Two major disruptive events in American history – the Dust Bowl and the Great Depression – plagued the country throughout the 1930s. The Dust Bowl was caused by drought and massive dust storms that devastated the Plains states. Meanwhile, the Great Depression was an economic crisis that left many unemployed and impoverished. These twin crises severely damaged the supply chain, making it extremely difficult for people to obtain food. (Here are 32 haunting photos that capture the struggles of the Great Depression.)
In response to the dire shortages, American families showed remarkable creativity and resourcefulness. Out of desperation, they came up with innovative ways to feed themselves and their children during this time of scarcity and hardship.
24/7 Tempo has compiled a list of foods that were eaten during the Depression, using sources such as the Daily Meal, Eat This, Not That, Hunger to Hope, The Travel, and Historynet.
During the Great Depression, even basic pantry staples like bread, milk, eggs and flour were not readily available to many families. Breakfast might consist of pancakes made from biscuit mix, cornbread, or creamed chipped beef on toast since most meat was unaffordable. Americans ate more vegetables and soup – cabbage, potatoes, onions, and split peas.
Stews like Mulligan stew with carrots, potatoes and maybe some meat, or Hoover stew with macaroni, hot dogs, tomatoes and corn were common. You could also find macaroni and cheese, chili and baked beans.
Dessert was a luxury, but some made do with rice or prune pudding since prunes were cheaper than other fruit. Depression cake was made without milk, eggs, butter or sugar due to cost.
Some peculiar dishes emerged like bacon rolled in stale bread, meatless loaf using peanuts and oatmeal, spaghetti casserole with carrots, and peanut butter stuffed onions. (None of these, it’s safe to say, are among the 50 signature dishes that define American cuisine.)
Source: LumenSt / iStock via Getty Images
Bacon roll-ups
> Description: Stale bread cubes bound with egg and wrapped with bacon
Baked apples
> Description: Cored apples filled with cinnamon-sugar mixture, then baked
Source: robynmac / iStock via Getty Images
Baked beans
> Description: Navy beans slow-cooked with molasses and sometimes bits of pork (the basis for many common dishes at the time)
Bisquick
> Description: A mix of baking ingredients initially meant for biscuits, but later repurposed for pancakes, dumplings, etc.
Source: Catto32 / iStock via Getty Images
Cabbage soup
> Description: Soup of cabbage, potatoes, onion, and bacon
Source: Fudio / Getty Images
Chili
> Description: Cheap chili with crackers (which were free) at chili joints around the nation
Chocolate cream pie
> Description: A simple dessert made with cocoa powder
Source: Juanmonino / Getty Images
Cornbread
> Description: Made only with cornmeal, salt, and hot water
Creamed chipped beef on toast
> Description: Toast covered with chopped dried beef in white sauce
Dandelion salad
> Description: Dandelion leaves, often picked wild, soaked in clean water and rinsed, then dressed
Source: bhofack2 / iStock via Getty Images
Depression cake
> Description: Fruit, nuts, spices, and flour (no milk, sugar, butter, or eggs because they were too expensive or hard to obtain)
Source: bhofack2 / iStock via Getty Images
Deviled eggs in tomato sauce
> Description: Stuffed eggs covered with tomato sauce
Hoover Stew
> Description: Stew with cooked macaroni, hot dogs, stewed tomatoes, and canned corn
Source: jentakespictures / iStock Editorial via Getty Images
Kraft Macaroni and cheese
> Description: At just 19 cents a box, this iconic Kraft product was an instant hit when it was introduced in 1937
Meatless loaf
> Description: Loaf made with peanuts, cottage cheese, and oatmeal or rice
Source: Pawarun / iStock via Getty Images
Milkorno
> Description: A product made from powdered skim milk, cornmeal, and salt, often eaten as hot breakfast cereal
Source: sumnersgraphicsinc / iStock
Mulligan stew
> Description: Similar to Irish stew, made with carrots, potatoes, cabbage or lettuce, and meat if it was available
Source: LauriPatterson / E+ via Getty Images
Onion soup
> Description: Onions, potatoes, and green beans simmered in milk
Peanut Butter Bread
> Description: Made with peanut butter instead of butter or eggs, which were too expensive
Source: Olha_Afanasieva / Getty Images
Peanut butter-stuffed onions
> Description: Onions stuffed with peanut butter and bread crumbs and baked
Potato candy
> Description: No-bake treat also known as Depression candy, made of mashed potatoes, peanut butter, and powdered sugar
Source: bhofack2 / Getty Images
Potato pancakes
> Description: Made of grated potatoes only; cheese, garlic, and onion were optional
Source: Panagiotis Kyriakos / iStock via Getty Images
Potato soup
> Description: Made with potatoes, onions, salt, pepper, a bit of butter and milk
Source: nata_vkusidey / Getty Images
Prune pudding
> Description: Chopped prunes (cheaper than other fruits) simmered with cornstarch, sugar, and cinnamon
Rice pudding
> Description: Dessert made with white rice, milk, egg yolks, and sugar
Source: Bartosz Luczak / Getty Images
Spaghetti with bacon
> Description: A one-pot meal in which bacon was the substitute for meatballs
Source: AnSyvanych / Getty Images
Spaghetti and carrot casserole
> Description: Spaghetti with boiled carrots and a white sauce baked in the oven
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
Spam
> Description: Canned processed pork product
Split pea pancakes
> Description: Soaked and chopped split peas with a bit of flour and egg, ometimes served with tomatoes or sauce of some kind
Source: Dar1930 / iStock via Getty Images
Split pea soup
> Description: Split peas boiled with onion, maybe some ham, and spices
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