peach filling, cinnamon crumbles, and the icing on the top. (Kono Pizza)
o Philly Chicken Egg Roll: Just like the original Philly Roll, but with chicken instead of steak. (Woody’s Wing Wagon)
o Philly Eggroll: Vegan beef, onions, peppers, and mushrooms wrapped in an eggroll and fried golden. (Fresh AF Vegan)
o Pickle Dr. Pepper: Dr. Pepper infused with pickles. (Red Carpet Amusements)
o Pineapple Bowl: Pineapple bowls with rice or gaucho fries, charcoal chicken, Brazilian steak, island shrimp, black beans, and corn. Extra toppings can be added, such as pico de gallo, chimichurri, cheese, pineapple spicy sauce, and homemade sour cream (grandma’s recipe). (Brazilian Bowls)
o Pumpkin Spice Iced Tea: A perfect blend of vibrant spices and rich pumpkin flavor that helps to welcome fall with a sense of cozy tranquility. (Tiki Tea)
o Red Velvet Glazed Funnel Cake Chicken Sandwich: Nashville-style chicken on a red velvet cake bun with sweet syrup and hot sauce. (Mediterranean Grill)
o Sausage & Peppers Egg Roll: Italian sausage with cherry peppers, diced onion, and cheese, wrapped in an egg roll wrapper and deep fried until golden brown. Comes with a side of marinara sauce. (Woody’s Wing Wagon)
o Simba Dessert: Fried viapati stuffed with sweet apple filling topped with vanilla ice cream drizzled with old-fashioned caramel sauce. (Safari Eatz)
o Sizzling Hot Funnel Cake: Funnel cake with nacho cheese and Flamin’ Hot Cheetos. (The Busy Beaver)
o S’more Pizza Cone: Warm pizza cone filled with marshmallows, chocolate, and graham crackers. (Kono Pizza)
o Strawberries & Cream Waffle Stick: Strawberry shortcake cookie dough baked inside a Belgian waffle, covered with whip topping and strawberry sauce. Served on a stick. (Waffle Chix)
o Strawberry Daiquiri Crunch: Moist strawberry cake baked with a white zinfandel wine, topped with a strawberry shortcake crumble and a strawberry daiquiri drizzle. (Boozie Bakes)
o Strawberry Lemonade Donut: A Fluffy donut topped with tang lemon frosting, strawberry lemonade crumbles, garnished with a freeze-dried strawberry slice and gummy candy. For added flavor, a pipette filled with strawberry lemonade is included! (Fluffy’s Hand Cut Donuts)
o Summerween Slush: Orange Creamsicle slush served in a Jack-O-Lantern cup with a whipped cream center, topped with a whole creamsicle popsicle, more whipped cream, and orange cookie crumble. Comes with a Halloween-themed duck. (Moose Joose Slush)
o Swedish Meat Pizza Cone: Warm pizza cone filled with mozzarella, meatballs, cranberry sauce, and gravy sauce. (Kono Pizza)
o Sweet & Spicy Cheese Puff Fried Pickles: Fried pickle chips drizzled in cheese sauce and topped with cheese puffs and a sweet & spicy sauce. (Chester’s Gators & Taters)
o Sweet Cheese Pie: Cheese-stuffed pancake, fried and dipped in a sweet syrup. Served hot with pistachio and chocolate syrup. (Mediterranean Grill)
o Sweet Heat Peanut Clusters: Spicy Peanuts with a hint of citrus wrapped in gourmet dark chocolate, served in clusters. (America’s Best Nut Company)
o Sweet Maple Bacon Iced Tea: Crafted with pure maple syrup and savory maple bacon flavoring, served over ice in a Tiki Tea jar with a strip of crispy bacon. (Tiki Tea)
o Tanghulu: Traditional Chinese snack with a crunchy, sweet exterior and a soft, tart interior, made with a variety of fresh fruits like strawberries, grapes, and mandarin oranges. (The Candi Queen)
o Trompi Al Pastor Stick: Traditional mini trompo on a stick made of slow-roasted pork with marinade, achiote, onion, and cilantro. (Las Gringas)
o Turducken Burger: A mouth-watering blend of turkey, duck, and chicken on a bun. (Chick-N-Que)
o White Chocolate Cranberry Cooke Dough on a Stick: Handcrafted cinnamon swirl cookie dough mixed with creamy white chocolate and tart-dried cranberries. (Kora’s Cookie Dough)
Fried Pickle Recipe by Southern Living Test Kitchen from Southern Living.
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 10 minutes
Serving size: 6 servings
Ingredients
Fried Pickles
½ cup whole buttermilk
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 (16-oz.) jar of dill pickle chips, drained
1 ½ cups finely ground cornmeal
½ cup all-purpose flour
Canola oil
Roundhouse-Kick Sauce
½ cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons chili sauce
1 tablespoon ketchup
1 ½ teaspoons white vinegar
1 ½ teaspoons Sriracha chili sauce
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
½ teaspoon smoked paprika
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon dry mustard
⅛ teaspoon black pepper
Photo by Getty Images
Directions
For the Roundhouse-Kick Sauce, combine mayonnaise, chilisauce, ketchup, vinegar, Sriracha, Worcestershiresauce, smokedpaprika, salt, mustard, and pepper in a bowl. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
Combine buttermilk and pepper in a shallow dish. Add pickles and stir to coat.
Stir together cornmeal and flour in another shallow dish. Add a few pickles at a time and toss to evenly coat.
Place the pickles on a baking sheet lined with wax paper or parchment paper.
Pour the oil into a large cast-iron skillet to a depth of 1 inch.
Heat the oil to 365°F over medium-high heat.
Add the pickles in small batches to the oil and fry until golden brown and crisp, about 1 to 2 minutes.
Drain the fried pickles on paper towels and serve with the Roundhouse-Kick Sauce or ranch dressing.
Preheat the air fryer. Spray the air fryer basket with oil.
Peel each sweet potato and slice into even 1/4-inch thick planks, then into 1/4-inch thick fries.
Submerge sweet potatoes in a large bowl of hot tap water and let them sit for 10 minutes. Drain potatoes, transfer to a paper towel-lined baking sheet, and thoroughly pat dry.
Toss sweet potatoes with 1 teaspoon of the oil then transfer all to the air fryer basket.
Place the basket in the air fryer (no need to preheat) and air fry at 350°F for 8 minutes, shake, and cook for 5 more minutes.
Transfer the sweet potatoes back to the empty bowl and toss them with the remaining oil, salt, and spices.
Spray the basket with oil and return the sweet potatoes to the air fryer.
Increase the temperature to 380°F, and cook until golden brown and crisp, about 4 to 5 minutes, shaking the basket halfway.
Transfer sweet potato fries to a large plate and serve right away with your favorite dipping sauce.
In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium-low heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring, until softened, 4 to 6 minutes. Gradually whisk in the flour and cook, whisking constantly, until lightly browned, about 1 minute.
Whisk in the beer and half and half. Cook, whisking constantly, until the sauce is thickened and just begins to bubble, 5 to 7 minutes. Reduce the heat to low and gradually add the cheeses, whisking constantly, until melted and combined. Remove from the heat.
Whisk in the Dijon mustard and the Worcestershire sauce. Garnish with chives and black pepper, if you like. Serve with pretzels; reheat gently as needed.
4 medium Yukon gold or russet potatoes peeled (about 2.5 lbs)
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
4 Tablespoons melted butter
1 tsp fresh thyme
1 cup chicken broth you can use veggie broth to make vegetarian
2 cloves garlic minced
Photo by Getty Images
Directions
Preheat oven to 450°F.
Whisk together butter, salt, pepper, and thyme in a small bowl.
Slice your potatoes into about 1-inch rounds and place them in a large bowl. Pour the butter mixture over the potatoes and mix to coat.
On the baking sheet (we used a 9″x13″1″ baking sheet) layer the potatoes in a single layer.
Place in oven and roast for 20 minutes. Flip potatoes and then roast for another 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, mix together your chicken broth and garlic. Remove potatoes from oven, flip one more time, and pour broth mixture over potatoes. Place back in the oven and roast for another 15 minutes.
Remove and drizzle with sauce and top with more fresh thyme if desired.
1 ½ lbs skinless wild cod, sea bass, or haddock fillets, if frozen thawed
2 large eggs, beaten
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
½ lemon, squeezed
¼ teaspoon paprika
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons seasoned panko breadcrumbs, regular or gluten-free
1 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
Olive oil spray
Lemon wedges, for serving
Photo by Getty Images
Directions
Cut the fish into 16 sticks.
Combine the ingredients for the tartar sauce in a small bowl and refrigerate until ready to eat.
Combine eggs, Dijon mustard, lemon juice, paprika, and salt in a bowl.
In a second bowl combine the Panko crumbs with Old Bay seasoning.
Dip the fish into the egg mixture, then the panko. Set aside.
Transfer to the air fryer basket, in batches as needed, and spray both sides with olive oil. Air fry at 400°F for about 8 minutes, turning halfway, until golden and crisp.
Reduce the apple cider: Stirring occasionally, simmer the apple cider in a small saucepan over low heat until you’re left with about ½ cup. Start checking at 10 minutes, 15 minutes, 20 minutes, etc until you have ½ cup (120ml). Mine takes about 20 minutes. If there are any spices or solids on top of your reduced apple cider, leave them. Set aside to cool for 10 minutes.
Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Spray the donut pan with non-stick spray. Set aside.
Make the donuts: Whisk the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, apple pie spice, and salt together in a large bowl. Set aside.
Whisk the melted butter, egg, brown sugar, granulated sugar, milk, and vanilla extract together. Pour into the dry ingredients, add the reduced apple cider, and whisk everything together until smooth and combined. Battery will be slightly thick.
Spoon the batter into the donut cavities—for ease, I highly recommend using a large zipped-top bag. Cut a corner off the bottom of the bag and pipe the batter into each donut cup, filling about halfway.
Bake for 10-11 minutes or until the edges and tops are lightly browned. To test, poke your finger into the top of the donut. If the donut bounces back, they’re done. Cool donuts for 2 minutes then transfer to a wire rack. Re-grease the pan and bake the remaining donut batter.
Coat the donuts:
Combine the granulated sugar, cinnamon, and apple pie spice together in a medium bowl. Once cool enough to handle, dunk both sides of each donut in the melted butter, then generously in the apple spice topping.
Donuts are best served immediately. Leftovers can be kept well-covered tightly at room temperature for up to 2 days or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
