26 Still Delicious Depression-Era Recipes For Budget Meals
The best thing about Depression-era meals? They’re always super comforting as well as being affordable without compromising on flavor. From ideas that help stretch meat further into delicious patties, meatloaves, stews and casseroles, to thrifty cakes and ways with foraged foods these classic recipes taste just as good today as they did during the Great Depression – and they’ll still help you feed your family for less, too!
Creamy Chicken Soup Chicken
This easy, simple and comforting Creamy Chicken Soup Chicken recipe uses a can of Cream of Chicken Soup to make a simple sauce for tender, juicy chicken thighs as they bake – just serve mashed potatoes and some seasonal green vegetables on the side!
Ground Beef and Gravy Over Mashed Potatoes
There is nothing more comforting than Ground Beef and Gravy Over Mashed Potatoes, right? It’s as filling as it is affordable, and if you have a package of ground beef in the freezer you probably already have the rest of the ingredients to hand!
Best Ever Tuna Noodle Casserole
Tuna Noodle Casserole has remained a classic for a reason, who can resist tender, cheesy noodles, tossed through with canned tuna and green peas before being baked under a blanket of cheesy, buttery breadcrumbs? Even better, this recipe is easily ready in under 1 hour with only 15 minutes of prep time.
Depression Meatloaf
Everyone has their favorite meatloaf recipe, but if you’ve not got your own this 9-ingredient Depression Meatloaf recipe couldn’t be easier. It’s a really thrifty way to get all of those classic meatloaf flavors, with an optional egg you can leave out to make it even more affortable!
Dandelion Salad
Foraged foods are the ultimate way to eat on a budget, like this beautiful, vibrant Dandelion Salad – you’ve probably got some growing in the back yard! But, even if you can only find dandelion leaves at the farmers market this salad is still packed with vitamins and minerals, as well as flavor!
Old Fashioned Vinegar Pie
The key to this deliciously retro chess pie… is vinegar! A Vinegar Pie just like grandma used to make, it may sound strange at first but vinegar still adds that delicious tang you’d expect from buttermilk or lemon juice encased in a flaky pie crust.
Creamed Chipped Beef on Toast
The ultimate comfort food, Creamed Chipped Beef on Toast is perfect for lunch or dinner, perfect for last minute meals. Encased in a creamy white sauce dried beef is seasoned with cayenne for an extra kick!
Snowflake Potatoes
They might not look like much, but this recipe for Snowflake Potatoes will become your new favorite way to prepare baked mashed potatoes. With added cream cheese and sour cream to make them snowflake-light and creamy, and topped with butter and paprika for a rich, smoky finish they’re perfect for potlucks and family dinners.
Chocolate Depression Cake (Wacky Cake)
Chocolate Depression Cake – also known as Wacky Cake – is made without any milk, eggs, or butter, but still yields a moist, luscious chocolate cake ready to be topped with your favorite frosting. It makes a great sheet cake for parties and celebrations, and is also vegan and great for people with egg and dairy allergies.
Water Pie
Don’t let the name deceive you, the filling of this Water Pie is so creamy and buttery! Just 4-ingredients plus a whole load of water go into the filling that bakes inside your crust in the oven, then magically gels as it cools!
“Goop” Great Depression Dinner
It may not sound like much, but this “Goop” Great Depression Dinner is the ultimate one-pot family meal combining rice, pasta, onions, mushrooms, celery, ground beef and seasonings for a comforting, flavorful dinner that is totally hands-off, and tastes so much better than it looks!
Old Fashioned Breaded Tomatoes
This recipe for Scalloped Tomatoes (Old Fashioned Breaded Tomatoes) makes a delicious, cheesy tomato pudding that is perfect to make with a glut of end-of-summer tomatoes – though it also works well with canned tomatoes out of season.
Rice & Gravy
Classic Southern Rice & Gravy is the perfect family meal that is super versatile as it works with so many different cuts of meat. In this recipe beef is cooked until tender in a luscious, deeply savory sauce before being served with plenty of white rice so not a drop is wasted!
Mulligan Stew
Mulligan Stew is an easy, hearty beef and vegetable stew perfect for chilly nights. Traditionally a take on Irish Stew designed to make the best out of whatever needed using up, proper cooking of the onions, beef and chicken provide a real depth of flavor that is hard to beat!
Meat and Potato Patties
Moist, tender and perfect for giving to kids these Meat and Potato Patties take seasoned ground beef stretched further with shredded potatoes and turn them into the perfect bun-less burger patties to make a meal. And, served with a quick tomato gravy they also make a much speedier, thrifty alternative to a glazed meatloaf!
Hoover Stew
Named for President J. Edgar Hoover, Hoover Stew is a real Depression-era recipe as it really does find a way of making whatever you have to hand taste absolutely delicious! While classic recipes contain hot dogs and not many seasonings, this elevated versions uses fresh herbs and Parmesan cheese to make the most of ground beef, pasta and whatever else needs using up!
Navy Bean Soup and Ham
This classic Navy Bean Soup and Ham recipe is still made in countless kitchens today… and for a reason! Not only is it a great way to use up leftover ham, but the tender beans and rich broth cook together into a soup that is hard to beat, keeps well and will feed many hungry mouths.
Old Fashioned Goulash
Old Fashioned Goulash is the perfect family meal pairing tomatoey ground beef with tender macaroni shapes. Simple, savory and super-comforting everyone will want second helpings, so it is a good thing you’ll get 8 servings from 1 pound of pasta and 2 pounds of ground beef!
Old Fashioned Stuffed Bell Peppers
Rice and beef fill these Old Fashioned Stuffed Bell Peppers, the rice making not just a delicious filling, but the ground beef go further. Baked in the oven until tender, they sit in not tomato sauce, but V8 juice for a retro way of adding even more flavor while keeping things nice and moist!
Old Fashioned Potato Soup
Rich, hearty and super creamy this Old Fashioned Potato Soup recipe ticks all the boxes for a filling, comforting vegetarian dinner. And with only 4 simple ingredients, and ready in just 30 minutes you can have it on the table in the time it usually takes to figure out what to make for dinner!
Peanut Butter-stuffed Onions
These Peanut Butter-stuffed Onions may sound super unusual, but we promise they’re worth a try! With just 3-ingredients (onions, peanut butter, and breadcrumbs) these simple stuffed onions are something the kids will love, and will be a real talking point at your next family meal.
Hot Milk Cake
The answer to making the perfect vanilla cake the way grandma used to? Scalded milk! This Hot Milk Cake recipe is light, tender, and has absolutely the perfect texture without the need for any unusual ingredients. Serve slices with a cup of coffee, or with berries and whipped cream for dessert!
Slow Cooker Poor Man’s Stew
Okay, so they might not have had slow cookers in a Depression-era kitchen, but this Slow Cooker Poor Man’s Stew has all the rich, hearty flavors of the original: ground beef, potatoes, carrots, onions, tomato paste and Italian seasoning. Brown off the meat, set it and leave it for a delicious dinner!
Cabbage and Noodles (Haluski)
Haluski is an Eastern European recipe for Cabbage and Noodles which is so much better than it sounds! The cabbage is fried with onions and butter until soft and caramelized before being tossed with tender noodles for a cozy, comforting dinner that is totally affordable!
Vegetarian Navy Bean Soup
A vegetarian take on the Navy bean and ham classic, this Vegetarian Navy Bean Soup recipe still makes a big batch, and still has a lovely smoked flavor with the addition of smoked paprika. Topped with shredded Parmesan you won’t believe beans and vegetables for dinner can taste this good!
Fried Bologna Casserole
This Fried Bologna Casserole is sure to become your new favorite mashed potato casserole recipe! Just 5 simple ingredients make this comforting, cheesy casserole that is sure to be a massive hit with your whole family with some simple green vegetables on the side.
