Can you imagine opening a can of chipped beef and stretching it to serve six people? That’s what families all over America were doing to put food on the table during the good and lean times of the 1960s.
We associate the 1960s with astronauts and Woodstock, but millions of people were struggling just to feed their families. According to the USDA, Americans spent an average of 17% of their disposable income on food in 1960, compared to around 10% today.
These thrifty cooks knew how to turn a few pantry ingredients into a filling meal that could stretch to serve a crowd. Using a combination of military surplus and church potluck dishes.
Dig in, and rediscover the old-fashioned wisdom of stretching a dollar, penny-pinching one plate at a time. Here are 12 dishes that helped families survive the ups and downs of the 1960s
Chipped Beef on Toast -“S.O.S.”
Service members’ families all over America called this dish by its unofficial name, and it became a go-to meal for low-budget homes during the 1960s. Chipped beef on toast carved out a place in the American culinary scene for two reasons: it used inexpensive, shelf-stable ingredients to make a satisfying breakfast that could fuel families through busy mornings.
Companies like Hormel and Armour saw the demand and began selling prepackaged chipped beef on toast in the mid-1960s, making it easier for families to enjoy.
Tuna Noodle Casserole
With a bubbly, crispy topping of potato chips, this casserole became the go-to 1960s dish for easy comfort food. The key was that families could make a complete meal for just 25 to 35 cents per serving in the early 1960s, which translates to about $2 to $3 per serving in 2023.
According to The Internet Archive’s copy of Fisheries of the United States, when they surveyed 959 U.S. households in 1959, 80% of them said they served canned tuna once a week, and casseroles were one of the top three ways they prepared it.
Spam and Eggs
By the time the 1960s rolled around, Spam had a firm foothold in American kitchens, and Hormel data revealed that a third of American homes had Spam in their pantries. The canned meat could last up to two years on the shelf and was the perfect size and shape for families who needed to stretch their grocery budgets until the next payday.
So entrenched was Spam in the American food culture that a 1969 Monty Python sketch made fun of the canned meat. Moms and dads soon learned that Spam’s salt-cured meatiness added a savory, satisfying punch to boring old scrambled eggs.
Goulash -American-Style
With names like “slumgullion” or “Johnny Marzetti,” American goulash was a master class in stretching a pound of meat to fill a family of six. Combining macaroni, ground beef, tomatoes, and onions, a single pound of ground beef could make a meal for six when bulking it up with noodles and vegetables.
According to a ResearchGate publication, the United States’ per capita pasta consumption has been relatively flat from 1967 to 1984, but it began increasing steadily thereafter. Families could always use hot dogs or canned meat instead of beef when budgets got too tight, so this recipe proved its worth in a pinch.
Meatloaf and Mashed Potatoes
Meatloaf and mashed potatoes hold a place in the pantheon of the 1960s, according to The Retro Recipe Book. The secret was to add breadcrumbs, oats, or other extenders to stretch the meat and fill out the loaf. Plus, the added moisture and flavor also enhanced the flavor of the finished product.
Meatloaf became the American epitome of no-nonsense comfort food that favored substance over style. Illustrated Good Housekeeping Encyclopedia Cookbook provided a treasure trove of meatloaf recipes that families could count on to please a crowd.
Bologna Sandwiches
Bologna sandwiches were the bedrock of family and school lunch menus because they provided protein and calories at a low cost. The entire sandwich, consisting of bologna, white bread, and American cheese slices, was also portable, allowing families to prepare a single batch that could be used for both lunch boxes and quick dinners.
Companies like Kraft and Oscar Mayer also ratcheted up advertising and marketing to push bologna into the American foods mainstream, making it especially popular in cost-conscious families.
Cabbage and Potatoes
Cabbage and potatoes embodied the Depression-era mantra that families took to heart in the 1960s, especially among first-generation Americans and rural immigrants.
A report from the Lancashire Telegraph in 1963 about food prices shows a head of cabbage averaged just 10 cents. A single head of cabbage could feed a family several meals, added to soups, stir-fried with onions, or combined with potatoes in a skillet hash.
Rice and Gravy
Rice and gravy became the backbone of Southern and African-American cuisine, with simple variations creating meals that could last for days. U.S. rice consumption doubled between 1955 and 1970 as more Americans dined on rice and learned how many meals a bag of rice could make. The gravy might come from pan drippings after cooking meat or from canned broth when resources were scarce.
Peanut Butter and Jelly
Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches found their way onto family menus because they were the ultimate convenience food. No cooking was required, and growing children needed the protein and energy these sandwiches delivered.
A 1960s roundup of grocery prices from Spotlight Feature reports peanut butter was priced at 20 to 40 cents per jar, depending on jar size and brand. Nutritionists liked the protein and fat content for children’s development, giving moms and dads the peace of mind that these simple sandwiches packed nutritional value.
Macaroni and Cheese -Boxed or Homemade
Kraft’s boxed macaroni and cheese hit its stride in the 1960s, with over 50 million boxes sold annually by the 1960s. At 19 cents per box in 1965, a family could have a filling side dish or main course by adding only milk and margarine. The no-cook factor was game-changing no need to make a cheese sauce from scratch or worry about separation or curdling.
Families discovered they could stretch a box of mac and cheese by adding hot dogs, peas, or whatever ingredients they had on hand that could turn the mac into a more complete meal. Kids went wild for the bright orange color and creamy texture, a surefire way to get a picky eater to eat.
Chicken and Dumplings
Chicken and dumplings were the pinnacle of Depression-era thrift, the idea that one chicken could fill an entire family if the cook knew how to stretch it. Chicken, broth, and a simple dumpling dough could stretch to make eight servings, which is why this dish became especially popular in the South and Midwest.”
The April 1960 issue of Ladies’ Home Journal included many recipes and meal plans designed for economical family cooking, writes that families needed special occasion meals that didn’t require special occasion spending.
Tomato Soup and Grilled Cheese
Campbell’s tomato soup had conquered the American dinner scene by the 1960s, with sales making it the best-selling canned soup by 1966. Families could make a comforting meal for as little as 10 cents a can of tomato soup by pairing it with grilled cheese made from two slices of white bread that cost 20 to 25 cents.
Parents soon learned store-brand or government cheese slices were just as good as fancy American cheese, which made this dinner accessible even on the leanest of food budgets.
Disclaimer – This list is solely the author’s opinion based on research and publicly available information. It is not intended to be professional advice.
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