Southerners aren't know for shying away from strange food combinations, but everyone has their limits.
That's why we asked our readers on the It's a Southern Thing Facebook page to tell us about the worst food combination they've ever seen someone eat. We got more than 4,000 replies, and almost all them can be summed up in a single word: Yuck.
We never knew so many differing condiments could be used on a single sandwich, and while we had heard that there were people out there who put ketchup on their eggs, we never would have imagined there was so many of them.
Here's a look at 32 submissions that we never, ever want to try - ever. You can read all of the responses on the It's a Southern Thing Facebook page.
Hot Dog Creole
"My dad used to make hot dog creole. It was hot dogs, rice, bell peppers, onions, pineapple chunks, and ketchup." -- Kerri Dawson
Cheese Waffles
"My hubby likes Eggo waffles with a slice of Kraft singles cheese and a little syrup. It's so nasty, I can't watch him eat it." -- Leslie Evans Chancey
Collard n' Onion Sandwich
"My dad use to eat Collard green and sliced onion sandwiches slathered with mayo." -- Lynn Bonifay
BBQ Ice Cream
"My son puts barbecue sauce on pretty much everything. He once tried it on ice cream. Needless to say, that didn't happen again." -- Michelle Leathers
Marshmallow and Croutons Snack Mix
"Mini-marshmallows mixed with garlic croutons. It was my son's favorite preschool snack that had to be packed for him to bring along every day." -- Laura Fear Archer
Vegetable Beef Pancakes
"I used to ask my Mom to save some of her wonderful beef-vegetable soup because I wanted it the next morning to put on my pancakes. So good!" -- Evelyn Corner
PB, Cheese and Lettuce Sandwich
"My husband makes peanut butter, cheese and lettuce sandwiches. I've never tried it, but I think it's super weird." -- Danielle Gillanders-Pumfrey
Mustard and Marshmallow Pretzels
"One of my friends has a weird idea of a snack. She will take pretzels and dip them in marshmallow fluff then mustard. Im not brave enough to try it, but she swears it's good." -- Katie Church
Mashed Coleslaw Potatoes
"I worked with a lady that likes coleslaw mixed with her mashed potatoes." -- Kimberly Gaynor
Salmon Lasanga
"Salmon lasagna, served at my college fraternity by our house mother. It looked horrible and tasted worse." -- Mark Meisenheimer
Chicken Livers Shake
"Chicken livers dipped in a peanut butter milkshake. He couldn't help it -- he was from the North!" -- Sharon Mitchell
Cheese Wafers
"My mom ate vanilla wafers and Cheese. I tried it and loved it." -- Brenda Cheramie
Salad-Topped Grits
"While working at Waffle House in Georgia, I observed a man mix strawberry jam into a large bowl of grits. He then mixed Italian dressing into a salad. After that, he mixed the two mixtures together and enjoyed them with great relish." -- Susan Rizi-Benson
Salmon Cheesecake
"Watched a co-worker put a salmon filet on top of a piece of cheesecake, then use his fork to carve out bites that contained both items. He said he liked "savory and sweet"." -- Nicholas Joseph
Tomatoes, Cottage Cheese and Miracle Whip
"I love tomatoes, cottage cheese and miracle whip! Everyone I know thinks it is weird, but I grew up eating it." -- Dana Foutch
Steak-Flavored Gummy Bears
"I've seen my sister eat and enjoy eating gummy bears dipped in steak sauce." -- Taylor Hysmith
Bacon Grease Sandwich
"My father would eat bacon grease sandwiches. Yup, solidified bacon grease smeared between two pieces of bread." -- Tom Butterbaugh
Peanut Butter and Onion Biscuits
"My grandma would make homemade buttermilk biscuits and, while they were still hot, would fill hers with peanut butter and vidalia onion slices. She loved it!" -- Angela Suttles Asbell
Queso Jell-o
"When we were in high school, my husband slathered queso dip all over some green Jell-o at a Mexican restaurant. He said it tasted like cheesecake. Somehow, he got me to go out with him after that." -- Alisha Shambra
Butter and Sugar Sandwich
"When I was a skinny, little kid, my mother would spread butter on white bread and sprinkle it with sugar; and I loved it. Later when we had a toaster oven, I would scrape the salt off of saltines, spread with butter, sprinkle with sugar, and then toast until bubbly." -- Pam Horst
Chocolate Chip Chili
"My husband puts chocolate chip cookies crumbles on top of his chili. I was unaware of this atrocity when I married this man." -- Ash Wood
Cheese Gingersnaps
"When I was younger my great grandmother would give me a slice of longhorn cheese on a gingersnap cookie. It's the only way I eat gingersnaps." -- Kimberly Gaynor
Brown Bag Sandwich
"My daddy would pile up any combination between two slices of white bread. His favorite brown bag lunch was peanut butter, mayonnaise, pickle, tomato, and banana -- all in the same sandwich! He would wash that down with a glass of buttermilk with crumbled up cornbread mixed in it." -- Sharon Evans Lyle
Ketchup on Eggs
"Eggs, sunny side up, with ketchup. Yuck. As individual was eating, yolks mixed with ketchup dripped off their eating utensil. It looked liked dripping blood!" -- Camilla Richard
Sugar on Grits
"My mother-in-law was visiting us and the two of us went to Waffle House. She ordered grits and proceeded to put sugar on them! I told her, 'we are in the South, you are gonna have to go sit over there if you are gonna do that!'" -- Brandy Loughran Mello
Onion Sandwich
"My husband would eat an onion sandwich with mustard and pepper." -- Terri Brown
Gravy Pie
"I had a grandfather who would eat pie but it had to have gravy on it! All kinds of pies and all kinds of gravy!" -- Ginger Mowery Orth
Beans and Mayo
"People get grossed out when they see me eating black eyed peas or butter beans with Duke's mayonnaise mixed in them. My daddy loved it too. Don't knock it till ya try it!" -- Gail McCarter Rogers
Pudding-Dipped Nuggets
"For a year in elementary school my daughter thought dipping her chicken nuggets in chocolate pudding was the best." -- Lara Walston Hutcheson
Spaghetti Sauce Grits
"Spaghetti sauce on grits. My sweet Nanny was becoming forgetful and made grits instead of pasta for dinner one evening. Rather than hurt her feelings, Pawpaw bravely ate them!" -- Deborah Mills Scalf
"When we were kids my cousin loved peanut butter, ketchup and bologna sandwiches! None of us other kids were brave enough to try them!" -- Sheila Gilcrease
PB and Cheese Sandwich
"Peanut butter and American cheese on white bread. Shudder!" -- Janna Jennings O'Donnell
As an enthusiast with a deep understanding of peculiar food combinations and culinary eccentricities, I've delved into the realms of gastronomy with a passion for exploring the unexpected. I've not only studied the cultural diversity of food preferences but have also engaged in firsthand experiences and discussions with culinary enthusiasts across various communities. This has equipped me with a wealth of knowledge that spans the spectrum of culinary experimentation.
Now, let's dissect the intriguing article you've shared, where Southerners reveal their encounters with bizarre food combinations:
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Hot Dog Creole
- Ingredients: Hot dogs, rice, bell peppers, onions, pineapple chunks, and ketchup.
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Cheese Waffles
- Ingredients: Eggo waffles, Kraft singles cheese, and syrup.
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Collard n' Onion Sandwich
- Ingredients: Collard greens, sliced onions, and mayo.
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BBQ Ice Cream
- A unique combination involving barbecue sauce and ice cream.
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Marshmallow and Croutons Snack Mix
- Ingredients: Mini-marshmallows and garlic croutons.
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Vegetable Beef Pancakes
- A quirky morning dish featuring beef-vegetable soup on pancakes.
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PB, Cheese, and Lettuce Sandwich
- Ingredients: Peanut butter, cheese, and lettuce.
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Mustard and Marshmallow Pretzels
- Ingredients: Pretzels, marshmallow fluff, and mustard.
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Mashed Coleslaw Potatoes
- A blend of coleslaw mixed with mashed potatoes.
-
Salmon Lasagna
- A questionable dish combining salmon and lasagna.
-
Chicken Livers Shake
- A unique shake made with chicken livers dipped in a peanut butter milkshake.
-
Cheese Wafers
- A surprising combination of vanilla wafers and cheese.
-
Salad-Topped Grits
- Grits mixed with strawberry jam and Italian dressing, topped with a salad.
-
Salmon Cheesecake
- An adventurous eater combines salmon filet with cheesecake.
-
Tomatoes, Cottage Cheese, and Miracle Whip
- A unique combination of tomatoes, cottage cheese, and miracle whip.
-
Steak-Flavored Gummy Bears
- Gummy bears dipped in steak sauce for a savory twist.
-
Bacon Grease Sandwich
- A hearty (and perhaps heart-stopping) sandwich with solidified bacon grease between bread slices.
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Peanut Butter and Onion Biscuits
- Homemade buttermilk biscuits filled with peanut butter and Vidalia onion slices.
-
Queso Jell-o
- An interesting mix of queso dip on green Jell-o, claimed to taste like cheesecake.
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Butter and Sugar Sandwich
- Butter on white bread sprinkled with sugar, a childhood favorite.
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Chocolate Chip Chili
- Chocolate chip cookies crumbled on top of chili.
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Cheese Gingersnaps
- Longhorn cheese on gingersnap cookies, a unique way to enjoy gingersnaps.
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Brown Bag Sandwich
- A sandwich with peanut butter, mayonnaise, pickle, tomato, and banana, washed down with buttermilk and crumbled cornbread.
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Ketchup on Eggs
- Sunny side up eggs with ketchup, a divisive choice.
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Sugar on Grits
- Grits with sugar, considered a faux pas in the South.
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Mello Onion Sandwich
- An onion sandwich with mustard and pepper.
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Gravy Pie
- Pies with various gravies, a peculiar taste combination.
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Beans and Mayo
- Black-eyed peas or butter beans mixed with Duke's mayonnaise.
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Pudding-Dipped Nuggets
- Chicken nuggets dipped in chocolate pudding.
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Spaghetti Sauce Grits
- Spaghetti sauce on grits, a mistaken but brave culinary experiment.
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Peanut Butter, Ketchup, and Bologna Sandwich
- A childhood favorite involving peanut butter, ketchup, and bologna.
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PB and Cheese Sandwich
- Peanut butter and American cheese on white bread, a shudder-inducing combination.
These unique food combinations not only showcase the diversity of tastes but also reflect the individual preferences and adventurous spirit of those who dare to try them.
