Why Does Michigan And The Midwest Put Cheese On Apple Pie?

If you know, you know.

Have you ever heard of such a thing?! I promise you, I am not making this up. You either grew up in a "cheese on apple pie" household or you didn't.

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If you're the latter then you are probably perplexed at the moment-- and rightfully so!

I personally did not grow up in a cheese-on-pie household and had never even heard of the crazy combination until I moved out to Missouri. Actually, it was a fellow Michigan transplant living in Missouri that introduced it to me! Pro tip: try shredded cheddar cheese instead of a whole slice.

While I'll admit a slice of apple pie topped with cheddar cheese wasn't the worst pie I'd ever had, it also wasn't the best. However, I will admit that those who are big fans of the sweet and salty combo? This is probably right up your alley!

Who Did It First?

Atlas Obscura claims early recordings of cheese on pie dates back to the mid-1800s writing,

The poet Eugene Field (1850-1895) once wrote, “But I, when I undress me / Each night, upon my knees / Will ask the Lord to bless me / With apple pie and cheese.”

One theory also explains eating apple pie with cheese became popular in states with large dairy populations i.e. Michigan, Wisconsin, and the rest of the Midwestern farmlands, which makes sense.

In fact, pie with cheese was mostly commonplace until the French-style "à la Mode" with ice cream swooped as everyone's new favorite pie topping. Adds Atlas Obscura,

During the 20th century, ice cream gradually usurped cheese as the most popular pie topping in the United States at large. But the cheese-on-pie love has endured...New England, Pennsylvania, and especially the Midwest—[are] largely the regions where cheddar cheese apple pie is popular today.

Which household did you grow up in: cheese on pie or no cheese on pie?