Join us on an educational adventure through each state in the USA! Each post in this series focuses on one state, and includes a regional recipe from that state. This is a fun way to get your kids involved in cooking, as well as learn a bit about United States geography! The post also includes a link to the featured state’s website, where you can learn more about the state. We also include free forms that you can download and print to use along the journey. Geography has never been so delicious!

Make sure to check back each week for the next post!

Did you know that Kentucky is called the Bluegrass State? Parts of Kentucky are covered with a type of dark, lush grass called bluegrass because in the spring it has bluish-purple buds that make entire fields look blue when they bloom. Foods grown in Kentucky include corn, dairy products, and soybeans. Apples, peaches, and popcorn are also grown.

This recipe is a famous dish from Kentucky, dating back to the frontier days.

KENTUCKY Burgoo

What You Will Need:

• 3 cups Water


• 1 cup Chicken Broth, homemade or canned


• 2 cups Crushed Tomatoes, canned


• 3/4 pound Chicken Tenders or Strips, uncooked


• 3/4 pound Stew Beef, cubed


• 3 medium Boiling Potatoes


• 1 medium Onion


• 1 cup frozen Lima Beans


• 1 cup frozen Corn


• 1 10-ounce package frozen Cut Okra


• 1 cup frozen Sliced Carrots


• 2 teaspoons Curry Powder


• 1 teaspoon Sugar


• 1/2 teaspoon Pepper


• 4-1/2 quart heavy covered baking dish

What You Do:

• Combine the water, chicken stock, and crushed tomatoes in a baking dish and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes.


• While the broth is simmering, cut the chicken into 1-inch pieces.


• Add the beef and chicken pieces to the pot and simmer, covered, for 1 hour. Remove the chicken with a slotted spoon and set aside.


• Peel potatoes and cut them into cubes. Place them in the pot.


• Remove the papery skin from the onion and cut the onion in half, then chop into small pieces and add to the pot.


• Add the lima beans, corn, okra, carrots, curry powder, sugar, and pepper to the pot. Return the mixture to boiling, then reduce the heat.


• Simmer, covered, for about 25 minutes or until the vegetables are cooked through and tender.


• Add chicken back into the pot and cook an additional 5 minutes to warm up the chicken.


• Serve and enjoy!

Kentucky State Information – Click this link to learn more about Kentucky attractions, activities, and to request free brochures, maps, and so much more!

US Geography Journal Pages – Use these journal pages to create a geography journal as you collect information about each state.

Kentucky Outline Map – Use this state map to label capitals, major rivers and lakes, and other areas of interest. Draw a star on the place you would most like to visit in this state!

United States Outline Map – Use this USA map to track your journey as you “eat your way across the USA”! Color in each state that you’ve tried one of recipes for.

• The United States Cook Book – Take a Tasty Tour of America’s 50 States, and learn a lot of United States geography along the way! (PLEASE NOTE: The recipe featured above is included in this book.)


• US History Cook Book – Serve up a heaping lesson of history with delicious recipes from our nation’s past… from the pilgrims’ first feast to today’s high-tech, low-fat fare.


• Maps of the United States – This reproducible book contains geopolitical maps of each of the fifty states; political maps of the six regions; and political, physical, and thematic maps of the United States. You’ll also find fun facts, geography bee-type questions, and review pages.


• DK State-by-State Atlas – More than an atlas, this book shows and tells young geographers who, what, when, where, and why.


• The Geography Book – From finding directions by the stars, to mapping your neighborhood, to making an earthquake in a box, you’ll have a great time learning about the world with The Geography Book.


• Professor Noggins USA Geography Game – From rural farming communities to urban cities, from snow-capped mountains to tropical islands, this game covers both the natural and political geography of the United States. Learn about the states, cities, and natural geographical wonders that make this country such an interesting place to visit.


• State by State Card Game – Learning about United States geography is made fun and memorable with this unique deck of cards!


• GeoPuzzle USA Puzzle – GeoPuzzles provide a hands-on approach to learning geography.

Make sure to check back next week for the next state in this series!

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