There are several versions of Poor Man’s Meal or Poor Man’s Dinner. It was a common meal during the Great Depression because it used affordable ingredients like ground beef or hot dogs, potatoes, tomato sauce or ketchup and sometimes other veggies too. It’s a simple meal, but delicious, using ingredients most of us have on hand.
Since we are using some garden vegetables, I made this whole meal for $5.
In the 1930s, 10 pounds of potatoes were 16 cents, ground beef was 25 cents for 2 pounds (if ground beef was used instead of wieners), and wieners/hot dogs were just 8 cents a pound. Onions were 13 cents for 3 pounds, 5 cents for a bunch of carrots, peas were 29 cents for 3 pounds and corn was less than one cent per pound. Making poor man’s meal in the 1930s was somewhat affordable for struggling families.
If we grow what veggies we can, or shop sales, this meal can be an affordable meal to feed a hungry family.
We are basing our poor man’s meal on Clara’s version from “Great Depression Cooking” – she has great stories about the 1930’s and simple meals. Since it’s Slow Cooker Sunday, we are tossing these humble ingredients in our slow cooker which is an easy way to have a great meal ready at the end of a busy day.
Let’s get started!
In a slow cooker, add peas, corn and bell peppers.
Add onion and carrots.
Season with salt and pepper and some dried dill.
Add potato and hot dogs or sausage as well as the pasta sauce. Mix well.
Cover. Cook on high for 4 hours or on low for 8 hours.
Time to eat!! smells yummy!
You can add extra potatoes and other vegetables if you like.
We enjoy poor man’s meal cooked on the stove, but my family almost likes it better in the slow cooker! It’s a simple recipe from the Great Depression. It’s so good and one of our favorite meals!
Slow Cooker Sunday – Poor Man’s Meal
3/4 cup peas
3/4 cup corn – I’m using frozen corn
1/2 bell pepper, diced – I am using yellow and red bell pepper that I froze
1 onion, chopped
2 carrots, diced
1/2 tsp salt
Fresh cracked pepper
1/4 tsp dried dill or 3 tbsp fresh chopped dill
2 large potatoes, or about 1-1/2 cups chopped
1/2 cup water
1 to 2 hotdogs – sliced or diced
2 heaping tbsp pasta sauce
In a slow cooker, add peas, corn and bell peppers along with onion and carrots. Season with salt and pepper and some dried dill. Add potatoes, water and hotdogs as well as the pasta sauce. Stir well. Cover. Cook on high for 4 hours or on low for 8 hours. Serve with biscuits or fresh bread.
