During the Great Depression, American families had to get creative just to survive. From ketchup sandwiches and vinegar pie to Hoover stew and dandelion salads, these forgotten meals tell the story of resilience, hardship, and the strange foods that kept a nation going. In this countdown, we’ll revisit 25 of the strangest, most shocking meals in U.S. history — dishes that many Americans have never even heard of today.
This isn’t just food history — it’s a journey back in time to understand how ordinary people endured extraordinary hardship. Some recipes might surprise you, some might make you laugh, and others might make you wonder how anyone ever ate them at all.
If you love nostalgic American history, retro recipes, and cultural throwbacks, hit subscribe and join us as we explore The America We Remember.#ShortFilmMagic #short #movies #music #songs #love songs #best song 2025#GreatDepression #ForgottenMeals #AmericanHistory #FoodHistory #VintageRecipes #RetroFood #TheAmericaWeRemember #HistoryChannelStyle
This isn’t just food history — it’s a journey back in time to understand how ordinary people endured extraordinary hardship. Some recipes might surprise you, some might make you laugh, and others might make you wonder how anyone ever ate them at all.
If you love nostalgic American history, retro recipes, and cultural throwbacks, hit subscribe and join us as we explore The America We Remember.#ShortFilmMagic #short #movies #music #songs #love songs #best song 2025#GreatDepression #ForgottenMeals #AmericanHistory #FoodHistory #VintageRecipes #RetroFood #TheAmericaWeRemember #HistoryChannelStyle
Category
📚
LearningTranscript
00:00Did you know that oats weren't just for breakfast?
00:03Back in the 19th century, they were also fried into meatless burgers.
00:08Now, these oatmeal patties were a popular dish, especially among the working class.
00:13And for good reason.
00:15They were cheap, easy to make, and most importantly, filling.
00:21The recipe is simple.
00:23Just mix oats with water and seasonings.
00:26Form them into patties and then fry them up in a pan with a little bit of fat.
00:32The oats absorb the flavor of the fat and become incredibly juicy and delicious.
00:38And because they're high in fiber, they stay filling long after you've eaten them.
00:44These oatmeal patties can be served hot off the pan with a dollop of butter or,
00:50and this is really fancy, a fried egg on top.
00:53If you've ever wondered what boiled cabbage looks like, you're in for a treat.
00:59Cabbage is cheap, hearty, and can be endlessly stretched.
01:05Sometimes it's the only vegetable on the plate.
01:09In this case, it was boiled for 45 minutes to get that perfect golden color.
01:15And then we added a little bit of salt and pepper.
01:18And here's the finished dish.
01:20It might not look like much, but let me tell you, it tastes absolutely delicious.
01:26The best part about cabbage is that it's so versatile.
01:30You can eat it raw, you can cook it, you can add it to soups and stews.
01:35It's a real crowd pleaser.
01:37This recipe is so easy, even a child can do it.
01:41And it's perfect for those nights when you don't feel like cooking.
01:45Just boil some cabbage and you're done.
01:47So next time you're at the grocery store, pick up a head of cabbage and give it a try.
01:54You won't be disappointed.
01:56When you think of stale bread, you might think it's a waste.
02:00But in the 18th century, they had a delicious way of using it up.
02:06They called it bread pudding.
02:09This is how it was done.
02:10Take your stale bread, soak it in milk and sugar overnight.
02:16The longer, the better.
02:18Then you take that bread, squeeze out the excess milk and sugar, and then you bake it in the oven until it's nice and hot.
02:27And for extra flavor, they would often add things like butter or even chocolate.
02:32And this was a treat that both kids and adults could enjoy.
02:38In fact, it was so popular that they would often make it in huge quantities to feed large groups of people.
02:46And the best part is it could be made with any type of bread, sweet or savory.
02:51So the next time you have some stale bread, don't throw it out.
02:55Make yourself a nice sweet bread pudding.
02:58Your taste buds will thank you.
03:00Did you know that during World War II, people would eat carrot, uh, bananas?
03:09See, this was before the days of easy, cheap bananas.
03:13They were actually really expensive to buy.
03:16So people would mash up carrots and then add flavorings like vanilla or rum extract to make them taste like banana.
03:25And it worked so well that the British government even got involved.
03:30They didn't want people wasting their precious sugar rations on fake bananas, so they had to get creative with rationing the carrots as well.
03:40One banana a day keeps the Nazis away, right?
03:44But if you didn't have a banana, you could just mash up some carrots and pretend.
03:51And if you couldn't get those, you could always just eat regular carrots.
03:56I mean, they weren't gonna be as tasty, but they weren't gonna kill you either.
04:01This is a food that many people hate and some people love.
04:06It's cheap, dried beef smothered in white gravy, poured over bread, also known as SOS.
04:14I grew up eating this occasionally, and I still love it to this day.
04:19Some people say that it tastes like cardboard or sandpaper, but to me it's a delicious, if not unhealthy, comfort food.
04:28The way that they make it in my family is, we use a can of chipped beef, a can of cream of chicken soup, and a whole bunch of shredded cheese.
04:38We pour the beef and the gravy over top of the bread, and then we put even more gravy on top of that.
04:45And then we bake it in the oven until the cheese is all melty and bubbly.
04:49And yeah, this is definitely a dish that you either love or hate.
04:55There's no in-between.
04:56So do you love it or do you hate it?
04:59Let me know down in the comments.
05:01This is the weirdest thing that I've ever eaten,
05:04and I'm pretty sure that it was also the last thing that your great-great-grandparents ate before they died.
05:11Corn cob jelly.
05:13Yes, even the corn cobs were boiled down to make a sweet jelly when nothing went to waste.
05:21Back in the day, every part of the corn plant was used.
05:25The kernels, the silk, the leaves, even the cobs.
05:32Nothing went to waste.
05:33The kernels were dried and ground into a powder,
05:38and then mixed with water and sugar to make corn bread, corn syrup, corn whiskey, and even corn milk.
05:48The silk was used to make tea.
05:51The leaves were used to wrap tamales, and the cob was used to make a sweet jelly.
05:57This corn cob jelly was an accidental invention by Native American tribes.
06:03They would boil the cobs for hours until they were soft,
06:07and then they would grind them up and strain the liquid.
06:11What was left over was this sweet, syrupy substance that tasted like caramel,
06:18and it could be used as a sweetener or a thickener for other dishes.
06:22Today, corn cob jelly is still being made by some Native American tribes,
06:29and it's a popular item at craft fairs and farmer's markets.
06:35Have you ever heard of corn cob jelly?
06:38Would you ever eat it?
06:40Let me know in the comments below.
06:43Well, I'm about to show you what poor people ate when they had very little money,
06:48but it was still a good source of calories.
06:51This is cornmeal mush.
06:54And no, it's not just a type of food that poor people ate.
07:00It was a staple for many families who had very little money.
07:05Cornmeal mush is very easy to make.
07:08You simply boil cornmeal and water together,
07:11and then you can eat it plain like this.
07:14Or you can fry it up with a little bit of oil and eat it like a pancake.
07:18Or you can add syrup if you have it, which makes it taste even better.
07:24Now, cornmeal mush may not sound like the most exciting thing to eat,
07:29but it will fill your belly and keep you full for a long time.
07:34And that's why it was such a popular dish for poor families who were struggling to get by.
07:39So the next time you're feeling hungry, try a simple cornmeal mush.
07:46You'll be glad you did.
07:48I want to share with you guys a salad that I've been eating a lot of lately.
07:53It's called dandelion greens.
07:55Foraging is becoming more and more popular,
07:59and it's a great way to find free food in your own backyard or in fields nearby.
08:06Dandelions are a great source of nutrition,
08:09and they have a long history of being used as a medicinal herb.
08:14The leaves are very bitter, which is why they're often overlooked.
08:18But that bitterness is what makes them so special.
08:22When we were growing up, we didn't have a lot of money.
08:26So my mom would forage these bitter greens from people's yards and use them in salads.
08:33She would make dandelion tea.
08:35These greens are so bitter that they're almost inedible.
08:40But they're actually one of the most nutrient-dense foods that you can eat.
08:45They're full of vitamins A, C, D, and K.
08:48They also contain iron, calcium, and potassium.
08:53If you're looking for a wild edible that's easy to identify and has a ton of health benefits,
08:59then look no further than the humble dandelion.
09:03This is Depression-era, cornbread, and milk.
09:09It was the poor man's comfort food.
09:12I grew up eating this.
09:14My grandmother would soak the night before.
09:16She would take the cornbread, crumble it up, and then soak it in milk.
09:23And then the next morning we would eat it with even more milk.
09:27It was so good.
09:29She would also add sugar and cinnamon.
09:31But you can just do cornbread and milk.
09:34It's really good.
09:36The sweetness from the cornbread.
09:38The crunchiness that you get from the milk.
09:41It's like a dessert, but it's also like breakfast.
09:45It's kind of like a sweetbread pudding.
09:48And this is all you need.
09:51This is like five ingredients or less.
09:54Maybe even four if you don't count the water that's in the cornbread.
09:59I have a recipe for this.
10:01I'll put it up right here.
10:03It's really easy to make.
10:06And if you want to see more Depression-era recipes, let me know.
10:11There's a lot of things that you can make with very little ingredients that are just so freaking good.
10:17Do you know what the most popular cake was during World War II?
10:21It was this one.
10:23No eggs, no milk, no butter.
10:25It was called a wacky cake.
10:28Back then, all the ingredients were rationed except for sugar and flour.
10:33So this cake was a favorite because you could make it without using any of the rationed ingredients.
10:40Let me tell you how it's made.
10:42First, cream together the sugar and flour.
10:46Then add some baking soda and vinegar.
10:49And this is how you make the wacky cake batter.
10:52It's so easy even a child can do it.
10:57Next, you pour the batter into a pan and bake it in a low oven for an hour.
11:03When it's done, you let it cool completely before frosting it.
11:08And you can use any type of frosting you want.
11:11Now here's the wacky part.
11:14After the cake is cooled, you cut off the top to make it flat.
11:18And if you have any leftover batter, you can bake that in a smaller pan and use it as a topper.
11:26And then you just let your imagination run wild and go crazy with the decorations.
11:32This is one of the cheapest, saltiest, most filling sandwiches ever.
11:37And it's no surprise that it became a Depression-era staple.
11:41I'm talking about fried bologna sandwiches.
11:44Now, bologna was invented way before the Depression, but it really took off during it.
11:52This fake meat was made to look like the real thing, but it was way cheaper.
11:57And it could be mass-produced.
12:00It was made from leftover scraps of meat, supposedly from veal,
12:05along with some salt, pepper, garlic, and paprika.
12:10The mixture would then be ground up and formed into a loaf.
12:16And because it was so dense and hard, they had to actually fry it to make it taste good.
12:22They would cut it up into thin slices and then fry it in their own juices until it was crispy.
12:29And then they would put those crispy pieces of fake meat between two slices of bread with some mustard and call it a day.
12:38And while this sandwich may not look like much,
12:42it was a godsend for people who were struggling to put food on the table during the Great Depression.
12:48This is Hoover Stew.
12:51It's a hodgepodge of macaroni, canned tomatoes, hot dogs, and beans.
12:57This dish was born during the Great Depression when people were so poor they couldn't afford to buy meat.
13:04So they turned to the next best thing, which was cheap canned goods.
13:10The beauty of this dish is that it can be made with whatever ingredients you have on hand.
13:16And believe me, when money is tight, this stew will keep your family full.
13:22Here's how it's done.
13:24Cook your pasta according to the package instructions.
13:27While the pasta is boiling, dice up some hot dogs and throw them into the pot.
13:34Add in a can of diced tomatoes, a can of tomato sauce, and then a can of beans.
13:42Season with salt and pepper and let it all simmer together.
13:46When the pasta is cooked, add it to the pot and stir everything together.
13:52And that's it.
13:53You've got yourself a meal.
13:55This dish is so hearty and filling that it will stick to your ribs.
14:01It's the perfect comfort food for a cold winter night.
14:05And it's also great for feeding a crowd.
14:09So the next time you're feeling a little blue, why not whip up a batch of Hoover Stew?
14:15This is hot milk sponge cake.
14:18A depression dessert that stretched basic pantry staples into something that felt special.
14:25During the Great Depression, people were eating a lot of plain baked goods like white bread, white rice, and white pasta.
14:35And they would often use their imaginations to make these meals feel more exciting.
14:40This recipe is from a cookbook called Comfort Foods for a Cash Crunch nation.
14:47And it's one of my favorite recipes because it takes these humble ingredients and turns them into something that feels special.
14:55You're going to need some all-purpose flour, baking powder, salt, sugar, milk, and eggs.
15:02The original recipe calls for evaporated milk, but I'm using whole milk because that's what I have on hand.
15:10And it also calls for a little bit of butter.
15:13We're going to start by whisking together the dry ingredients, then add in the wet ingredients and mix until just combined.
15:22Then we're going to pour the batter into a loaf pan and bake it at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 30 to 40 minutes.
15:31The original recipe suggests serving this warm with a little bit of butter and some fresh berries.
15:39But I'm going to be honest, I like it better cold.
15:42This is the story of lard sandwiches, a desperate but common meal.
15:49During World War II, people were so desperate for food that they would spread lard, which is pig fat, on their bread.
15:57Some would add a little bit of salt or sugar to make it taste better.
16:03This was a common meal for poor people and soldiers who were fighting in the war.
16:09Lard sandwiches were easy to make and they used up some of the most basic ingredients that were always available, bread and fat.
16:18During the war, there were food shortages and rationing, so this was a great way to use up what little you had.
16:26The downside is that lard sandwiches were not very filling and they didn't last very long, but people were so hungry that they would eat them anyway.
16:37Today, lard sandwiches are still eaten in some parts of the world, but they're more of a novelty item than a staple of the diet.
16:47You can buy pre-made lard sandwiches at some grocery stores or you can make them yourself.
16:53So next time you're feeling a little hungry, you might want to try a lard sandwich.
17:00It may not be the most delicious thing you ever ate, but it's definitely a meal that will fill your belly.
17:08This is one of my favorite ways to make bread pudding, and it's really, really easy.
17:13Take a good quality milk toast bread, soak it in warm milk with a little bit of sugar or cinnamon.
17:22You can do both if you want.
17:25Just let it sit for a few minutes until the bread has absorbed all the liquid and then you can eat it.
17:31You can do this with any type of bread, but the milk toast is my favorite because it's already sweet.
17:37And the way that it kind of melts in your mouth, it's just so comforting.
17:43It really reminds me of my mom making me hot chocolate with marshmallows when I was a kid.
17:49If you have a sweet tooth, you can add more sugar, or you can use flavored milk like vanilla or strawberry.
17:57And if you don't like cinnamon, you can use nutmeg or allspice.
18:01But I love the way that the cinnamon makes the milk taste so warm and rich.
18:08This is such a great supper for anyone who doesn't want to eat a heavy meal, especially when it's cold outside.
18:15This is like the ultimate comfort food.
18:18This is the most disgusting food I've ever eaten.
18:22And it's not even real.
18:24This is a mock apple pie.
18:27It's made with crackers, sugar, and spices.
18:31The idea is that you eat the crust first, then you fill it with the sugary spice mixture,
18:39and then you top it with more crust.
18:41And then you bake it in the oven like a normal pie.
18:45But there's no apples.
18:47And if you didn't know that going in, you would be absolutely disgusted by the end of it.
18:52I actually did enjoy it, though.
18:55It was really crunchy and had a good amount of sweetness.
18:58But it wasn't until after I had eaten the entire thing that I realized how unhealthy it was.
19:05This pie has more than 30 grams of sugar per serving, and there are only two servings in the whole pie.
19:13That means that one slice of this pie has the same amount of sugar as an entire candy bar.
19:19Let's make mock turtle soup, a fancy-sounding dish made with organ meats instead of real turtle.
19:27This was a common way of stretching pennies in the 19th century.
19:33And it's also a really impressive dish to make because it looks so fancy,
19:38even though it's made with the most humble of ingredients.
19:42To get started, you're going to need some beef or veal hearts, some lungs, maybe a little bit of stomach.
19:49These are all organs that are typically used for stock,
19:52but they can be cleaned and prepared in a number of different ways.
19:56I'm going to cut these up and then fry them off in some butter until they're nice and crispy.
20:02Then I'll throw them into my slow cooker.
20:05After that, I'm going to add in some chopped carrots, celery, and onions, plus a few cloves of garlic.
20:12Now, we're going to let this cook for a little while.
20:16Then we're going to blend it, and we're going to serve it up with some crusty bread.
20:20And there you have it.
20:22You've made yourself a very fancy soup that's actually quite healthy and very, very cheap.
20:29I grew up eating this.
20:31You're probably wondering what it is.
20:34It's onion soup.
20:36And no, it's not made with onions.
20:38It's made by boiling a single onion in water.
20:42Sometimes we'd have like a little bit of broth or milk at the end.
20:46But mostly it was just water.
20:49My mom would make this all the time when I was a kid.
20:52And it was really easy.
20:54You just boil an onion in water, salt and pepper to taste, and then you blend it.
21:00And that's it.
21:01Now, back then we didn't have a lot of money.
21:04So my mom would stretch this out to feed a family of four.
21:08She would serve it with some bread on the side, and we would eat it all up.
21:13I don't know if you can tell, but there's a lot of things that I could have done to make this better.
21:19Like, I could have grilled the onion first.
21:23I could have put some butter in there.
21:25I could have added some thyme or rosemary.
21:28I could have used chicken broth instead of water.
21:32But this is what I grew up on, and I'm kind of glad that my mom didn't make it any other way.
21:38This is one of the most disgusting recipes I have ever seen.
21:41It was promoted as a healthy and nutritious meal for those on a budget.
21:47And it is peanut butter stuffed onions.
21:50This is not an April Fool's joke.
21:53This is an actual recipe that was posted by a food blogger.
21:57The recipe is really simple.
22:00You just take a whole onion, hollow out the center, and then fill it with peanut butter.
22:06The only thing that might be more disgusting than that is the fact that they actually charge $3.75 for this onion.
22:17As a kid, I used to love eating raw onions.
22:21I don't know why.
22:23They were just so crisp and refreshing.
22:25But this, this is just wrong on so many levels.
22:32The fact that you can't see nor taste the onion in this dish is just a bonus.
22:38If you like your food to have some sort of nutritional value, then skip this recipe and just eat the damn peanut butter.
22:46At least that way you're getting some protein.
22:48Have you ever heard of potato pancakes?
22:52These are grated potatoes that are fried into these delicious, crispy, golden brown cakes.
22:59They're often served as a main dish and they can easily replace meat at the table.
23:06I mean, just look at this beauty.
23:08It's so crispy on the outside, fluffy inside, and it has this amazing golden glow to it.
23:15The best part is that they're really easy to make.
23:19Just grate some potatoes, squeeze out any excess moisture, then fry them up in neutral oil like canola or rice oil on low to medium heat until they're nice and crispy.
23:33You want to be patient and cook them slowly so that they don't burn.
23:38While they're cooking, you can make a simple sauce by combining sour cream or Greek yogurt with some chopped parsley and salt and pepper to taste.
23:50And when your potato pancakes are done, you can serve them up with a generous amount of sauce on top.
23:57Trust me, this dish is a crowd pleaser and it's definitely worth giving a try.
24:02What do you think is the best dessert?
24:04This one might look complicated, but I promise it's not.
24:09It's called prune pudding.
24:11And yes, it was even served at the White House under FDR.
24:16This sweet, sticky dessert is made with prunes, sugar, butter, flour, and milk.
24:23And it's really easy to make.
24:25Just mix everything together, pour it into a pan, and bake.
24:30The result will be so worth it.
24:32Just look how happy this family is eating it.
24:36This is one of the most disgusting things I've ever seen someone eat.
24:41It's called Ritz Cracker Mock Chicken.
24:44And basically, it's when you mix together Ritz Crackers and condensed soup, and then you form it into a ball.
24:51And then you roll that ball around in more crackers to make it look like a chicken nugget.
24:56And then you serve it with more condensed soup.
24:59This dish is an absolute abomination.
25:01I will never eat this again.
25:04But I did it for you guys because I love you.
25:08And you should try it because you might like it.
25:11It was so easy to make.
25:13I just took a can of cream of chicken soup, a can of cream of mushroom soup, and then I mixed them together.
25:21Then I put some salt and pepper in it, and then I mixed it all together.
25:26Then I took my trusty mini muffin pan, and I started pressing the mixture into the bottom of the pan.
25:34And after that, I just rolled it around in some crushed up Ritz Crackers.
25:39And then I put it in the oven.
25:42After it was done cooking, I took it out, and I served it with a little bit of the soup that we made earlier.
25:50And it tasted so good, it really did taste like chicken.
25:54Spam has been around since 1937.
25:58And when it first came out, it was the protein of choice for cash-strapped families.
26:06During the Great Depression, people would use Spam to make all sorts of creations,
26:12including Spam and eggs, Spam and potatoes, and even Spam and ice cream.
26:18That last one is a little weird, but also very delicious if you're into that sort of thing.
26:25But one of the most popular Spam recipes back in the day was Spam, apple, and cheese sandwiches.
26:32This was a quick and easy way to use up leftover Spam and add some variety to your meals.
26:39And let's be honest, who doesn't love a good sandwich?
26:43But if you're looking to spice things up, you can always go for the Spam musubi.
26:49This is a Hawaiian dish made with Spam, rice, and pineapple juice.
26:55It's sweet, it's savory, and it's definitely a crowd-pleaser.
27:00So next time you're feeling hungry, why not try one of these delicious Spam recipes?
27:07You may just be surprised at how much you enjoy it.
27:10This is one of history's most disgusting desserts.
27:14It is a vinegar pie, a tart made with nothing but vinegar, sugar, and flour.
27:20No one in their right mind would use vinegar as a base for a dessert, right?
27:25Well, believe it or not, this was a common substitute for lemon pie filling during the 18th century.
27:33Back then, lemons were extremely expensive.
27:36So if you wanted to make a tart, you had to get creative.
27:41And apparently people thought that vinegar and lemon taste pretty similar.
27:46So they started using that as a base and adding sugar to balance out the acidity.
27:53And then they would just bake it all together with flour and salt and call it a day.
27:59I mean, it sounds disgusting, but apparently it actually tastes really good.
28:06I don't know about that.
28:08Would you guys try it?
28:10Let me know in the comments below.
28:13And with that being said, let's move on to the next pie.
Recommended
58:32
5:02
27:02
24:15
19:46
19:11
41:28
1:51
24:28
1:19
0:08
1:01
0:13
0:26
0:30
0:52
0:22
Be the first to comment