Sneak Peek! New FOODS at the Minnesota State Fair 2015!

Recently I had the opportunity to head to the state fairgrounds to attend a blogger preview of this year’s Minnesota State Fair, and it was so much fun! I got to sample NEW foods at the fair this year and learn all about some new, fun activities being offered for families this year.

In this post I’m sharing the foods I got to try that I’m SURE you’ll love like I did!

The food just kept coming to our tables with new foods to try – here are just a FEW of them:

The first thing I tried were the SWEETS. Oh my gosh – if you want a taste of indulgence, you have to try the Salted Caramel Puff ice cream from Midwest Dairy Association. The Salted Caramel Puff flavor was the winner of the Midwest Dairy Association’s online “Flavor of the Fair” contest this year, and it’s made with Minnesota dairy farmers’ State Fair recipe vanilla ice cream or malt, topped with creamy caramel sauce and Old Dutch puffcorn. The puffcorn was crunchy, the ice cream was creamy, and the caramel sauce was gooey. I ate Every. Last. Bite!

Same with the Grandma Deb’s Snicker Bar Salad, located at Blue Barn. It was snickers bars, chopped green apples, vanilla pudding, whipped cream and caramel sauce. I loved that they called it a salad – I could say I was eating something good for me! It was SO yummy.

Now that I had my dessert, I had to have something hearty and meal-worthy. Along came the Meatloaf-on-a-Stick from Green Mill. It’s Italian meatloaf stuffed with Mozzarella and pepperoni, topped with marinara sauce and a Parmesan herb blend and served on-a-stick. It had a little more spice than my usual meatloaf, but that made it super flavorful and very satisfying!

Of course I had to try the Maple Bacon Funnel Cake, located in the Food Building, East Wall. It’s a funnel cake infused with bacon pieces, then topped with sweet maple glaze and sprinkled with more bacon (can you ever have enough bacon?). I LOVED it – and wish I hadn’t filled up on the other desserts because I could barely finish it.

But I did taste the Grilled Venetian-Style Margherita Pizza from Mancini’s Al Fresco. As you can see looking at it, it’s literally grilled over an open flame and topped with oven-roasted tomatoes, cheese and basil. I really liked the grilled taste, though I had it when it had already sat out a bit – I think it’s best when fresh.

Last but not least were the Totchos, available at Boulevard Grill. A great gluten-free option, Totchos are tater tots smothered in cheddar cheese sauce with seasoned sour cream, bacon bits and green onions (chicken or taco-style beef optional). These were great – warm, crunchy and gooey at the same time.