Foodie Friday: “A Meal In Itself” from 100 Years Ago

The Special Collections staff has potluck lunches occasionally, and at the most recent one a colleague brought tamale pie.  That reminded me of this recipe that I had found in the Progressive Farmer weekly newspaper for 27 April 1918, p. 15.

Corn Meal and Meat

Corn meal is good combined with meats.  Such a dish is a meal in itself.  Try this one.

Tamale Pie—

2 cups corn meal.

6 cups water.

1 tablespoon fat.

1 onion.

2 cups tomatoes.

1 pound hamburger steak.

Make a mush by stirring the corn meal and 1 ½ teaspoons salt into boiling water.  Cook 45 minutes.  Brown onion in fat, add hamburger and stir until red color disappears.  Add salt, pepper, and tomato.  A sweet pepper is an addition.  Grease baking dish, put in layer of corn meal mush, add seasoned meat, and cover with mush.  Bake one-half hour.  Serves six.

Apparently the inclusion of bell pepper was frowned upon!  Because this recipe was published during World War I, it would have counted as a “wheatless” meal.

Explore more resources with recipes in our digitized collections, and as always, contact us to view materials in our reading room or to learn more about Special Collections.