8 Great Depression Recipes That Are Surprisingly Good

Grated potatoes mixed with flour and fried until golden. If you were lucky, you had an egg in there too. Served hot with applesauce or sour cream, these humble fritters are still a comfort food classic and slight twist on latkes.

A chocolate cake made with no eggs, milk or butter, just vinegar, baking soda and pantry staples. Mixed right in the pan, it’s shockingly moist and rich.

A budget-friendly stew made with cooked macaroni, canned tomatoes, hot dogs and beans. It was a staple in soup kitchens and somehow still hits the spot today.

No apples? No problem. This pie uses crushed Ritz crackers, cinnamon, sugar and lemon juice to replicate the taste and texture of apple pie.

Crumbled cornbread in a bowl of cold milk. It was a common breakfast or supper in rural homes — and still offers a weirdly comforting, no-cook meal.

Picked straight from the yard, dandelion greens were tossed with oil or bacon grease. Slightly bitter but surprisingly fresh when young.

Slow-cooked beans paired with whatever bread you had. It was cheap, easy and filling and still works today as a plant-based staple.

Whole onions roasted until soft and caramelized. Sometimes stuffed with breadcrumbs or herbs, they were a savory side or meal all on their own.