This isn’t the first time the economic outlook has been bleak. The Covid-19 pandemic has hit everyone and millions (billions even!) of people are looking for ways to do more with less.

Whether it’s a tight budget or the inability to get to the grocery store for elaborate ingredients, these old-fashioned recipes from tough times past are sure to fill you up.

1. Old-World Puff Pancake

Talk about old-fashioned! Auton Miller of Piney Flats, Tennessee told Taste of Home:

“My mom told me her mother-in-law showed her how to make this dish, which became popular during the Depression, on their ‘get acquainted’ visit in 1927. At that time, cooks measured ingredients in pinches, dashes, and dibs.”

Syrups, confectioners sugar, berries, and custard are optional toppers for this easy-to-make dish that’s really a baked pancake.

Find the recipe here.

2. Rice Pudding

Margaret DeChant from Newberry, Michigan wrote:

“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.”

Both sweet and cheap, rice pudding is the perfect dessert when more elaborate dishes are out of reach. Rice, sugar, milk, and eggs form the basis of this recipe – but you’ll need some cinnamon or nutmeg (and maybe some raisins) to make it an extra-special treat.

Click here for the recipe.

3. Pea Soup

Hear us out. It’s been around for a long time because it’s a wholesome, filling meal that can be made while skimping or savoring extra ingredients such as sausage or dumplings.

The base of this soup is a meaty hambone that might otherwise go to waste. Every other ingredient is still very cheap, even today.

You can find a delicious-sounding recipe – with optional spaetzle dumplings – here.

4. Homemade biscuits

When in doubt (or just in a bad mood), head for the carbs.

They cost mere dollars to make and involve ingredients we tend to keep around anyway (milk, eggs, flour, butter, salt, baking powder, etc.) – and they’re always a warm and welcome side dish to any meal.

You can find an easy recipe here.

5. Vinegar Pie

If your first thought was “eww,” you’re not alone. But the “pioneer pie” is worth a try for it’s sweet yet mildly tart taste.

Better yet, it’s easy and cheap to make when you just need some pie and have neither baking skills nor fruit.

And it really doesn’t involve a whole lot of vinegar!

Click here for a recipe.

6. Carrot Chowder

Inexpensive ingredients plus ground beef make for a hearty chowder with lots of vitamins and minerals.

If you find yourself liking this, you can make a big batch and freeze some. That way you never have to worry about running out of dinner ideas (especially when you put some warm biscuits on the side).

Click here for a grandma-approved recipe.

7. Dill Pickles

If you want a weekend project and a season’s worth of tasty treats, try pickling!

You can pickle just about anything, but we like the original dill pickle recipe the best.

Click here for a canning recipe.

8. Meatloaf

It’ll be a while before you can go out and get a good filet again, but finding ways to use ground beef is always tasty and economical.

Even better, this childhood dish pleases adults AND kids.

You can find a recipe here.

9. Thin Crisp Sugar Cookies

All grandmothers know that you can use the most basic baking ingredients, add some extra sugar, throw it in the oven and call it a cookie. Kids tend not to argue when they smell them baking.

Various shapes can make a simple treat look special.

Click here for a basic recipe.

10. Shoofly Pie

This pie originated with the Pennsylvania Dutch in the 1880s and is a molasses pie normally eaten for breakfast.

If nothing else, it gives you an excuse to eat pie for breakfast, so we don’t see how you can argue with that.

Try out the recipe at this link.

11. Skillet Herb Bread

Tired of seeing everyone’s sourdough and banana bread photos? Get our your skillet and flex right back at them with this old-fashioned skillet bread recipe.

You’ll be trendsetting with a relic of a recipe in no time.

Click here for the cornmeal-based and easily altered recipe.

12. Collard Greens

Not only are they inexpensive, but collard greens are stuffed with vitamin A, vitamin C, calcium, vitamin K, iron, vitamin B-6…the list goes on!

If you need to take a break from all the carb-loading, consider adding this filling and fibrous dish to your repertoire.

There are plenty of recipes, but this one gets rave reviews.

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Source: Taste of Home