How to Make Hoover Stew (Great Depression Recipe)

Estimated reading time: 5 minutes

The Great Depression was a dark time in American history. During this period, unemployment rose dramatically, and people had trouble affording necessities, including food. But as difficult as it was, the Great Depression showed Americans’ ingenuity and resilience.

Certain foods, like dairy products, were very difficult to purchase, and families had to rely on canned goods and whatever food they could grow in their own gardens. They became very creative in making delicious and filling meals from the ingredients that they had. One of these meals that became very popular was Hoover Stew.

Hoover stew was named after President Hoover, who was president at the time of the stock market crash. Although he was blamed for a number of instances leading to the Great

Depression, he was also the name-bearer of this hearty meal. Hoover Stew was made from some of the more widely available ingredients, including macaroni, hotdogs, corn, and tomatoes.

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How to Make Hoover Stew

Hoover Stew is an easy dish to create, and you can customize it endlessly. For just a few dollars, you can feed a lot of mouths with these simple ingredients.

Ingredients

• 16 ounces of macaroni or your favorite pasta
• 2 cans crushed tomatoes (15 to 16 ounces)
• 1 can sweet corn (15 to 16 ounces)
• 1 can pinto beans (15 to 16 ounces)
• 1 pack hot dogs (16 ounces)
• 1 tsp dried Italian herbs
• 1 Tbsp garlic, diced

Directions

1. Cook the macaroni according to the directions. Rinse, drain, and then return to the pot.

2. While the macaroni is cooking, slice your hot dogs. Many people like coin-shaped pieces, but if you have small children, you may want to consider strips or smaller pieces to avoid a choking hazard.

3. Add the hot dogs, tomatoes, corn (with liquid), and beans (rinsed and drained) to a saucepan and simmer.

4. Add any seasons you desire to the saucepan. Cook until thoroughly heated.

5. Add your hotdog mixture to the pasta and stir well.

6. Serve hot. Serves about 6 people.

When I created my recipe, I roughly doubled the ingredients to make enough for my large family. I swapped out the pinto beans and made the stew with black beans because that’s what we had in the pantry. You can use pretty much any beans you like. You can even use sausage, spam, or turkey hotdogs instead of regular hotdogs if you prefer.

To be honest, I wasn’t expecting much from a mixture of pasta and hotdogs, but I was pleasantly surprised by the flavor and the heartiness of the meal. It’s something you can make when you need a quick, easy, and filling meal for your whole family.

Not only is this meal a great history lesson, it’s an easy way to feed a lot of people on a budget. And you can easily adjust the ingredients to what you find on sale at the grocery store or whatever you already have in your pantry.

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