50 Old Fashioned Frugal Recipes from Grandma (2024)

If you’re working hard to save money, then a major area you should focus on is what you eat! Groceries are a large part of most people’s budgets, and replacing pricey recipes with frugal ones can often help families to save a lot! And what better way to find frugal recipes than to look at what people made back during the early 1900s and Great Depression? Here are 15 Old Fashioned Frugal Recipes from Grandma!

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Much of what people ate back during the olden times was based on cost and availability. The meat was expensive, so people tried to stretch it as much as they could by adding other things like beans to their recipes. And some foods that are common to us now, like avocados and broccoli, were new, often unheard-of foods for many people. And of course, pretty much everything people ate back then was homemade, not store-bought. The end result of all of that is a frugal way of eating that still works to help families save money today! By adding at least a few of these old-fashioned frugal recipes to your menu plan, you’ll be able tocut down on your family’s grocery budget!

15 Old Fashioned Frugal Recipes from Grandma

  • Home cooking.Cooking from scratch reminds me of home, and watching my mom and grandma make some of the best food I’ve ever tasted. These recipes from long ago will make your mouth water when you try them in your own home and teach them to your children.
  • Handy Substitutions. Recipe substitutions may be necessary due to health restrictions and diet, not having the supplies on hand, or simply taste preferences. If this is the case, no need to worry, we have a Handy Ingredient Substitutions Charthere for you to print if you would like.
  • Vintage Recipes.Why not give one of these old recipes a shot with your family at dinner, or add your own twist to a new to you old recipe? You may be surprised at which ones you will be adding to your own recipe book.

1. Southern Johnny Cakes

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If you’re a fan of pancakes, then you have to try this similar Depression-era breakfast food called Southern Johnny cakes! Check out Grandbaby Cakes’ recipe to make a delicious batch for your family!

2. Depression Era Meat Loaf

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When families back in the olden times managed to buy some ground beef, they made it stretch! For a frugal ground beef recipe, follow Moms Who Think’s recipe for Depression-era meat loaf!

3. Chicken Pot Pie

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Full of meat and veggies, this type of hearty meal was very popular back in the day! Follow Family Fresh Meals’ recipe to make your own chicken pot pie!

4. Hot Milk Cake

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Even during the Depression era, people indulged in sweet treats occasionally. For a frugal dessert recipe, you have to try Culinary Hill’s hot milk cake!

5. Cheesy Beef Goulash

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The best way to be frugal with ground beef is to make it into a large dish that likely will leave leftovers for the next day! A perfect example is Lil’ Luna’s cheesy beef goulash recipe!

6. Ham and Bean Soup

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For a warm, filling, and inexpensive meal, you can’t go wrong with ham and bean soup! Simply Sated explains how to make this delicious old-fashioned frugal recipe!

7. Depression-Era Chocolate Cake

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While this cake may taste rich, you don’t have to be rich to make it! Check out Our Heritage of Health’s delicious Depression-era chocolate cake recipe!

8. One Hour Homemade Bread

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Making your own bread is both a frugal choice, and a healthy choice, and was something most people did regularlyback in the old days. Follow La Fuji Mama’s recipe to make your own one hour homemade bread!

9. Poor Man’s Pudding

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It’s hard to believe this decadent-looking dessert is something that was popular during the Great Depression, but it was! Check out A Hippie with a Minivan’s recipe to make your own poor man’s pudding!

10. Twice Baked Potato Casserole

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Potatoes were a major Depression-era staple for many families, and are still an inexpensive, and filling, food choice today. Mom on Timeout explains how to make this yummy twice-baked potato casserole!

11.Green Dandy! – Delicious Dandelion Salad

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During the Great Depression, the recipe from Passionately Raw was always a favorite when times were hard and finances are stretched thin because the main ingredient was free!

12.Pasta with Peas Recipe

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Pasta was an inexpensive food product in the Depression, and The Life Jolie added a twist to this dish,which would have been a cheap staple then.

13.Old Fashion Chicken and Dumplings

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As a way of making the most of every chicken, many women saved the scraps to make another meal for the family. Big Oven offers a version of this old-fashioned recipe.

14.Grandma’s Pecan Pie

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The BAKERMAMA provides a mouthwatering pecan pie recipe that would have been a treat reserved for those special occasions during the 1930s.

15.Bread and Butter Pickles

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Cottage At the Crossroads tells the story that bread and butter pickles were layered in between two slices of bread to make a sandwich in the Depression era.

Which of these old-fashioned frugal recipes do you want to try first?

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50 Old Fashioned Frugal Recipes from Grandma (2024)

FAQs

How to cook for a lot of people cheap? ›

Cheap tricks for the best outdoor cookouts.
  1. 1 / 7. Hot Dog Snack Board. ...
  2. 2 / 7. No-Cook Dip and Veggie Summer Board. ...
  3. 3 / 7. Instant Pot Pulled Porchetta Sandwiches. ...
  4. 4 / 7. Chicken Caesar Salad Skewers. ...
  5. 5 / 7. Chopped BBQ Chicken Salad. ...
  6. 6 / 7. Fish Tacos. ...
  7. 7 / 7. Ice Cream Sandwiches for a Crowd.
Apr 19, 2023

What do grandmothers like to eat? ›

Grandma's Favorite Comfort Food Recipes
  • 01 of 21. Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup. View Recipe. ...
  • 02 of 21. Beef Pot Roast. ...
  • 03 of 21. Fried Chicken with Creamy Gravy. ...
  • 04 of 21. World's Best Lasagna. ...
  • 05 of 21. Grandma Ople's Apple Pie. ...
  • 06 of 21. Modenese Pork Chops. ...
  • 07 of 21. Classic Meatloaf. ...
  • 08 of 21. Grandma's Green Bean Casserole.
Jan 31, 2022

What food was popular 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.

How can I feed 50 guests cheaply? ›

Feed the masses without breaking the bank with these budget-friendly dishes.
  1. Mexican Lasagne. A spicy lasagne for those of us who love Mexican and Italian food. ...
  2. Cheese Cob Dip. ...
  3. The Best Burger in Oz. ...
  4. Kangaroo Casserole. ...
  5. Sausage Casserole. ...
  6. Nanna's golden sausage casserole. ...
  7. Quiche Lorraine. ...
  8. Turkey and Pumpkin Lasagne.

What is the cheapest meal you can make? ›

68 Easy And Cheap Dinner Ideas That You'll Want To Make On Repeat
  • Black Bean Burgers. ...
  • Creamy Tomato Shells. ...
  • Zucchini Corn Quesadillas. ...
  • Super-Fresh Cucumber Tomato Salad. ...
  • Chicken and Mandarin Salad With Simple Sesame Dressing. ...
  • Garlic Butter Capellini Pomodoro With Shrimp. ...
  • Orzo With Spinach and Roasted Red Peppers.
5 days ago

What dishes do elderly like? ›

Lunch
  • Homemade Creamy Vegetable Soup. This vegetable soup is easy to make and also quite healthy. ...
  • Lemon Herb Cauliflower Bean Dip. ...
  • Healthy Spinach & Mushroom Omelette. ...
  • Loaded Mashed Potato Cakes. ...
  • Quinoa Black Bean Burrito Bowls. ...
  • Very Veggie Fried Rice. ...
  • Simple Homemade Tomato Soup. ...
  • Basil Tomato Mozzarella Salad with Quinoa.

What makes a good grandma? ›

Being adaptable, teachable, respectful, and supportive can lay the groundwork for being the kind of grandparent your kids and grandkids can trust. Don't beat yourself up if you realize that you've made some grandparenting mistakes. Parents and grandparents aren't perfect, and everyone has room to grow.

What do grandmas eat for lunch? ›

Grandma's 20 Favorite Winter Lunch Recipes
  • Chicken Fried Chicken. Caitlin Bensel; Food Styling: Torie Cox. ...
  • Pineapple Sandwich. Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox. ...
  • Old-Fashioned Meatloaf. ...
  • Grilled Cheese. ...
  • Chicken-Fried Chicken Gizzards. ...
  • Chicken Bog. ...
  • Mayo Sandwich. ...
  • Beef And Barley Soup.
Jan 15, 2024

What dish is not recommended for supper? ›

So stay away from refined foods such as pasta, burgers and pizzas for dinner,” adds ​​Dr Marakini. “Starchy foods are made of several glucose molecules, which are attached together in long chains. High starch foods should not be consumed for dinner as they have a high GI and will disturb the blood sugar balance.

What to make when you have no idea what to cook? ›

30 Easy Dinner Ideas For When You're Not Sure What To Make
  1. Fajita Parchment-Baked Chicken. tasty.co. ...
  2. The Best Ever Slow Cooker Pot Roast. tasty.co. ...
  3. Veggie Garlic Noodles. tasty.co. ...
  4. Chicken & Biscuit Bake. tasty.co. ...
  5. Taco Soup. tasty.co. ...
  6. One-Pot Lemon Garlic Shrimp Pasta. ...
  7. Chicken & Veggie Stir-Fry. ...
  8. Oven-Baked French Bread Pizzas.
Apr 19, 2023

What did the poor eat during the depression? ›

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 was peoples favorite food in 1920? ›

Recipes for Chicken and Rice with Sauce; Baked Rice Milanaise; Prosperity Sandwich; Ice Box Cake; and a Sidecar.

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.

How to feed 100 guests on a budget? ›

Serving budget-friendly cuisines like salads, sandwiches and pasta dishes can be a very cost-effective choice. Or, if you're looking for a more casual option, how about a barbeque? Burgers, hot dogs and other grill-oriented foods are sure to be crowd favorites, and they won't rack up a big bill.

How do you feed 30 guests on a budget? ›

Baked potato party. Buy enough potatoes for 30 people. Get smaller potatoes rather then large ones so people can have several with different toppings. For toppings make a chili, A curry, bacon, spring onions, cheese, cheese sauce, sour cream, butter, and roasted garlic butter, anything else you want.

How do you cook for large amounts of people? ›

8 Tips For Cooking For Large Groups
  1. Keep things simple. ...
  2. Cook a crowd pleaser. ...
  3. Make something that's adaptable. ...
  4. Plan/Cook ahead. ...
  5. Invest in a slow cooker (or two) ...
  6. Make everyone your sous-chefs! ...
  7. Use a buffet approach. ...
  8. Finger food essentials.
May 24, 2019

How much does it cost to cook for 100 guests? ›

However, as per the national average, catering for 100 people might cost anywhere from $3,000 to $5,000. Generally, catering prices are broken down into price per plate. For instance, a $3,000 catering bill for a hundred guests would interpret to $30 per plate. But remember, the per plate price isn't just for the food.

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