The Most Popular Recipes of the 1940s (2024)

Brown Sugar Meatloaf

Like many staple 1940s recipes, meatloaf experienced a resurgence in popularity during the Great Depression. Not only was it a simple recipe with delicious results, but the use of bread or cracker crumbs helped stretch the ground beef, which was hard to come by at the time. Many WWII-era meatloaf recipes took the "meat stretching" a bit farther by incorporating more available sources of protein, such as soybeans, liver, or pork.

Spam and Eggs

Introduced in 1937, Spam was a staple for soldiers thanks to its extensive shelf life. Once the war was over, however, Spam didn't fade into the background. Rather, it became popular all over the globe, especially in Pacific nations and states such as the Philippines, Guam, Hawaii, and Okinawa. This recipe incorporates eggs, which were an affordable source of protein at the time, for a doubly filling breakfast.

Garden Fresh Tomato Soup

Victory gardens were a huge part of life during the 1940s. The mass volunteer effort provided substantial aid to farms, the military, and the people. Newspapers and pamphlets circulated vegetable-rich recipes that volunteers could make from their own yards. Soups, such as tomato soup, were a satisfying and cost-effective meal that could also stretch more precious ingredients such as meat and dairy.

Grama's Corn Flake Peanut Butter Cookies

Corn Flakes were created as a "health" food, but by the 1940s, they were utilized for all kinds of recipes, including desserts. No-bake cookies were a particularly popular use, especially because they didn't require much butter or any flour.

Creamed Chipped Beef On Toast

Chipped beef on toast was a classic wartime food, but it was also a staple Depression food since it was inexpensive and filling. Soldiers called it "SOS," which stood for "same old stuff" as well as a more expletive nickname, but it has since become a comfort food.

Basic Mashed Potatoes

In 1887, inventors Jacob Fitzgerald and William H. Silver patented what is now known as the potato ricer. With the help of the tool, people were able to make creamier and better-tasting mashed potatoes more easily. Scientists began experimenting with dehydrating potatoes, first for soldiers and then the general public. Instant mashed potato flakes appeared on supermarket shelves in 1957.

Grandma's Harvard Beets

Harvard beets first appeared around the beginning of the 20th century. The recipe resurfaced in 1940, at the beginning of the victory garden movement; beets are a fairly simple vegetable to grow, and they're a good source of iron, potassium, and vitamins. In other words, they made an ideal victory garden crop in a time marked by rations.

Zebra Cake III

Nabisco, short for "National Biscuit Company," may be best known for Oreos, but their chocolate wafer cookies played a huge role in the popularity of icebox desserts. The brand helped popularize the convenience treat — and their own chocolate wafers — by printing the recipe for the "famous chocolate wafer cake" on the product's packaging. Today, the three-ingredient recipe is still circulated and beloved.

Corned Beef Hash

Fresh meat was rationed during World War II, which was good news for canned and cured goods such as corned beef. The convenience product was most commonly utilized in quick, simple dishes that required minimal cooking, such as hash or fritters.

Victory Chocolate Cake

Wartime rations meant that sugar was in especially short supply during the 1940s, which meant that home cooks had to get creative when it came to sweeter dishes. This victory cake recipe utilizes a small amount of sugar, but uses corn syrup to supplement the missing sweetness. Additionally, it employs a cup of cold coffee to help accentuate the flavor in the cocoa powder.

Corn Fritters

Corn fritters go beyond being a classic recipe — they were first developed by Native Americans and have been a simple, yet filling dish for thousands of years. With their low list of simple ingredients, it's easy to see corn fritters' appeal in an era marked by shortages and rations, and their versatility makes them easy to dress up or navigate with substitute ingredients.

Corn Dogs

The origin of the corn dog is debated, but one thing is certain: the battered, fried sausages on a stick became a hit when various state fairs started offering them throughout the 1940s. You may be able to find corn dogs in the frozen foods aisle these days, but nothing compares to a homemade, freshly fried one.

Stuffed Peppers

Variations on stuffed peppers exist around the world, which means the dish is likely hundreds of years old. We do know, however, that stuffed peppers were a popular dish during the 1940s (and beyond, of course) because of their ability to stretch out more expensive ingredients.

Peanut Butter Popcorn Balls

The early 20th century signaled the beginning of America's love affair with peanut butter: the affordable, protein-rich spread was promoted as a meat substitute right as World War I broke out. Peanut butter's merits were utilized once again during the Great Depression and World War II, which led to the creation and popularity of various dishes, including peanut butter cookies, peanut butter popcorn balls, and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.

Real Welsh Rarebit

Welsh rarebit originated across the pond in England in the 18th century, but people turned to the easy comfort dish for a long time, especially when money or ingredients were tight. The rich cheese sauce made a good source of protein when meat wasn't available, and it was satisfying for such a simple meal.

WWII Oatmeal Molasses Cookies

Since sugar was rationed during the war, home cooks improvised and looked to alternate ingredients to add sweetness to their desserts. Molasses became the go-to substitute for brown sugar, which was even more difficult to obtain at the time.

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