Nowadays there’s a lot of talk about being a homemaker in the style of a 1950s housewife. But while there’s a lot of talk about how your grandma saved money or cleaned her home, there’s not as much talk about what people ate back in the 50s. As a big fan of food and anything vintage, I set out to find out what the average homemaker’s recipe binder contained back in the 1950s. And I found a lot of really awesome recipes! If you want to be like a 50s housewife, or are just curious to see how American eating habits have changed over time, check out these 50 Recipes from a 1950s Housewife!
The history of food is pretty interesting. In terms of 1950s food, many of the recipes below were American favorites even before the 50s, and are still family favorites today. Of course, I only included recipes that I, as a modern person, would actually want to eat. There are tons of other 50s recipes that I came across that to me sound completely unappetizing, but back in the 50s probably would have been my favorites. For example, the old cookbook Sour Cream: The Gourmet Touch to Everyday Cooking includes a recipe for Kiddiwiches (sandwiches for kids) that combines chopped peanuts (not peanut butter), sour cream, raisins, and other ingredients between slices of buttered bread. That just sounds like a crazy combo to me, but maybe if I was a kid in the 50s I’d be begging to eat it every day!
50 Recipes from a 1950s Housewife
All of these recipes from a 1950s housewife were foods made during the 50s, but some of the recipes may be a bit modernized. Many of the recipes below are people transcribing their mother’s or grandmother’s recipes to preserve on the Internet, but others are more like recreations of vintage recipes. But for those recreations, I tried to find the most authentic ones, using the typical pantry staples that a 1950s housewife would have had available. So while I can enjoy a healthy, low-fat, low-carb, and/or gluten free version of the recipes below as much as the next person, those kinds of terms didn’t really exist back in the 50s, and so aren’t included below. But these 1950s recipes are all so delicious, you won’t mind the extra calories!
1. French Onion Salisbury Steaks by Cinnamon Spice and Everything Nice
2. Old Fashioned Split Pea Soup with Hambone by Selene River Press
3. Honey Baked Apples by Bake Then Eat
4. Chocolate Strawberry Milkshakes by Confessions of a Cookbook Queen
5. Three Beans Baked Beans by Taste of Home
6. Classic Lasagna by A Family Feast
7. Old Fashioned Coleslaw by Gather for Bread
8. Chicken and Mushroom Casserole by The Seasoned Mom
9. Old Fashioned Potato Salad by Valerie’s Kitchen
10. Old Fashioned Angel Food Cake by The Domestic Curator
11. Preacher Cake by South Your Mouth
12. Vintage Banana Cake by Happy Money Saver
13. Mango Gelatin Salad by Taste of Home
14. Chicken A La King by Can’t Stay Out of the Kitchen
15. Asparagus Soup by The Spruce Eats
16. Old Fashioned Chicken Noodle Soup by Wanna Bite
17. Beef Vegetable Soup by Call Me PMC
18. Original Pineapple Upside Down Skillet Cake by King Arthur Flour
19. Oysters Rockefeller by Epicurious
20. Hot Milk Sponge Cake by Wives with Knives
21. Classic Chicken Croquettes by Writes 4 Food
22. Chocolate Mayonnaise Cake by Spend with Pennies
23. Sidecar Cocktail by Serious Eats
24. Brownie and Candy Cane Ice Cream Baked Alaska by Completely Delicious
25. Old Fashioned Coconut Cream Pie by Oh My Goodness Chocolate Desserts
26. Grandma Marion’s Molasses Bars by The Kitchen Magpie
27. Baking Powder Biscuits by Prairie Gal Cookin’
28. Old Fashioned Pumpkin Pie by The Hungry Mouse
29. Pecan Sticky Buns by Cookies for England
30. Old Fashioned Tuna Noodle Casserole by Sweet Little Bluebird
31. Old Fashioned Chicken Pot Pie by Dishes and Dust Bunnies
32. Good Old Meat Pie by Dan Poplawski on AllRecipes
33. Blueberry Muffins by A Cultivated Nest
34. Coconut Biscuits by Gorgeous with Attitude
35. Old Fashioned Griddlecakes by Edie Wadsworth (Life in Grace Blog)
36. Old School Pineapple Glazed Baked Ham by Deep South Dish
37. Grandmother’s Orange Salad by Taste of Home
38. Old Fashioned Meatloaf by The Kitchen Whisperer
39. Lemon Chiffon Pie by Tastes Better from Scratch
40. Tom Collins Cocktail by Inspired Taste
41. Crown Roast of Pork by Epicurious
42. Grandma’s Old-Fashioned Peanut Butter Cookies by The Kitchen is My Playground
43. Old Fashioned Brownies by An Affair From the Heart
44. Old-Fashioned Molasses Sugar Cookies by My Sweet Mission
45. Old-Fashioned Sloppy Joes by The Heritage Cook
46. Old-Fashioned Apple Pie by Food and Wine
47. Easy Old-Fashioned Swedish Meatballs by Wildflour’s Cottage Kitchen
48. Classic Deviled Eggs by Add a Pinch
49. Lemon Tea Cookies by Taste of Home
50. Coffee Cake by Toot Sweet 4 Two
And there you have it- 50 vintage recipes from a 1950s housewife! If you want more vintage 1950s recipes, check out the books Retro Recipes from the 50s and 60s and Betty Crocker’s Picture Cook Book!
Do you have any vintage recipes (from mom, grandma, etc.) that you already make often?
You might also be interested in: 10 Old Fashioned Frugal Recipes from Grandma
All of those recipes look so good! Thank you for sharing.
All of these recipes look so good! Where do I even start trying them out? hahah Thanks for this great list!
Hi Manuela. Thank you so much for including my Old-Fashioned Molasses Sugar Cookies in your fun and delicious collection from the 1950’s! They all look amazing and keepsake recipes for sure. 🙂 ~Heather