34 Recipes That Got Us Through the Great Depression (2024)

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34 Recipes That Got Us Through the Great Depression (1)Grace MannonUpdated: Mar. 03, 2024

    Times were tough in the 1930s and people had to be creative with the few ingredients they could find and afford. These dishes show just how inventive our ancestors could be!

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    Grandma Pruit’s Vinegar Pie

    This historic pie has been in our family for many generations and is always at all of the family get-togethers.—Suzette Pruit, Houston, Texas

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    2/33

    Taste of Home

    Creamy Chipped Beef Fondue

    My mother often served fondue on Christmas Eve and I've since followed in that tradition. It's nice to offer a hearty appetizer that requires very little work.—Beth Fox, Lawrence, Kansas

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    3/33

    Taste of Home

    Meat and Potato Patties

    During World War II, when meat was rationed and had to be purchased with tokens, this recipe went a long way in feeding a family. To this day, I still reach for it whenever I want something different from regular hamburgers. By the way, children really like these (just as I did when I was a child!).— Gladys Klein, Burlington Wisconsin

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    4/33

    Hearty Navy Bean Soup

    My family loves navy bean soup! Beans were a commodity you did not survive without in the '30s. This excellent navy beans and ham soup is a real family favorite of ours and I make it often. —Mildred Lewis, Temple, Texas

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    5/33

    I made these pickles while growing up and love them because you can eat them with just about anything. Now, both of my children love these pickles, too. I think you'll enjoy them as much as we do! —Linda Weger, Robinson, Illinois

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    6/33

    Surprise Spice Cake

    Canned tomato soup replaces some of the oil in this spice cake, decreasing the fat, boosting the color and (surprise!) enhancing the taste. —Hannah Thompson, Scotts Valley, California

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    7/33

    Taste of Home

    Spaghetti with Bacon

    As children, we always requested this dish for our birthday dinners. Our mother got the recipe from her grandmother. Now I pass on our tasty tradition. —Ruth Keogh, North St. Paul, Minnesota

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    8/33

    Taste of Home

    Country Fish Chowder

    You'll think you're on Cape Cod when you taste this thick, wholesome chowder made from a recipe I've treasured for many years. It's one of my husband's favorites. He likes it more and more because over the years I've "customized" the basic recipe by including ingredients he enjoys. —Linda Lazaroff, Hebron, Connecticut

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    9/33

    Bacon Roll-Ups

    This family recipe dates back to the 1930s, when my grandmother started making these tasty bites. Now I’m proud to serve them to my loved ones. They’re terrific for brunch, too. —Janet Abate, North Brunswick, New Jersey

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    10/33

    Grandma Davidson's Baked Apple Pudding

    My savvy grandmother whipped up recipes like this homey cinnamon-scented apple pudding in the Depression years. Many of us still make them today. —Holly Sharp, Warren, Ontario

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    11/33

    Old-World Puff Pancake

    My mom told me her mother-in-law showed her how to make this dish, which became popular during the Depression, on their "get acquainted" visit in 1927. At that time, cooks measured ingredients in pinches, dashes and dibs. But through the years, accurate amounts were noted. My wife and I continue to enjoy this dish today, particularly for brunch. —Auton Miller, Piney Flats, Tennessee

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    12/33

    Taste of Home

    Ruby Grape Pie

    My wife, Paula, and I produce red and green seedless table grapes on our 75-acre vineyard. Our crop is wonderful eaten out-of-hand or in salads. Paula also uses them in this unusual and tasty pie.—Salvage Island Farm, Fred Smeds, Reedley, California

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    13/33

    Taste of Home

    Country Potato Pancakes

    Potato pancakes, or latkes, are really versatile. Crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, they can be a side dish for just about any meal or the main course for a light meal. We have them often at our house. —Lydia Robotewskyj, Franklin, Wisconsin

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    14/33

    Chocolate Cream Pie

    Our teenage son, John, has done lots of 4-H baking. This old-fashioned chocolate cream pie recipe with a flaky crust was his favorite thing to make. —Mary Anderson, De Valls Bluff, Arkansas

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    15/33

    Taste of Home

    Dandelion Salad

    This is one my favorite salads and it is so healthy for you! Guests will be surprised at how wonderful it tastes. —Frances Sheridan Goulart, Weston, Connecticut

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    16/33

    Bread Pudding with Nutmeg

    I always make this bread pudding recipe for my dad on his birthday and on holidays. He says it tastes exactly like the bread pudding with nutmeg he enjoyed as a child. —Donna Powell, Montgomery City, Missouri

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    17/33

    Taste of Home

    Best Ever Potato Soup

    You'll be surprised at the taste of this rich and cheesy easy potato soup. It really is the best potato soup recipe, ever. I came up with it after enjoying baked potato soup at one of our favorite restaurants. I added bacon, and we think that makes it even better. —Coleen Morrissey, Sweet Valley, Pennsylvania

    18/33

    Oven-Fried Cornbread

    Nothing says good southern cooking like a crisp cornbread baked in a cast-iron skillet. This old family recipe has been passed down to each generation. —Emory Doty, Jasper, Georgia

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    19/33

    Coconut Washboards

    This simple yet satisfying coconut cookie recipe has been around for generations. Pressing a fork into the top gives the look of an old-fashioned washboard. —Tommie Sue Shaw, McAlester, Oklahoma

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    20/33

    Creamy Skillet Noodles with Peas

    I’ve made this creamy noodle side for years. Since kids and adults go for it, I keep the ingredients on hand at all times. —Anita Groff, Perkiomenville, Pennsylvania

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    21/33

    Cheesy Hash Brown Bake

    These cheesy hash browns were so popular at the morning meetings of our Mothers of Preschoolers group that we published it in our newsletter. It's a great dish for busy moms because it can be prepared ahead of time. It's perfect for brunches or to serve on Christmas morning. It's creamy, comforting and tasty. —Karen Burns, Chandler, Texas

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    22/33

    Stovetop Goulash

    I created this recipe after trying goulash at a local restaurant. The blend of spices gives it fabulous flavor, and it’s so easy to make on a weeknight! —Karen Schelert, Portland, Oregon

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    23/33

    Sugar Cream Pie

    I absolutely love Indiana sugar cream pie; especially the one that my grandma made for me. Here, we serve it warm or chilled and call it “Hoosier” sugar cream pie. —Laura Kipper, Westfield, Indiana. Want to try out an unusual recipe? Check out this depression-era water pie that has gotten a lot of attention on social media recently.

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    24/33

    Sausage Johnnycake

    Here’s a nice hearty breakfast with plenty of old-fashioned flavor. I serve it to my bed-and-breakfast guests. They love the cake’s savory middle and maple syrup topping. It’s a fine way to start the day! —Lorraine Guyn, Calgary, Alberta

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    25/33

    Green Tomato Pie

    When frost nips our garden, I quickly gather all the green tomatoes still on the vine and make this old family favorite. It's been handed down from my grandmother, and now my granddaughters are asking for the recipe.—Violet Thompson, Port Ludlow, Washington

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    26/33

    Sausage Potato Supper

    One Saturday night a few years ago, I came up with this dish on the spur of the moment. It was dinnertime, and I had to use what I had on hand. It's been a hit with my family ever since. —Nancy Russell, Englewood, Colorado

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    27/33

    Taste of Home

    Old-Fashioned Rice Pudding

    This comforting dessert is a wonderful way to end any meal. As a girl, I always waited eagerly for the first heavenly bite. Today, my husband likes to top his with a scoop of ice cream. —Sandra Melnychenko, Grandview, Manitoba

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    28/33

    Cabbage Soup

    My husband was never too fond of cabbage—until the first time he tried this cabbage soup recipe from my aunt. Now he even asks me to make this soup! —Nancy Stevens, Morrison, Illinois

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    29/33

    Shoofly Pie

    My grandmother made the best shoofly pie in the tradition of the Pennsylvania Dutch. Shoofly pie is to the Pennsylvania Dutch as pecan pie is to a Southerner. —Mark Morgan, Waterford, Wisconsin

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    Corn Dog Casserole

    Reminiscent of traditional corn dogs, this fun main dish really hits the spot on fall days. It's perfect for the football parties my husband and I often host. It tastes especially good right from the oven.-Marcy Suzanne Olipane, Belleville, Illinois

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    Taste of Home

    I had never made or eaten this dish before meeting my husband here in Kentucky. Now I make it at least once a week. I serve it with some homemade sweet cornbread. Delicious! —Christine Duffy, Sturgis, Kentucky

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    32/33

    Slow-Cooker Baked Apples

    Coming home to this irresistible dessert on a dreary day is just wonderful; it’s slow-cooker easy. — Evangeline Bradford, Erlanger, Kentucky

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    33/33

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    Egg Drop Soup

    We often start our stir-fry meals with this fast egg drop soup recipe— it cooks in just minutes flat. There are many versions of the recipe, but we like the easy addition of cornstarch to thicken the soup and give it a rich, golden color. I got the recipe from my grandma’s old cookbook. —Amy Beth Corlew-Sherlock, Lapeer, Michigan

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    Originally Published: February 07, 2019

    34 Recipes That Got Us Through the Great Depression (34)

    Grace Mannon

    Grace learned a ton about the nitty-gritty of food and nutrition while earning her master’s degree in food science. She worked for a well-known baby food company and a company responsible for many favorite snack foods before transitioning to being a stay-at-home mom. She loves writing about complicated food science concepts in an understandable way and as a Taste of Home contributor, Grace covers a little bit of everything, from vintage recipes to must-have holiday foods and treats.

    34 Recipes That Got Us Through the Great Depression (2024)

    FAQs

    What were common dishes from the Great Depression? ›

    Top 10 Great Depression Foods That Are Actually Tasty
    • 3 Hoover Stew.
    • 4 Mystery Spice Cake. ...
    • 5 Prune Pudding. ...
    • 6 Mock Apple Pie. ...
    • 7 Spaghetti with Carrots and White Sauce. ...
    • 8 Egg Drop Soup. ...
    • 9 Bread and Butter Pickles. ...
    • 10 Potato Soup. Depression Era Potato Soup Recipe. ...
    Oct 5, 2023

    What were popular foods in the 1930s? ›

    Products introduced by food entrepreneurs of the 1930s are familiar to contemporary families. Some of those products include Fritos, Kool-Aid, Skippy peanut butter, Spam, Pepperidge Farm baked goods, Toll House chocolate chip cookies, and Birds' Eye frozen foods.

    What unusual dessert became popular during the depression? ›

    A common depression cake is also known as "Boiled Raisin Cake", "Milkless, Eggless, Butterless Cake", or "Poor Man's Cake".

    What is the poor man's meal? ›

    Potatoes were also inexpensive and used extensively. Some meals even used both. One of these meals was called the Poor Man's Meal. It combined potatoes, onions, and hot dogs into one hearty, inexpensive dish, which was perfect for the hard times people had fallen on.

    What did poor people eat in 1930s? ›

    Many cheap foods still common among the poor today made their debut during the Depression: Wonder Bread (1930), Bisquick (1931), Miracle Whip (1933), and Campbell's Cream of Mushroom soup (1934). Ragu spaghetti sauce, Kraft mac-n-cheese, and Hormel Spam all appeared during the Roosevelt Recession in 1937.

    What did hobos eat during the Great Depression? ›

    Perhaps one hobo acquired a few carrots from a charitable person, while another stole an onion off a box car, while another had a few potatoes from a farm he worked on briefly… From this concoction, a “hobo stew,” also known as “Mulligan/Mulligatawney stew” was born and became the traditional food of the hobo.

    What did the average person eat during the Great Depression? ›

    Celery soup mixed with tuna fish and mashed potatoes. A salad of corned beef, gelatin and canned peas. Baked onion stuffed with peanut butter. Those are just some of the recipes Americans turned to during the Great Depression, when many families struggled to eat enough nutritious food.

    What was junk food in the 1930s? ›

    Many of today's favorite snacks were also introduced during this decade: Twinkies, Snickers, Tootsie Pops, Fritos, 3 Musketeers, Ritz Crackers, Kit Kat Bars, Five-Flavor Life Savers, 5th Avenue Bars, Rolo, Smarties, Heath Bar, Lay's Potato Chips and RC Cola.

    What is a soup kitchen in Great Depression? ›

    During the Great Depression preceding the passage of the Social Security Act, "soup kitchens" provided the only meals some unemployed Americans had. This particular soup kitchen was sponsored by the Chicago gangster Al Capone.

    What is the poor man's cake during the Great Depression? ›

    It's a vintage cake recipe created during the Depression Era during the 1930s. The “poor man” refers to the ingredients; no butter, milk, or eggs are needed! This doesn't affect the taste because it's the best cake ever! Most of these ingredients should be found right in the pantry.

    How did people bake in the Great Depression? ›

    During the Great Depression, ingredients like eggs and dairy were hard to come by, but it didn't stop people from making delicious sweets! Crazy Cakes replaced eggs with vinegar and baking soda which made the cakes airy and fluffy much like eggs do in our baking.

    What is the cheapest food to live off of? ›

    Cheapest Foods to Live On:
    • Oatmeal.
    • Eggs.
    • Bread.
    • Rice.
    • Bananas.
    • Beans.
    • Apples.
    • Pasta.

    How can I eat if I have no money? ›

    Free Food and Grocery Programs
    • BackPack Program.
    • Mobile Food Pantry.
    • School Breakfast Program.
    • School Pantry Program.
    • Senior Food Programs.
    • SNAP Application Assistance.
    • WIC.
    • Assistance Programs.

    What was popular during the Great Depression? ›

    Radio programs, music, dancing and dance marathons, and cinema were popular forms of entertainment during the Great Depression. Many people affected by the economic downturn sought inexpensive ways to pass the time and distract themselves from the challenging circumstances.

    What were food lines in the Great Depression? ›

    What were bread and soup lines? Bread and soup lines were run by charities like the Red Cross. They provided bread, soup, and hot beverages for those who could not afford to buy their own food. They served hundreds of people a day.

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