A gourmet who thinks of calories is like a tart who looks at her watch. — James Beard

 

We’ve rounded up a few Old-Fashioned Recipes, such as pot pies, emigrant stew, gold rush pork chops, Johnnycakes, desserts, and more. Pull up a pot and enjoy!

Baked Beans

Baked Corn

Bean Soup

Boiled Cookies

Brown Sugar Candy

Buttermilk Biscuits

Butterscotch Pie

Chicken and Noodles

Chicken and Rice Soup

Chicken Pie

Chicken Pot Pie

Corn Fritters

Egg Custard Pie

Emigrant’s Stew

Emigrant Potato Salad

Golden Corn Bread

Gold Rush Pork Chops

Ham Loaf

Head Cheese

Homemade Noodles

Johnny Cakes

Mock Apple Pie

Old Fashion Turkey

Parkerhouse Rolls

Peach Cobbler

Pecan Pie

Potato Bread

Southern Rice Pudding

Strawberry Cobbler

Sweet Potato Pie

Potato Soup

Vanilla Crumb Pie

Gold Rush Pork Chops

• 4 pork chops, 1 inch thick, min.
• 2 apples sliced
• 2 cups apple cider
• flour
• Salt, pepper, cinnamon, nutmeg

Combine the flour, salt, pepper, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Roll the pork chops in this mixture and brown them. When the chops are browned, turn down the heat, add the flour mixture for the gravy, top the chops with sliced apples, and add the apple cider until the chops are covered.

Simmer until tender for about 1 hour. When done, the chops will be in gravy.

Emigrant Potato Salad

•  18 medium-sized potatoes
•  3 medium-sized onions, diced
•  9 cups diced celery
•  3 medium cucumbers, diced
•  9 sweet green bell peppers, diced
•  9 pimentos, cut
•  1 doz. eggs, hard-boiled, peeled
•  1 teaspoon celery salt
•  3 cups mayonnaise *

Wash and cook the potatoes without peeling. Cool, peel, and slice (or cube). Blend all ingredients well, taking care not to lose their identity. Refrigerate or keep on ice.

Corn Fritters

• 2 cups cornbread mix
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 cup canned corn, drained
• 1/4 cup cooking oil

Put the cornbread mix in a bowl and gradually add the water, using a fork to blend. Be careful not to over-blend. The dough should be pretty stiff. Add the well-drained corn. Heat about one-fourth of the oil in a skillet. Ladle the batter into the hot oil and fry for about 2 minutes, turning once. Serve with syrup, honey, or butter. This recipe makes about 12 fritters.

Baked Beans

• 2 cups navy or pea beans
• 1 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 Tbsp brown sugar
• 1/4 cup molasses
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/2 tsp dry mustard
• 1 Tbsp chopped onion
• 1 cup boiling water
• 1/2 pound piece salt pork

Wash beans; discard imperfect beans. Cover with water and soak overnight, or cover with boiling water and soak 4-5 hours. Drain and cover with a large amount of boiling salted water; boil slowly for 1 hour. Drain and combine the salt, sugar, molasses, bay leaf, mustard, onion, and water, then add to the beans. Pour into bean pot. Score the pork rind and press it into the beans, leaving the rind exposed. Cover beans with additional water (boiling) and bake in a 300 deg F oven for 4 hours. Remove cover for the last 1 1/2 hours of cooking.

Southern Rice Pudding

• 1 cup uncooked rice
• 4 cups milk
• 2 tablespoons of butter or margarine
• 1 cup sugar
• 4 eggs
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• dash mace
• 1 lemon rind, grated (optional)

Soak rice in 2 cups of milk for 2 hours. Add the remaining milk to the rice & cook over low heat for 20-30 minutes, or until tender. Set aside to cool.   Start oven at 350 degrees. Butter a 2-quart casserole. Work butter or margarine until soft, then work in sugar thoroughly. Beat eggs until frothy; add sugar mixture & rice. Flavor with cinnamon, mace & lemon rind. Pour into the casserole and bake for 45 minutes. Serve warm or cold, plain or with cream and sugar.   Serves 6-8.

Boiled Cookies

• 2 cups sugar
• 1 stick butter
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/4 cup cocoa.

Mix and boil for 1 1/2 minutes. Remove, then add 2 1/2 cups oatmeal, 1/2 cup peanut butter, and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Beat, blend, and drop by the spoonful onto wax paper. No need to bake them; they’ll harden on their own.

Johnny Cakes

• 1 cup water
• 2 eggs
• 3/4 cup milk
• 2 tablespoons lard
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3 teaspoons sugar
• 2 cups cornmeal

Beat the eggs and melt the lard, then mix with the milk, salt, cornmeal, and sugar. Drop a heaping dollop into a hot, greased skillet and fry each side until brown. Serve with molasses, syrup, powdered sugar, fruit toppings, and butter.

Mock Apple Pie

• 12 Soda Crackers
• 1 cup cold water
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 lemon
• nutmeg
• cinnamon

Break the soda crackers into a bowl, add water, sugar, the juice of one lemon, and a little nutmeg or cinnamon. Pour the mixture into the unbaked pie shell. Dot with butter, cover with the pie crust, and bake in a moderate oven for around 30 minutes or until golden brown.

Brown Sugar Candy

• 2 cups brown sugar
• 1/2 cup milk or cream
• butter (size of a walnut)
• walnuts
• vanilla

Boil until it forms a soft lump when dropped into cold water, then remove from fire. Beat until it begins to thicken, then add 1 cup chopped walnuts and vanilla. Pour into a buttered dish.

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Bean Soup

• 1 lb. white beans
• 6 cups cold water (1st amount)
• 1 ham bone with the meat on it
• 2 tsp salt
• 1 small onion
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/2 tsp dry mustard
• 4 cups water (2nd amount)
• 1 cup tomatoes
• 3 cups water (3rd amount)

In your soup pot, soak the beans in the 6 cups of water overnight in a cool place.

In the morning, add the ham bone, salt, onion, bay leaf, mustard, and 4 cups of water. Cook slowly, covered, for 3 hours. Stir the soup 2 or 3 times during this time. Remove from heat and remove the ham bone and bay leaf. Slip the meat from the bone and return it to the soup. Add the tomatoes and the remaining 3 cups of water, then simmer for 1/2 hour. Soup is ready to serve.

Potato Soup

• 1 Tbsp flour
• 3 potatoes
• 4 cups milk
• 1 onion
• 2 stalks celery
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 2 Tbsp butter
• Carrots and Bacon pieces (optional)

Cook the potatoes and onions in salted water until soft, then mash. Scald the milk with the celery, remove the celery, and add the butter and flour, creamed together. Then add the prepared potatoes to the milk and season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil and serve immediately.

Baked Corn

• 2 Tbsp butter
• 1 1/2 tsp flour
• 1 cup milk
• 2 cups cooked corn
• 1 Tbsp sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/8 tsp pepper
• 2 eggs

Melt butter, add flour, and mix well. Gradually add milk and bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Add corn, salt, and pepper, and heat thoroughly. Remove from the fire, add well-beaten eggs, and pour into a greased baking dish. Bake in a moderate oven at 350 deg.F. for 25 min.

Old Fashioned Egg Custard Pie

• 1/4 c. butter, softened
• 2/3 c. sugar
• 2 eggs
• 3 Tbsp. flour
• 3/4 c. evaporated milk
• 1/4 c. water
• 1 tsp. Vanilla
• Nutmeg
• 1 unbaked pie shell

Cream the butter, gradually adding the sugar and beating well. Add eggs and flour. Mix well. Stir in milk, water, and vanilla. Pour into the pie shell. Bake 20 minutes at 400 degrees, then reduce heat to 300 degrees for 15 more minutes.

Sweet Potato Pie

• 3 c. cooked mashed sweet potatoes (if canned, drain well)
• 1/2 c. margarine
• 2 c. sugar
• 1 tbsp. vanilla extract
• 1/4 tsp. Salt

Combine all ingredients. Whip until smooth. Pour into cooked pie shell. Cover top with chopped pecans or walnuts. Good served warm or cold.

Vanilla Crumb Pie

• 1 c. brown sugar
• 1 c. maple syrup
• 2 c. water
• 2 tbsp. Flour

Boil for 1 minute, then set aside.

In a large bowl, beat:

• 1 egg
• 1 tsp. Vanilla
• 1/2 tsp. cream of tartar
• 1 tsp. soda

Add to the above syrup mixture. Then, divide equally into 3 unbaked pie shells. Top with crumbs made of:

• 2 c. pastry flour
• 1/2 c. lard
• 1/2 tsp. Soda
• 1 c. brown sugar
• 1 tsp. cream of tartar

Bake 45 minutes in a 350 to 375 degree oven.

Peach Cobbler

• 1 1/2 c. self-rising flour
• 1/2 c. shortening
• 1/3 to 1/2 c. milk
• 1 tsp. Cinnamon
• 1 stick oleo
• 2 (16 oz.) cans sliced peaches, sliced thinner
• 1 1/2 c. sugar
• 2 c. liquid (juice and water)

Cut in the shortening into the flour, add the milk, and roll into a rectangle about 20 inches wide. Drain juice from peaches; if you don’t have 2 cups, add water to make 2 cups. Pour into a saucepan, add sugar, and heat until sugar is dissolved. (Sugar Syrup) Slice peaches thin and spread over dough, sprinkle with cinnamon. Melt oleo in a 9×13 inch pan at 350 degrees. Roll the peaches and dough into the jelly roll. Slice into 1-inch sections (about 20 pinwheels). Place pinwheels into the oleo and carefully pour sugar syrup over them. Bake at 350 degrees for approximately 55 minutes.

Butterscotch Pie

• 1/2 c. butter or Oleo
• 1 c. water
• 2 egg yolks
• 1 c. brown sugar
• 2 1/2 tbsp. Cornstarch
• 1 1/2 c. milk

Brown butter in a pan. Add the sugar and cook together, stirring constantly, until the sugar melts. Add water; stir slowly and cook until the sugar dissolves again. Combine cornstarch, egg yolks, and milk, then add to the sugar mixture. Cook until thickened. Pour into a baked pie shell and top with cream.

Strawberry Cobbler

• 1 qt. fresh strawberries
• 1/4 lb. Butter
• 1 c. milk
• 1 c. flour
• 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. Salt
• 1 c. sugar
• 1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
• Whipped cream (optional)

Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Hull the strawberries. Melt butter in an 8×12-inch baking dish in the preheated oven for about 4 minutes. Remove the dish from the oven. Add milk, flour, baking powder, salt, sugar, and cinnamon to the baking dish and stir until just mixed. Arrange the strawberries, tips pointed up, on top of the batter. Bake the cobbler until golden brown, about 25 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature. Makes four servings.

Pecan Pie

• 3 eggs
• 1 tsp. melted butter
• 3 tsp. Flour
• 1/4 tsp. Vanilla
• 1/8 tsp. Salt
• 1/2 c. sugar
• 1 1/2 c. syrup
• 2/3 c. chopped pecans
• 1 unbaked pie shell

Beat the eggs; blend in the butter, flour, vanilla, salt, sugar, and syrup. Add pecans; pour into the pie shell. Bake in a preheated 425 oven for ten minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 325 and bake 40-45 minutes longer.

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Chicken and Rice Soup

• 1 (3 1/2 lb.) chicken
• 3 qt. Water
• Salt to taste
• 3 peppercorns
• 1/4 bay leaf
• 2 sprigs parsley
• 4 med. carrots, washed (unpeeled & cut into cubes)
• 1 stalk celery with leaves
• 1 med. onion, peeled
• 2 whole cloves
• 1/2 c. raw brown rice

Rinse chicken well in cold water. Place in a large pot along with 3/4 of the water, salt, peppercorns, bay leaf, and parsley. Bring to a boil and skim to remove any foam from the surface. Reduce heat; add cubed carrots, celery, and onion (press cloves into onion). Cover and simmer for 1 hour or until the chicken is tender. Skim off fat. Lift out chicken; let cool slightly. Remove celery, onion with cloves, and bay leaf; discard. Add rice to broth and simmer until tender.

Meanwhile, remove the chicken from the bones and cut into bite-size pieces. Return chicken to broth and heat thoroughly (allow about 20 minutes). Garnish with parsley. Yields about 2 quarts.

Chicken and Noodles

• 1-2 stewing hens, cooked until tender, with broth
• 1 (5 1/3 oz.) can (2/3 c.) evaporated milk
• 1/2 c. chopped celery
• 1/2 c. chopped onion
• 1 (4 oz.) jar (1/2 c.) pimento, chopped
• 1 tsp. Salt
• 1/2 tsp. poultry seasoning
• 1/8 tsp. Pepper
• 1 recipe homemade noodles
• 2 tbsp. Flour
• 1/4 c. cold water

Remove chicken from bones and cut into small pieces. Place the chicken and broth in a large Dutch oven. Add evaporated milk. Cook, covered, until hot. Add celery, onion, pimento, salt, poultry seasoning, and pepper. Bring to a boil. Add noodles slowly to boiling broth. Boil, uncovered, for 10 to 15 minutes. Combine flour and water. Stir into boiling broth. Cook, stirring constantly, until the chicken broth mixture thickens and bubbles.

Homemade Noodles

In a bowl, combine one beaten egg, two tablespoons oil, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Add enough flour to make a stiff dough. Let rest for 10 minutes. Roll very thin (about an 18×12 inch rectangle) on a floured surface; let stand 20 minutes. Roll up loosely; slice 1/4 inch wide. Unroll, spread out, and let dry for 2 hours. (If desired, store in a covered container until needed or freeze in plastic bags.) Makes 6 oz. noodles or about 3 cups cooked noodles.

Chicken Pot Pie

• 1 chicken (4 to 5 lbs.), disjointed
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 tsp. Salt
• A few grains of pepper
• Dash celery salt
• 1 1/2 tsp. Accent
• Boiling water
• 1 lb. sm. white onions
• 1 bunch carrots, sliced
• 6 tbsp. Flour
• 6 tbsp. cold water
• 1 tbsp. prepared horseradish
• 2 1/2 c. biscuit mix

Place chicken in the deep kettle; add bay leaf, salt, pepper, celery salt, and one teaspoon Accent. Add enough boiling water to cover. Simmer for 2 hours or until the chicken is tender. Meanwhile, cook onions and carrots separately, adding 1/4 teaspoon Accent to each vegetable. Remove chicken and drained vegetables to a large, shallow baking dish. Strain broth in a kettle; measure 3 cups. Add vegetable water to the broth to make 4 cups total, adding water as needed. Add flour, mixed smooth with cold water; cook over low heat, stirring until thickened; add remaining Accent and horseradish; pour over chicken and vegetables. Make biscuit dough as directed on the mix package. Roll 1/2 inch thick; cut with a chicken-shaped cookie cutter. Arrange in a baking dish. Add bits of raisins for eyes, if desired. Bake in a hot oven (425 degrees) for 25 to 30 minutes, or until biscuits are golden brown. Serves 6 to 8.

Chicken Pie

• 4 c. cooked chicken, bite-size
• 1 can of cream of chicken soup
• 1 (10 3/4 oz.) can chicken broth
• 1/2 tsp. Salt
• Pepper to taste
• 1 can of peas and carrots, drained
• 1 1/2 c. flour
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 1 1/2 c. buttermilk
• 1/2 c. melted oleo

Place chicken in a greased 9×13-inch pan. Pour the following five ingredients over this. Mix the last four ingredients to make a crust. Pour over the top. Bake for 1 hour at 350 degrees. Serves 6.

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Golden Corn Bread

• 1 c. yellow cornmeal
• 1 c. sifted flour
• 1/4 c. sugar
• 3 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/4 c. shortening
• 1 c. milk
• 1 egg, beaten

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Combine cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a bowl. Cut in shortening. Mix the egg and milk and add to the dry ingredients with a few swift strokes. Bake in a 9 x 9 x 2-inch pan for 20-25 minutes.

Buttermilk Biscuits

• 2 c. sifted flour
• 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1/3 c. solid shortening
• 3/4 c. buttermilk

Blend flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda in a medium-sized bowl. Cut in shortening with a pastry blender or two knives until the mixture resembles coarse cornmeal. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients; add the buttermilk all at once. Stir with a fork. Gently form the dough into a ball and put it on a lightly floured surface. Knead lightly with fingertips 10-15 times. Roll the dough out to 1/2 inch thick. Cut with a floured cutter or knife using even pressure to keep the sides straight. Place the dough close together on a baking sheet for soft-sided biscuits, or 1 inch apart for crusty sides. Brush the tops lightly with milk. Bake at 450 degrees for 10-15 minutes or until the biscuits are golden brown. Makes about 24 (1 1/2 inch) biscuits.

Potato Bread

• 1 med. potato, peeled and diced
• 2 pkgs. dry yeast
• 2 tbsp. butter or margarine
• 2 tbsp. sugar
• 2 tbsp. salt
• 1 c. milk
• 5 1/2 to 6 c. all-purpose flour

Cook potato in a small amount of boiling water for 10 to 15 minutes or until tender; drain and reserve liquid. Mash potato and measure 3/4 cup; set aside. Add enough water to the reserved liquid to make 1 cup; cool to 105-115 degrees. Dissolve yeast in potato liquid in a large mixing bowl. Add butter and stir well. Stir in sugar, salt, milk, mashed potatoes, and 1 cup of flour. Gradually stir in enough of the remaining flour to make a stiff dough. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic (about 8 to 10 minutes). Place in a well-greased bowl, turning to grease the top. Cover and let rise in a warm place (85 degrees), free from drafts, for 1 hour or until doubled in bulk. Punch the dough down and divide it in half. Shape each half into a loaf. Place in two well-greased 8 x 4 x 3 inch loaf pans. Cover and let rise in a warm place (85 degrees), free from drafts. Bake at 375 degrees for 25 minutes or until loaves sound hollow when tapped. Yields two loaves.

Parkerhouse Rolls

• 3 to 3 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour
• 1 pkg. active dry yeast
• 3/4 c. milk
• 1/4 c. sugar
• 1/3 c. butter or margarine
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 2 eggs
• Butter or margarine, melted

In a large mixer bowl, combine 1 1/2 cups flour and the yeast. In a saucepan, heat milk, sugar, salt, and 1/3 cup butter or margarine until warm (115 to 120 degrees) and the butter is almost melted; stir constantly. Add to flour mixture; add eggs. Beat at low speed using an electric mixer for 1/2 minute, scraping the sides of the bowl constantly. Beat 3 minutes at high speed. Stir in as much of the remaining flour as you can mix in with a spoon. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead in enough of the remaining flour to make a moderately stiff dough that is smooth and elastic (6 to 8 minutes total).

Shape into a ball. Place in a lightly greased bowl; turn once to grease the surface. Cover; let rise in a warm place until doubled (about 1 hour). Punch down; divide dough in half. Cover and let rest 10 minutes. On a lightly floured surface, roll each half to 1/4 inch thickness. Cut with a floured 2 1/2 inch round cutter. Brush with melted butter. Make an off-center crease in each round. Fold so the large half overlaps the small half slightly. Place rolls, with large halves up, side by side in a greased 13 x 9 x 2-inch baking pan. Cover and let rise until nearly double (about 30 minutes). Bake in a 375-degree oven for 15 to 18 minutes or until done. Makes about two dozen.

Ham Loaf

• 1 1/2 lb. center-cut fresh pork, ground
• 1 1/2 lb. very lean smoked ham, ground
• 11 soda crackers, soaked in 1 c. milk
• 3 eggs
• 1 can tomato soup

Mix all ingredients and form a loaf. Cover with a can of tomato soup, then sprinkle brown sugar over the top. Bake for 2 hours at 350 degrees in a pan of water. Serves 9.

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Head Cheese

• 20 lbs pork- heads, hearts, and tongues, and if using beef, it should be shanks and necks.
• 5 lbs beef
• 1 oz pepper
• 1/2 lb salt
• 1/4 oz Allspice
• 1/2 oz cloves
• 4 lbs meat stock

Put the meat in a large kettle, cover with water, and simmer for 2 or 3 hours, until the meat is very tender. Remove the meat from the liquid and separate it from the bones. Cut the meat into cubes. Add the seasonings and measure 4 lbs. of the liquid the meat was cooked in (meat stock). Mix thoroughly until the seasonings are worked into the meat. Then put the meat into hog paunches or beef straight and lay out to cool. You may press them by laying a weighted board over them. If you prefer, you may place the headcheese in bowls or bread pans.

Old Fashion Turkey

•  1 – 16 – 20 lb turkey (fresh is better than frozen)
•  1 lb of fresh sausage
•  4 pkgs of bread cubes with the spices included
•  1 stalk of celery
•  1 medium-sized red onion
•  3 fresh apples, cored and sliced
•  1 package dried apricots
•  1 package dried peaches
•  1 package dried pears
•  1 box raisins
•  1/2 lb walnuts, chopped
•  1/4 lb butter, melted
•  chicken or turkey broth
•  1/2 gal apple cider (apple juice may be used)
•  1/4 lb. butter (this is for the basting sauce)

Chop the onions and celery medium fine, not too large and not too small. Brown sausage, then sauté onions and celery in sausage drippings. Cut dried fruit into quarters. In a very large bowl or pot (I use a canning pot), add one bag of bread cubes with an envelope of seasoning (I always add my seasonings, such as sage, poultry seasoning, garlic, etc.). Add some sausage, onion & celery mixture, sliced apples, and each type of dried fruit, raisins, and walnuts. Add the next bag of bread cubes and repeat the layering. Do this until all the dry ingredients are used. Add the melted butter, then the chicken or turkey broth, and mix until you reach your desired texture and moisture.

Stuff the turkey. Place extra dressing in a casserole dish and bake.

Put the apple cider (fresh is best if you can get it) and 1/4 lb butter in a saucepan and warm the cider until the butter melts. Stir the mixture before basting. Baste every 30-45 minutes until the turkey is done.

Make turkey gravy as usual.

This recipe can be used for oven baking OR barbecuing the turkey. When barbecuing, bank the coals and place a drip pan under the turkey to catch the drippings for your gravy. Barbecuing gives the bird a more authentic flavor of the old way that the pioneers must have enjoyed turkey.

Emigrant’s Stew

• 3 lbs beef cubes
• 1 Tbsp shortening
• 1 red onion, coarsely chopped
• 2 tsp salt; pepper
• 2 Tablespoons flour
• 2 cups canned tomatoes with juice
• 1 tsp dry mustard
• 1 turnip, cut into small cubes
• 4 peeled potatoes (figure on one potato per person)
• 2 cups diced celery
• 8 or more carrots, peeled and cut into bite-sized pieces
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 8 pearl onions
• 4 cups water (may be more water to cover ingredients)

Brown beef cubes in shortening. Transfer the browned beef cubes and drippings to a large, heavy pot. Add red onion, salt, pepper, and dry mustard. Stir in the flour, then add the canned tomatoes with juice. Cover and cook slowly for about 1 hour or until meat is tender.

Add vegetables and water. Cover and simmer for 1 to 2 hours, until the vegetables and potatoes are tender. Serve hot. Fresh-baked bread is excellent with this old-time stew.

 

Compiled and edited by Kathy Alexander/Legends of America, updated October 2026.

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Also See:

The Chuckwagon – Western Recipes

Campfire Recipes

Dutch Oven Recipes

Flavors of the Mother Road – Route 66 Recipes

Frontier Recipes – The Real Stuff from the Old West

See Sources.