I was a ridiculously easy kid to feed. Honestly, I still consider myself a human garbage disposal. I love food, and I’ll try almost anything. That said, like every foodie’s nightmare, sometimes you don’t have the budget to eat out or the willpower to be your own personal chef. On days like that, I usually turn to the ultimate comfort food: the potato.
If I’m feeling fancy, it’s mashed. If I’m desperate, I’ll assault a sliced raw potato with Lawry’s seasoning and sentence it to death in the microwave. Potatoes have always had my back, whether I’m creatively limp in the kitchen or just plain lazy.
In honor of today being proclaimed National Potato Day by some corner of the internet, I’m diving into Wisconsin’s potato history and ranking a few of my favorite potato dishes. The opinions are my own without any democratic process in place, so take the rankings with a grain of salt (and sprinkle that liberally on a baked potato).
A Brief History of Potatoes in Wisconsin: Early Days (Mid 1800s – Early 1900s)
Back in the mid-1800s, every dude in Wisconsin looked like Chester A. Arthur and farmed like it was an Olympic sport. Potatoes were a staple for the settlers and farmers alike, though they only took up about 1% of the state’s farmland. By the 1880s, as more people packed into the state, potato farming migrated north to Central Wisconsin because the sandy, well-drained soil of Portage, Waupaca, and Waushara counties were basically begging for spuds. Production exploded.
Fast forward a few decades and by the early 1900s, Wisconsin was ranked 3rd in overall potato production. It sadly slid to 7th in the 1940s. No one puts 7th place on the champions podium. Seventh place is just…sad.
Modern Potato Industry in Wisconsin
Thankfully, Wisconsin has comfortably clawed its way back to being the third largest potato producer in the country. Idaho might hold the top spot, but honestly? They can suck eggs, because Plover, Wisconsin is home to the world’s largest potato masher, and that’s all that matters.
Today, the major potato producing areas are Portage, Langlade, and Oneida counties, with standout farms like Okray, Alam, and Bushmans. Central Wisconsin is also home to the Wisconsin Potato & Vegetable Growers Association, because yes, it is a thing and yes, it sounds very important.
Economically, Wisconsin potatoes aren’t messing around either. They generate roughly $6.4 billion in economic activity and support about 132,000 jobs. In 2023 alone, the state produced over 2.8 billion pounds of potatoes—mostly russets, reds, and other specialty varieties.
Sidebar: Wisconsin Potato Chip Factories
Founded in 1931 by Fredrick J. Meyer and Kathryn Rossman, Red Dot Chips was born in Madison, Wisconsin. The company has roots in the northwoods as well, as they purchased land near Rhinelander in Oneida County to grow potatoes specifically for chipping, and even built a factory there. During the 1950s, the company expanded like it was my waistband by adding seven more factories across the Midwest. By 1961 they were the leading snack food manufacturer in the United States. Then things got dark: the Meyers sold the company to Atlanta-based Lay Company, and just four days later, Meyer tragically took his own life. By 1973 the brand was parted out to other companies and ultimately discontinued.
Yet one niche Wisconsin chip lived on: Rhinelander Chips. I actually grabbed a box at Woodman’s just a couple of years ago. The vintage branding paired beautifully with Dean’s French Onion Dip—like Liam Neeson and Pamela Anderson.
Sadly, as of 2025, Rhinelander Chips look as though they have been killed off…even at Woodman’s. If you are reading this and can confirm their existence, please feel free to reach out to me. But perhaps it’s time to bring out the bugle and play “Taps” for this dearly departed chip.
Today, Beloit, Wisconsin is home to a Frito-Lay factory. Fun fact: When I was in my early teens, my friends and I would dress up like it was a casino heist, run through the woods, sneak down the railroad tracks, and dumpster-dive at the local Frito-Lay distributor warehouse. On a good day we’d successfully forage Doritos; on a slow day, expired pork rinds. An Oceans 11-like sequel Hollywood would refuse to make, but I digress.
Personal Favorite Potato Dish Rankings
6. Hot German potato salad
Like so many debates in today’s world, hot German potato salad divides people. I personally love it in the colder months, ideally paired with a dark German lager. Please enjoy this Photoshopped image I created of David Hasselhoff paired with hot German potato salad.
5. Hand-cut fries
Culver’s fries are “meh” and McDonald’s fries are probably chemically engineered to perfection, but my true favorite will always be fresh, local hand-cut fries, especially when they come with a chili dog. Hand-cut fries are like a hug from grandmother, but when she releases you from that hug you have grease stains all over your sweater.
4. Rhinelander Chips and Dean’s Onion Dip
God damn it. Someone tell me where to get Rhinelander potato chips. No other crinkle-cut chip will do!
3. Polish potato pierogi
A classic staple and a holiday tradition. If I was Secretary of State, I would bring these along to broker peace to the world.
2. Potato pancakes
If you pick fries over a homemade potato pancake for your fish fry, I might not like you. Dunk that shit in applesauce and shovel it into your face. This is mandatory.
1. Mashed. Fucking. Potatoes.
Chives? No chives? Who cares. Eat a bowl like someone wallowing in ice cream, or slather it on a meatloaf like frosting on a cake. 10/10 would consume daily and forever. Blessed be mashed potatoes.
At the end of the day, potatoes have been there for Wisconsin, and for me. They’ve fed settlers, built billion dollar industries, and rescued me on nights when I couldn’t be bothered to cook. They’re the humble hero of the kitchen and the Chewbacca of side dishes, the companion we never deserved but always needed. Raise a fork this National Potato Day (or zap a Lawry’s-dusted slice in the microwave) and honor the spud.
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