Some of the most delicious recipes were invented out of necessity. When faced with a lack of certain ingredients, creative bakers scraped together whatever was in their larders so they could still put bread – or cake – on the table. Resourceful wartime cooks used both their rations and imaginations to come up with delicious meals, making each scrap of food stretch as far as possible. Here are some of the best dishes that were born from hardship and are now firm favourites.
Click or scroll through our gallery to discover the fabulous foods created in hard times – counting down to our favourite of all.
We've based our ranking on the enduring popularity of each dish, and on the opinions of our well-travelled (and well-fed) team. This list is unavoidably subjective.
Eggs were a valuable source of protein in 1930s America, when meat was too expensive for many families. Egg drop soup, a simple take on a Chinese recipe, sounds quite fancy – but it was prized for being simple and relatively inexpensive, making it a staple in both homes and soup kitchens during the Great Depression. The soup begins with potatoes and onions, gently browned to develop flavour, before water and seasonings are added to form a broth. Once the potatoes soften and break down, eggs are cracked in and lightly scrambled, giving the soup body and texture. Nearly a century later, it remains as comforting and satisfying as ever.
Livermush has an aptly descriptive name, as it's essentially pig livers, snouts and ears – plus cornmeal and spices – all mushed together. The dish has become deeply ingrained in North Carolinian culture and is most often fried and served as a breakfast side, or eaten cold between slices of bread. Historians believe it likely originated with German settlers who travelled through the Appalachians in the 1700s. During the Great Depression, livermush was also known as 'poor man’s pâté', replacing meat that was harder to afford.
Funeral potatoes is a comforting casserole-style dish that originated in the Mormon communities of Utah; it was traditionally prepared by Mormon women and served to grieving families after funerals. It's rich with comfort food essentials – potatoes, soup, sour cream, butter and cheese – and finished with a crunchy cornflake topping. These ingredients proved practical during World War II, as they were long-lasting and easy to store, particularly in a culture that encouraged well-stocked pantries at all times.
Hot dogs and potatoes were relatively plentiful during the Great Depression and had a decent shelf life, which made them staples of many dishes born out of necessity across the USA. The poor man’s meal was a basic yet tasty and satisfying combination of fried potatoes and onions, topped with sliced hot dogs – much like breakfast hashes, which are still eaten (and craved) today.
A combination of elbow macaroni, tinned tomatoes, sweetcorn, beans and chopped hot dogs, Hoover stew emerged in the USA during the Great Depression of the 1930s. It was often served in soup kitchens in 'Hoovervilles' – shantytowns built by displaced people and named after then-president Herbert Hoover. This ramshackle concoction still holds a strangely comforting appeal, especially if you happen to be feeling unwell.
The name is certainly not a giveaway. Cape Cod turkey doesn't contain so much as a turkey thigh or scrap of white meat. It's actually salt cod served in a creamy sauce and topped with boiled eggs and potatoes. The origin of the name isn’t known for certain, though a popular theory suggests it was served at Thanksgiving, when early New England settlers had little available beyond fish.
Also known, less breezily, as a ‘chocolate Depression cake’, the wacky cake arose from a complete absence of essential baking ingredients, including butter and eggs – yet this creative solution somehow works. The dry ingredients (flour, sugar, baking soda and, if available, cocoa powder) are combined in the tin, then vegetable oil and vinegar are poured into wells. The baking soda and vinegar ‘meet’ while in the oven, helping the cake rise beautifully. Now, as vegan recipes become more prevalent, this cake doesn’t seem quite so wacky after all.
Chicken was much more expensive in the early years of the 20th century and was often regarded as a luxury meat. So it's perhaps not surprising that city chicken, popular with urban workers in cities such as Cincinnati, Cleveland, Pittsburgh and Louisville, contains no chicken at all. Cubes of pork (or sometimes veal) are skewered, then fried or baked to make this simple, satisfying snack. It fell out of favour, of course, when chicken became more widely available.
This is a dish that tends to divide opinion, but when you think about it, peanut butter isn’t technically sweet – so why not pair it with a generous layer of creamy mayonnaise? The sandwich became an easy, inexpensive high-protein snack in the 1930s and during wartime, and it was later promoted in a joint advertising campaign by Hellmann’s Mayonnaise and Skippy Peanut Butter in the 1960s.
Known, charmingly, as cookie-crumb potatoes, kartoshka don’t actually contain any potatoes at all. In Soviet Russia, industrial kitchens and canteens had to account for every scrap of food, and no crumb went to waste. Those scraps were repurposed into new creations such as these sweet, potato-shaped truffles made from biscuit or cake crumbs bound with butter, condensed milk and cocoa powder.
Soup is one of the best ways to use up almost anything – a fact that didn’t escape the British Ministry of Food during World War II. This simple yet tasty recipe was part of a campaign promoting non-rationed foods and appeared in a recipe leaflet by 'Potato Pete'. The smooth, creamy soup is made with potatoes (of course), leeks, celery and onion, blended and brightened with chopped herbs. It’s basically a warm, comforting hug in a bowl.
These plump, juicy patties became popular in the US during World War II, when meat rationing meant people were constantly looking for ways to make it stretch further. Ground meat – usually beef, but often whatever was on hand – was mixed with potatoes, chopped onions and any other vegetables that were available, creating a simple yet satisfying meal.
So many brilliant recipes are the product of people rummaging around in their cupboards, especially when it comes to sweet treats. Anthill cake, popular during the Soviet era, is a prime example. It basically involved throwing together bread, pastry, biscuits, cake – whatever needed using up – then crumbling it and binding it with butter, sour cream and condensed milk. Its name (muraveinik in Russian) comes from its resemblance to a small hill.
Often known simply as Woolton pie (after the British Minister for Food), Lord Woolton pie was one of many simple, tasty, carb-heavy dishes to come out of World War II. With meat scarce, the pie crust became a vehicle for lots of vegetables, with oatmeal added to bulk it out. Back then, it was typically made with non-rationed root vegetables – potatoes, turnips, carrots and swedes – that were relatively easy to come by. It became such an icon of wartime sustenance that it was referred to as a 'weapon of mass nutrition' against the Nazis.
This recipe, developed by 19th-century settlers in the Appalachian Mountains, is a clever way to make bread if you don’t have any yeast. What makes it rise is a starter, made by cultivating bacteria by mixing boiled milk, cornmeal, a sliced potato, sugar and salt, then leaving it out overnight. It isn’t as fashionable as sourdough, though James Beard – the culinary icon who inspired the famous US food awards – was a fan, including it in his 1973 cookbook Beard on Bread.
Also known as savoury goose, this English dish is referenced in the 1747 cooking tome The Art of Cookery, Made Plain and Easy by Hannah Glasse. It was typically a pork knuckle stuffed with onion and sage, and served with gravy and apple sauce. The recipe was especially popular during World Wars I and II, when it became a festive substitute for goose or duck. Sometimes there was no meat involved whatsoever, and it was more like a lentil bake – very much in keeping with the frugal ‘make do and mend’ wartime spirit.
Gooey butter cake might have been consigned to the bin if it hadn't been created during the 1930s. The story goes that a baker in St. Louis, Missouri messed up a sponge cake by adding the wrong quantity of ingredients. Instead of throwing the resulting dish away (this was the Great Depression, after all), he sold the cake anyway – and found he had a hit on his hands. This sponge cake–brownie hybrid is a good dish to make at home, though people will tell you the best versions are still sold in St. Louis.
This 'salad' of potatoes and chopped-up hot dogs (plus whatever else was on hand) was a hit in the 1940s. Convenience foods like tinned hot dogs were more readily available and, with many women working during wartime, quick, protein-packed meals that could be thrown together in minutes were understandably popular.
This dessert has a touch of retro-cool about it, yet it became popular as a rare treat during the Great Depression, when people had to make do with the cheapest and most long-lasting ingredients. A true pantry concoction, it’s made by mixing tins of fruit cocktail with honey, egg yolks and cream – the mix is then set in the freezer and served in snowy-white frozen slices.
Pasta bakes are pretty standard nowadays, but they were a novelty in 1950s America, when magazines and adverts shared recipes for simple, quick suppers using convenience and tinned foods. Spaghetti casserole became a mainstay for time-poor cooks, making the most of budget-friendly store-cupboard ingredients and leftovers, from tomato soup to vegetables.
Colcannon, a hearty Irish dish, was invented around the 17th or 18th century, when rural families needed cheap, filling meals. Made by mixing mashed potatoes with cabbage or kale – and sometimes butter or spring onions – it turned simple ingredients into a truly satisfying comfort dish. Traditionally served on special occasions like Halloween, colcannon kept generations warm through lean times. What began as a humble peasant staple is still loved today for its creamy, comforting flavour and down-to-earth charm.
More delicious – and a little less dreary – than they sound, desperation pies were popular among Indiana’s Amish and Shaker communities in the early 19th century. The term encompassed any sweet pie that could be made from pantry ingredients when fresh, seasonal produce was scarce. Sugar cream pie (or Hoosier cream pie) is a classic example, made with sugar, milk (or evaporated milk), vanilla, nutmeg and flour.
The ‘Charlotte’ pudding – made in a ring mould lined with bread and filled with apples – dates back to the 17th century, but this frugal fruity sponge was a wartime hero in 1940s Britain. It fulfilled its patriotic duty simply by using up ingredients that were plentiful and might otherwise have gone to waste, namely old fruit and stale bread.
Also known as army stew, budae jjigae was created around the end of the Korean War using leftover food purchased by South Koreans from US army mess halls. These ingredients, which would have otherwise been thrown out, consisted mostly of tinned items such as hot dogs, SPAM and beans, plus processed cheese. Combined with kimchi, garlic, chilli and noodles, these foods created a dish that wasn’t particularly pretty, but was surprisingly delicious.
Invented in Quebec during the Great Depression, pouding chômeur means 'poor man's food' – but the dessert is one anybody would be happy to enjoy. The ingredients are cheap and plentiful, and the dish is comforting and calorific, making it perfect for the era. Essentially, it's a cake batter drenched in cream and maple syrup, then baked. The syrup sinks through the batter as it cooks, creating a caramelised bottom and a layer of delicious sauce.
American meatloaf originally emerged as a terrine-like take on scrapple – a mix of pork and cornmeal dating back to the 1800s – and rose to legendary status during the 1940s. Home cooks were encouraged to be more creative with their meat dishes, using cheaper, more available cuts and mixing them with extenders such as breadcrumbs and eggs. This US family classic turned minced meats, leftovers and kitchen scraps into a worthy substitute for a whole-joint roast. It's best enjoyed sliced and drowned in gravy, with heaps of mashed potato on the side.
Ratatouille hails from Provence, France, and was born out of peasant ingenuity. In the late 18th century, farmers threw together whatever fresh vegetables they had – tomatoes, courgettes, aubergines, peppers and onions – and cooked them with garlic and herbs, turning humble ingredients into a hearty meal. Once a simple dish eaten in hard times, ratatouille has grown into a beloved classic, loved for its bright colours, comforting flavours and versatility. Today, it’s just as at home on a rustic table as it is in a fancy kitchen.
Italians are masters at taking the scantest of ingredients and turning them into something incredibly delicious. That includes stale food that many of us might otherwise have thrown away. In a classic panzanella, chunks of old bread are tossed with juicy tomatoes and olive oil, magically creating summer on a plate. It's peasant food at its finest.
French onion soup began as a humble peasant dish in 18th-century France, born from nothing more than cheap onions, stale bread and a sprinkling of cheese. Slowly caramelised onions give it a deep, sweet richness, while a topping of crispy bread and gooey melted cheese turns it into a comfort food masterpiece. Once a simple, budget-friendly meal, it’s now a cherished classic, bringing warmth – and a little bit of indulgence – to tables around the world.
The earliest known recipe for carrot cake dates back to 1929; however, like so many once-frugal foods, it rose to legendary status during World War II. The natural sweetness of carrots made them a popular way to stretch sugar rations, and they were also used in Christmas puddings. Wartime carrot cake was a little less luxurious than today’s versions – often lacking the indulgent buttercream or cream cheese icing – but we’re still not above kidding ourselves that it’s sort of healthy.
Thankfully, the slugburger isn’t quite so surreal – or slimy – as it sounds. A favourite that emerged during the Great Depression, it’s actually a beef or pork patty that's supplemented with potato flour, then fried. It was a clever way for restaurant and diner owners to stretch their limited meat supplies, but the crispy texture, giving way to soft, juicy meat, remains popular in America’s Southern states.
Minnesota became the birthplace of hotdish in the 1930s – but during World War II, it took the US by storm. The US Food Administration launched a campaign called 'Food Will Win the War', urging families to get thrifty with their food. This comforting casserole of meat, vegetables and canned soup, topped with potatoes or pasta, became a kitchen staple for stretching meals further. Then, in the 1950s, tater tots arrived, and hotdish changed forever. Today, cooks often top their hotdishes with tater tots, adding an extra layer of crunch and texture.
Twinkies first appeared in the US in the 1930s, originally filled with banana cream. But when World War II made bananas nearly impossible to come by, Hostess faced a dilemma. Rather than shutting down, the company switched to a marshmallow cream filling, and the new Twinkie proved to be an even bigger hit. The rest, as they say, is history.
The po’ boy got its start in New Orleans in 1929, when brothers Benny and Clovis Martin ran a small restaurant and began serving hearty sandwiches to striking streetcar workers. The name? A nod to the 'poor boys' it was made for. Consisting of crispy bread piled high with fried seafood, roast beef or veggies – and dressed with lettuce, tomato, pickles and sauce – this mighty handheld turned humble ingredients into a mouthwatering feast. Today, it’s a beloved New Orleans classic that never fails to satisfy.
World War II created a scarcity of cocoa, but the Italians were lucky that a pastry maker called Pietro Ferrero was working in Piedmont. He invented a chocolatey paste from hazelnuts, sugar and a small amount of cocoa, which he called Giandujot. It first hit the market in 1946, though the recipe and the name weren't perfected until 1964. Since then, Nutella has only gone from strength to strength – a jar is reportedly sold every two and a half seconds.
After World War II, food in Japan was so restricted that long lines formed for dishes as simple as ramen soup. Momofuku Ando, a former banker, wanted to do something about it and envisioned instant, mass-produced ramen as the solution. He spent years developing the dish, and finally, in 1958, chicken-flavoured instant noodles hit shelves in Japan, sparking a food revolution. The people of Japan even named instant ramen the best invention of the 20th century.
Oklahoma’s famous onion burger is made by smashing caramelised onions into one side of a beef patty as it cooks, topping the patty with cheese, then slotting the whole lot into a bun. It was naturally born during the Great Depression, as cooks everywhere bulked out burger patties with cheaper extenders. Ross Davis of the Hamburger Inn in El Reno is credited with creating the dish, which is perhaps more popular today than ever.
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Last updated by Jessica Morris.