30 Delicious Dishes Grandma Made During the Great Depression

Grandma knew how to scrimp and save every last penny with these thrifty meals. Find delicious, budget-friendly ideas for main dishes, pickled veggies, desserts and more.

Grandma’s Pea Soup

My grandma’s pea soup recipe was a family favorite. What makes it different from any other pea soups I have tried is the addition of whole peas, spaetzle-like “dumplings” and sausage. Try it once and you’ll be hooked. —Carole Talcott, Dahinda, Illinois

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1/30
2/30

Mushroom Stuffing

Total Time 1 hour 10 min
Servings 13 cups
From the Recipe Creator: I first tried this stuffing a few years ago, and it quickly became our family's favorite. Just flavor a hearty cornbread mix with mushrooms and bacon and taste the spectacular results. —Kathy Traetow, Waverly, Iowa
Nutrition Facts: 1 cup: 235 calories, 9g fat (3g saturated fat), 75mg cholesterol, 764mg sodium, 30g carbohydrate (3g sugars, 3g fiber), 7g protein.
3/30

Grandma Pruit’s Vinegar Pie

Total Time 1 hour 40 min
Servings 8 servings
From the Recipe Creator: This historic pie has been in our family for many generations and is always served at our get-togethers.—Suzette Pruit, Houston, Texas
Nutrition Facts: 1 slice: 545 calories, 25g fat (13g saturated fat), 41mg cholesterol, 316mg sodium, 78g carbohydrate (50g sugars, 0 fiber), 2g protein.
4/30

Carrot Chowder

Total Time 1 hour 20 min
Servings 10 servings (2-1/2 quart)
From the Recipe Creator: My husband's grandmother passed this recipe on to us, and it's just wonderful—especially with a basket of warm, fresh bread on the side. This soup freezes well. —Wendy Wilkins, Prattville, Alabama
Nutrition Facts: 1 cup: 130 calories, 5g fat (2g saturated fat), 23mg cholesterol, 803mg sodium, 11g carbohydrate (6g sugars, 2g fiber), 10g protein.
5/30

Grandma Davidson’s Baked Apple Pudding

Total Time 55 min
Servings 6 servings
From the Recipe Creator: 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
Nutrition Facts: 1 cup: 291 calories, 5g fat (3g saturated fat), 12mg cholesterol, 381mg sodium, 61g carbohydrate (43g sugars, 2g fiber), 3g protein.

No money? No problem! Try this vintage cake recipe, appropriately named poor man’s cake.

6/30

Pickled Carrots

Total Time 35 min
Servings 6 cups
From the Recipe Creator: My mother is the only other person I've known to make this recipe. In fact, when I take it to a potluck or picnic, no one has ever heard of pickled carrots. But once they try them, they are hooked. —Robin Koble, Fairview, Pennsylvania
Nutrition Facts: 1/4 cup: 30 calories, 0 fat (0 saturated fat), 0 cholesterol, 170mg sodium, 7g carbohydrate (6g sugars, 1g fiber), 1g protein.
7/30

Strawberry Buttermilk Skillet Shortcake

Total Time 1 hour 15 min
Servings 10 servings
From the Recipe Creator: This scratch-made strawberry buttermilk cake is a family favorite. The recipe is over 100 years old, and I remember my grandma making it. We still carry on the family tradition by making this old-fashioned recipe each summer. —Claudia Lamascolo, Melbourne, Florida
Nutrition Facts: 1 piece: 526 calories, 27g fat (12g saturated fat), 74mg cholesterol, 418mg sodium, 64g carbohydrate (33g sugars, 2g fiber), 6g protein.
8/30

German Pancakes

Total Time 30 min
Servings 8 servings (2 cups syrup)
From the Recipe Creator: Piping hot and puffy from the oven, this golden pancake made a pretty presentation for a skier's theme breakfast I hosted. Served with homemade buttermilk syrup, it's an eye-opening treat. Make several German pancakes if you're feeding a crowd, and keep in mind that my easy syrup tastes great on waffles and French toast too. —Renae Moncur, Burley, Idaho
Nutrition Facts: 1 piece with 1/4 cup syrup: 428 calories, 19g fat (11g saturated fat), 203mg cholesterol, 543mg sodium, 56g carbohydrate (42g sugars, 0 fiber), 8g protein.
9/30

Coconut Cookies

Total Time 35 min
Servings 9 dozen
From the Recipe Creator: 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
Nutrition Facts: 2 each: 107 calories, 4g fat (2g saturated fat), 12mg cholesterol, 61mg sodium, 16g carbohydrate (9g sugars, 0 fiber), 1g protein.
10/30

Green Tomato Pie

Total Time 1 hour 15 min
Servings 8 servings
From the Recipe Creator: 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. Looking for an unusual recipe? Check out this depression-era water pie.
Nutrition Facts: 1 piece: 433 calories, 16g fat (7g saturated fat), 14mg cholesterol, 242mg sodium, 71g carbohydrate (40g sugars, 1g fiber), 3g protein.
11/30

Peppered Cornbread

Total Time 45 min
Servings 16 servings
From the Recipe Creator: Pretty flecks of jalapeno and red peppers peek out from this golden cornbread. It has a mild flavor that appeals to most palates. —Ila Bray, Pelham, North Carolina
Nutrition Facts: 1 piece: 217 calories, 15g fat (5g saturated fat), 44mg cholesterol, 368mg sodium, 16g carbohydrate (2g sugars, 1g fiber), 6g protein.
12/30

Mom-Mom Bessie's Coconut Molasses Pie

Total Time 55 min
Servings 8 servings
From the Recipe Creator: I'm the keeper of my husband's grandmother's handwritten recipe book. Mom-Mom Bessie was one of the best cooks I knew, and we think of her every time we make this pie. The flavor combination of coconut and molasses is a family favorite. —Susan Bickta, Kutztown, Pennsylvania
Nutrition Facts: 1 piece: 486 calories, 19g fat (10g saturated fat), 54mg cholesterol, 243mg sodium, 80g carbohydrate (66g sugars, 1g fiber), 5g protein.
13/30

Grandma’s Rosemary Dinner Rolls

Total Time 55 min
Servings 1 dozen
From the Recipe Creator: My grandma (I called her Baba) made these in her coal oven. How she regulated the temperature is beyond me! She always made extra rolls for the neighbors to bake in their own ovens. My mom and aunts would deliver the formed rolls at lunchtime. —Charlotte Hendershot, Hudson, Pennsylvania
Nutrition Facts: 1 roll: 194 calories, 6g fat (1g saturated fat), 32mg cholesterol, 163mg sodium, 28g carbohydrate (3g sugars, 1g fiber), 6g protein.
14/30

Grandma’s Onion Squares

Total Time 1 hour 15 min
Servings 9 servings
From the Recipe Creator: My grandma brought this recipe with her when she emigrated from Italy as a young wife and mother. It is still a family favorite. —Janet Eddy, Stockton, California
Nutrition Facts: 1 piece: 256 calories, 15g fat (5g saturated fat), 27mg cholesterol, 447mg sodium, 25g carbohydrate (3g sugars, 1g fiber), 5g protein.
15/30

Southern Collard Greens

Total Time 2 hours 30 min
Servings 6 servings
From the Recipe Creator: My grandmother made the best southern collard greens recipe in the world. Eating them with a slice of buttermilk cornbread is pure bliss. —Sherri Williams, Crestview, Florida
Nutrition Facts: 1 cup: 204 calories, 9g fat (3g saturated fat), 19mg cholesterol, 849mg sodium, 13g carbohydrate (3g sugars, 7g fiber), 10g protein.
16/30

Rice Pudding

Total Time 55 min
Servings 6 servings
From the Recipe Creator: My sisters and I always loved the recipe for rice pudding our grandma made. After she passed away, I took it upon myself to try and find the secret to her rice pudding. It took quite a bit of experimentation, but I finally got it right! And I'm glad to share this easy recipe here. —Margaret DeChant, Newberry, Michigan
Nutrition Facts: 1 cup: 197 calories, 4g fat (2g saturated fat), 79mg cholesterol, 52mg sodium, 36g carbohydrate (23g sugars, 0 fiber), 5g protein.
17/30

Blackberry Peekaboo Cookies

Total Time 25 min
Servings about 3 dozen
From the Recipe Creator: My grandmother bakes this recipe every year for the holidays. She uses homemade blackberry jam that she makes fresh every summer. These cookies are so delicious! —Jacquie Franklin, Hot Springs, Montana
Nutrition Facts: 1 cookie: 162 calories, 6g fat (2g saturated fat), 17mg cholesterol, 179mg sodium, 26g carbohydrate (15g sugars, 0 fiber), 2g protein.
18/30

Easy Dill Pickles

Total Time 1 hour 5 min
Servings 9 quarts
From the Recipe Creator: This treasured dill pickle recipe is like an old friend. These crispy spears have a slightly salty, tart flavor with a good balance of dill, garlic and peppers. —Betty Sitzman, Wray, Colorado
Nutrition Facts: 1 each: 4 calories, 0 fat (0 saturated fat), 0 cholesterol, 727mg sodium, 1g carbohydrate (0 sugars, 0 fiber), 0 protein.
19/30

Meat Loaf

Total Time 1 hour 15 min
Servings 6 servings
From the Recipe Creator: Mom made the best meat loaf, and now I do too. When I first met my husband, he wasn't a meat loaf guy, but this recipe won him over. —Michelle Beran, Claflin, Kansas
Nutrition Facts: 1 piece: 366 calories, 12g fat (5g saturated fat), 135mg cholesterol, 1086mg sodium, 38g carbohydrate (31g sugars, 0 fiber), 26g protein.
20/30

Grandma’s Honey Muffins

Total Time 30 min
Servings 1 dozen
From the Recipe Creator: I can remember my Grandma Wheeler making these delicious muffins—we'd eat them nice and warm, fresh from the oven! She was a "pinch of this and handful of that" kind of cook, so getting the ingredient amounts correct for the recipe was a challenge. Now it's a family treasure! —Darlis A. Wilfer, West Bend, Wisconsin
Nutrition Facts: 1 muffin: 179 calories, 5g fat (3g saturated fat), 29mg cholesterol, 242mg sodium, 31g carbohydrate (15g sugars, 1g fiber), 3g protein.
21/30

Tillie's Ginger Crumb Cake

Total Time 55 min
Servings 16 servings
From the Recipe Creator: This recipe goes back at least as far as my grandmother, who was born in the early 1900s. Our sons and I enjoy eating it in a bowl with milk poured on it—much to the dismay of my husband, who prefers it plain! —Kathy Nienow Clark, Byron, Michigan
Nutrition Facts: 1 piece: 330 calories, 13g fat (8g saturated fat), 54mg cholesterol, 232mg sodium, 50g carbohydrate (26g sugars, 1g fiber), 5g protein.
22/30

Crisp Sugar Cookies

Total Time 25 min
Servings 8 dozen
From the Recipe Creator: My grandmother always had sugar cookies in her pantry, and we grandchildren would empty that big jar quickly because they were the best! I now regularly bake these wonderful cookies to share with friends. —Evelyn Poteet, Hancock, Maryland
Nutrition Facts: 2 each: 117 calories, 4g fat (2g saturated fat), 19mg cholesterol, 105mg sodium, 18g carbohydrate (8g sugars, 0 fiber), 2g protein.
23/30

Apple Dumpling Roll-Ups

Total Time 1 hour 20 min
Servings 1 dozen
From the Recipe Creator: A family friend gave me a simple way to make apple dumplings without lots of steps. I love the sticky cinnamon topping. —Jenny Leighty, West Salem, Ohio
Nutrition Facts: 1 serving: 339 calories, 5g fat (3g saturated fat), 12mg cholesterol, 413mg sodium, 71g carbohydrate (44g sugars, 2g fiber), 4g protein.
24/30

Apple Slaw

Total Time 20 min
Servings 12 servings
From the Recipe Creator: A friend from church gave me this apple coleslaw recipe that her grandmother handed down to her. The flavors complement each other well, while the fruit creates a refreshing change of pace from the usual coleslaw. —Jan Myers, Atlantic, Iowa
Nutrition Facts: 2/3 cup: 87 calories, 5g fat (1g saturated fat), 0 cholesterol, 131mg sodium, 12g carbohydrate (8g sugars, 1g fiber), 1g protein. Diabetic Exchanges: 1 vegetable, 1 fat, 1/2 starch.
25/30

Onion Pie

Total Time 50 min
Servings 8 servings
From the Recipe Creator: My grandmother and mother always make onion pie during the holidays, but it's good any time. This is a savory side dish that you can serve with almost any meat or main course. It's especially good with roast beef. —Mary West, Marstons Mills, Massachusetts
Nutrition Facts: 1 piece: 170 calories, 9g fat (3g saturated fat), 163mg cholesterol, 176mg sodium, 14g carbohydrate (8g sugars, 3g fiber), 9g protein.
26/30

Apple Stack Cake

Total Time 1 hour 10 min
Servings 16 servings
From the Recipe Creator: My mom loved to bake this sky-high apple stack cake. Layer the apple goodness two days before serving. Later, a dusting of confectioners' sugar is the only topping you'll need. —LeVa Clement, Jackson, Missouri
Nutrition Facts: 1 slice: 506 calories, 13g fat (8g saturated fat), 54mg cholesterol, 313mg sodium, 94g carbohydrate (55g sugars, 4g fiber), 6g protein.
27/30

Roasted Beet Jam

Total Time 2 hours 30 min
Servings 2 half-pints
From the Recipe Creator: This spicy jam recipe is from my Russian grandmother, who had no written recipes and who gave a few jars of the jam as gifts. I re-created the recipe from memory and think of her each time I prepare it. If you want to increase the yield, it's easy to double the recipe. I like to serve the jam on buttered toast or with cream cheese on toasted pita. The jars, which are dark red from the beets, make a welcome gift.—Susan Asanovic, Wilton, Connecticut
Nutrition Facts: 2 tablespoons: 132 calories, 1g fat (0 saturated fat), 0 cholesterol, 63mg sodium, 32g carbohydrate (29g sugars, 1g fiber), 1g protein.
28/30

Leek Potato Pancakes

Total Time 35 min
Servings 6 servings
From the Recipe Creator: I received this recipe from my great-grandmother. She brought this over from England, where they enjoyed leeks immensely during the fall and winter. —Suzanne Kesel, Cohocton, New York
Nutrition Facts: 2 pancakes: 340 calories, 18g fat (4g saturated fat), 131mg cholesterol, 623mg sodium, 37g carbohydrate (7g sugars, 4g fiber), 10g protein.
29/30

Shoofly Pie

Total Time 1 hour 25 min
Servings 8 servings
From the Recipe Creator: 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
Nutrition Facts: 1 piece: 540 calories, 22g fat (13g saturated fat), 99mg cholesterol, 630mg sodium, 82g carbohydrate (49g sugars, 1g fiber), 6g protein.
30/30

Skillet Herb Bread

Total Time 45 min
Servings 10 servings
From the Recipe Creator: We had a lot of family get-togethers while I was growing up. My grandmother, aunts and mom were all good cooks, and each had her own specialty when it came to bread. Mom's was my favorite—she created this recipe more than 40 years ago. The flavors call to mind the taste of cornbread stuffing! —Shirley Smith, Yorba Linda, California
Nutrition Facts: 1 piece: 275 calories, 9g fat (2g saturated fat), 57mg cholesterol, 598mg sodium, 40g carbohydrate (6g sugars, 2g fiber), 7g protein.