8 Innovative Macaroni Dishes from the Great Depression

Pasta was a staple dish for struggling families during the Depression.

Macaroni Papoose

When you’ve got the luxury of ham, you can make macaroni papoose. Elbow macaroni is cooked and drained, then used to fill slices of ham and the the whole thing is baked in milk. Later versions of this recipe would sometimes call for cheese and/or pineapple, but many families would have found it unusual to have all those ingredients in the pantry at the same time.

Via/ Library of Congress

White Meat Sauce with Macaroni

When they had just a little bit of ground beef, many 1930s cooks would make a white gravy with it which is good over bread, biscuits, or even macaroni. We can also imagine this one going well with sausage, too.

Via/ Flickr

Macaroni with Ketchup

This incredibly simple meal was a version of something like an Italian dish. But, when ketchup is cheaper than tomato sauce, it was what many families ate for dinner. Lucky you if there was some meat to go in the pot as well!

Via/ Library of Congress

1) Pasta with Peas

Watch as Clara, our favorite Depression Era cook, shows how to make this simple dish in the video below.

Subscribe to Dusty Old Thing