Economic Recipes from 1938

Today I have recipes to share from The Watkins Cook Book, published in 1938. I'm taking recipes from the section entitled Economy Recipes. I don't know about you, but I'm always looking for cost cutting tips and recipes using inexpensive ingredients. These are simple recipes that are easy for beginner cooks or those who have been cooking for years. I've also put my own tips in the notes after each recipe.

Potato Soup

2 cups mashed or leftover potatoes

3 tbsp. butter

4 cups milk

celery salt

onion powder

pepper

Cook potatoes and milk in a double boiler to just boiling. Beat with a rotary beater, add seasonings and butter. Serve very hot. Sprinkle with paprika right before serving.

Notes: use seasoning salt and ground black pepper to taste instead of the celery salt and onion powder. It's easier to keep on hand.

Swiss Steak

2 inch thick round steak

flour

2 tbsp. bacon fat

2 medium sliced onions

4 medium diced carrots

1 can tomato soup

3 or 4 potatoes

salt

pepper

celery salt

onion powder

Season the steak with salt and pepper. Sprinkle flour on the steak and pound it with a meat mallet to tenderize. Melt the fat and sear the meat on both sides, place in a roaster, pour can of tomato soup over meat, simmer one hour. Cover meat with the sliced onions, potatoes and carrots. Cover. Cook another hour on simmer. Remove meat and vegetables, add a little flour, make gravy. Serve with salad.

Notes: 2 inches is a really thick steak. If you get steak that is closer to an inch you obviously won't cook it as long. You can use vegetable oil instead of bacon fat if you wish.

Cornflake Pudding

2 cups cornflakes

2 cups milk

1/2 cup molasses

1/2 cup sugar

2 eggs, beaten

dash salt

1/3 tsp. ground ginger

1/2 tsp. vanilla

Place cornflakes in buttered baking dish. Blend all ingredients and pour over flakes. Bake in 350 degrees F. oven until mixture sets.

One Egg Cake

1/2 cup sugar

1 egg, beaten

3 tbsp. shortening

1/2 cup milk

1 1/2 cups flour sifted

2 1/2 tsp. baking powder

dash salt

1 tsp. vanilla

To creamed shortening add sugar and beaten egg. Alternately add milk and flour sifted with salt and baking powder. Add vanilla. Bake in square greased tin in moderate oven for about 30 minutes. Frost as desired.

Notes: a moderate oven is usually 350 degrees F. and an 8x8 baking pan will work for this recipe.

On OFL we have some great cakes that are easy to make and have been around for a very long time: Crazy Cake Recipes

~Brenda Jean