I enjoy your enthusiasm for dishes that are clearly bland. When I talk to my older aunts they said our palates have changed since the post war years. And the options they had then in the stores were limited too.

Cookbooks show us a lot aboit cultural history znd its’ expecations - that is what i love about vintage cookbooks - they give insight into how people thought in the past. ☮️

I enjoy watching a Canadian cooking show focused on recipes from old cookbooks, called Glenn and friends. He did a history on this type of meal. In Ireland, it was called shepherds pie and had either beef and lamb or just lamb. When it came to the New World, it switched over to primarily just beef and was called cottage pie. When it got down to the southern US, the biscuits replace the potatoes. These recipes are still enjoyed today in mini household, including ours!

That recipe has been around quite a while and reprinted. I took care of my grandfather when I was younger, about 26 years ago, and had to learn to cook food he liked. I used an old, thick Betty Crocker reprinted book for much inspiration. He was born in 1915 and grew up on a farm. He was very much a beans and potato man (didn't care about the kind of meat, but had to have beans and potatoes) and wouldn't have gone for any of the lady dishes. LOL He was very childlike with his food and hated any kind of "fancy" seasoning, so just salt and pepper. He also refused to eat things like pizza because it was too foreign to him. My mother made a really bland chili and that's about as far out of his comfort zone that he'd go, and only after smelling it and seeing everyone else enjoy it. Anyway, there were two recipes almost identical that I found in the book. Hamburger Pie and Shepherd's Pie. The only difference was that the Hamburger Pie only had green beans, and the Shepherd's Pie had mixed veggies. I chose the Shepherd's Pie with frozen mix veggies (corn, carrots, lima beans, peas, green beans) toped with mashed potatoes and cheese (cheddar or colby jack). He loved it so much. It became one of my staple dishes because it's so simple you can do it out of memory, and everyone loves it. My dad loved it too, so I'd make him one of his own to take home when I made it for the family. My father and grandfather also grew up eating a really simple vintage salad of iceberg lettuce, boiled egg and mayo w/ salt and pepper (I've also seen it done w/ tomato as vintage recipe). Those two things and a bit of fresh made bread made a great vintage type of meal. It's been many years since I made it. My father passed away nearly nine years ago and it is such older man kind of hearty meal that I haven't gone to the trouble to fix it. I think I will, though, sometime later this month. I think the tomato soup really adds a lot more flavor than you'd get out of just tomato sauce, and seems to get absorbed a bit better. I use one can of soup per pound of meat. Especially if you use frozen veggies and could use the extra sodium. I did season my beef well while it was cooking with lots of onion, salt, pepper, and garlic powder. My shepherd's pie has a lot of flavor, but the corn adds a sweetness to it too that I think you wouldn't get even with fresh or frozen green beans.

we ate this a lot growing up and called it Shepherd's Pie. However, as an adult, I found out that is made with lamb and what we were eating was actually Cottage Pie. Over the years, I've changed it up, trying new things. Tomato sauce doesn't do it for me. If I make it saucy, it has to be tomato soup, but I've also made it with brown gravy. Vegetables are whatever I feel like putting in, but I put them in a layer over the hamburger mixture and before the potatoes. I have also added carrots or turnip to the potatoes for a twist.

One of the things that making recipes from old cookbooks does for us is take us back to another time. Time traveling to the era the cookbook was written. Enjoy the fact that you are getting a glimpse of the way things were then as opposed to now. Things will change again, and in another 50 years someone will comment on our strange way of thinking and doing things. It may be the #1 reason I enjoy history so much. I love time travel. Don't you?

The average American man back then ate meat and potatoes, coffee and pie. They weren't into fancy foods.

My mom made the hamburger pie. She used a small can of tomato sauce. But she layered the beef (and onions) mixed in tomato sauce and Italian seasoning, then layer of green beans, then a thick layer of mashed potatoes. Draw lines in the potatoes with a fork, like Shepherd's pie. I've made it over the years. Always enjoyed.

Hello Anna: Here's a hint for your piping bag so it won't be so clumsy to work with. Put it in a tall drinking glass, & then start filling it up. I've made this dish dozens of times back in the late '50's, '60's, & 70's for five growing kids, & husband. Another hint is something I came up with is that I drained the grease/fat off the HB by putting it in my spaghetti colander to drain in a wide bowl or pan so's not to let the sink drain get clogged up, then just pour the excess in the garbage, usually in a cereal box or whatever was handy. I would cook up an onion the size of a tennis ball & and two chopped up garlic cloves in olive oil with S&P. And, regarding the potatoes, I would cook up two or three chopped up carrots with the potatoes, & mash them up real good with butter & hot milk, & some of the cooking water. I used a can or two of mushroom soup to mix through the nearly two lbs. of hamburger & onion/garlic. Then, before I spread on the potatoes, I would put cheddar cheese slices over the meat, then plop on the mashed potatoes & with the back of a spoon I would smooth it out. Then, I used a fork to draw it across the potatoes to make the 'fancy' lines. I learned this from my father in law, who was a Fireman, & he did a lot of the cooking for the crew of men because they were on duty 24/7 at the firehouse for 2/3 days at a time. He told me he used 15 pounds of ground up meat, 10 lbs. of potatoes, & 3/4 large onions. I think he made his own sauce because he never mentioned canned soup. He didn't mention how many carrots he used. He called it "Firehouse Cottage Pie." He said the men really tore into the meal & would go back for seconds. He said he made lettuce, tomato, & cucumber salad, & used four heads of lettuce, ten tomatoes, & two/three cucumbers, depending on their size. He was born in the l890's & started working at the firehouse when he was 11/12 years old as the clean up boy and dishwasher, & took care or the horse's & cleaned out their stalls, & fed & watered them. He learned to cook from watching the other Firemen cook. When he retired, he had been the Fire Captain for 24+ years, back in the 40's/50's. Anyway, this is a very comforting plate of food to settle into, & very tasty, with a lot of history behind it. Thank you for what you do on the internet. I love your show. And, thank you for coming to Michigan. We are a beautiful State with our Great Lakes.

That hamburger pie was a staple in our house, we loved it. As a matter of fact I still make it although I do use more spices.

"Party timing Spidey sense" had me cracking up! 😂❤

The small blue cornflower Pyrex casserole WAS popular! I had my gma's for years and years, then the lid broke, no worries, but then the dish broke. I was so sad. I'd had it for so long it was a kind of family heirloom. Oh well, memories.

The only time I won’t drink hot coffee with a meal, is at a formal meal. 😋☕️

I was in my early teens when this cook book was released. My folks, and my hubby’s folks, always had coffee with every meal. As for the photos, I knew a woman who was a professional food photographer, and from what she told me, the food in those pictures may not even actually be the real deal. She had to do all sorts of tricks with the “food” to make it appear appetizing back then. A couple of examples she gave me: when a photo shows a bowl of crispy, yummy cereal with milk, the milk was usually Elmer’s glue. And roasted chickens very often were “painted” with a glaze of brown shoe polish! Gross to think about…but, she was aces at making the viewer’s mouth water while looking at that fake food! 😊 The hamburger pie is essentially a type of Shepherd’s Pie, which is still popular today, particularly in England. Add a bit of cinnamon to the meat mixture to kick the flavor up a bit.

One of my mother in law's favorites!

Hamburger pie was, and still is one of my favorite dishes. I never had it with green beans, or any other veggie. Just the ground beef mixture, topped with mashed potatoes and Velveeta cheese triangles. Yum!

a lazy susan buffet-come to Georgia and visit a restaurant names Buckner's. It's right off I-75 south in Jackson. They serve what's called family style. In the center of the table is a lazy susan where all the food is placed and you serve your plate from there.

For so many years in the late 1800's celery was always on the table, in particular celery dishes, as a sign of wealth or importance for some reason! I think it made its way into many other things after that! Love the book

Blue cornflower was the original pattern for Corningware. Other patterns came later. They were popular with the generation that made America great.

I have seven books from the Creative Cooking Library and I think that's all of the ones they published. These books were sold as promotional items at grocery stores. The production quality is insanely high, it's rare to find one that isn't in good-to-very-good condition.

I love your summary of this book lol

Not sure about serving at a party. But we probably have this once a month. We love it. We top the potato's with cheese.

My mom has celiac and makes the mayonnaise cream as a topper for pear salad or a dip for her fruit. She loves it but she also loves mayonnaise…haha

Oh my....this made my stomach queazy this morning. Thank God my mother never made something like this. These ingredients combined...yowser! Love them all but together, no way -LOL. Thanks for sharing. Have a great day 🥰

I love this basic recipe. I made it often for my family. Definitely a tomato sauce guy myself and I usually used other spices. Tarragon or oregano and a pinch of chili powder for a small kick, not heat. And if you don’t feel like getting out the spice blends….a packet of onion soup mix with the ground beef does wonders! It’s easy enough for Level 1 chef but still a good base of which to branch off for a Level 2 chef or home cook.

That's actually a Cottage Pie. I grew up on it with corn instead of green beans. We called it Shepherd's Pie, but as an adult I found out that Shepherd's Pie is made with lamb. I put a few dabs of butter on the potatoes before putting it in the oven.

"as usual, I'm keeping an open mind." I sprayed iced tea through my nose laughing!!

I’ve had that cranberry orange Jell-O mold many times. I love it 😊 the celery is a great crunch too. It absorbs whatever flavor you’re making.

Had this growing up. Still make it. It’s very good.

That recipe is in Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook, Fifth printing. ©️ 1953. Page 181. They recycle their recipes alot.

Awwww Dottie stole my heart! I’m so sorry she crossed the rainbow bridge! My prayers are with you

Love this recipe.Remember my mom making this.

My mother often made this for a Sunday dinner. Though she used diced tomatoes. No soup. Added grated carrots.and diced bell pepper. Ugly but very good. Perfect for left over potatoes

My mom used to make this when l was a child. So surprised to see this again! Thanks for the memory!

I make hamburger pie with my husband’s favorite meat loaf mix but with no filler. I brown it in a skillet, fill the casserole and top it with mashed potatoes.

FWIW instead of struggling with the piping bag just spread the potato mixture on top with an offset spatula and use the bottom lifted up to give peaks and valleys if desired. Could also use a spoon.

I made the hamburger pie from my better homes and garden book in the 80's and still do to this day! Its delicious and has everything you need for a meal😊 my version calls for American cheese slices on top of the potatoes

HI Anna! I have been binging your channel, as I just stumbled across it not too long ago. I am a vintage cookbook collector from Lakewood, Ohio . . I think, judging from your references, that we live near one another. :) Last night, I was browsing one of my vintage cookbooks - Best Buffets Cook Book from Better Homes and Gardens from 1974! I just thought it was funny that this video popped up in my feed today to watch. I was comparing, and it seems they definitely changed the layout of the book in the newer addition and a lot of the recipes changed . . .no hamburger pie in 1974. There is an "interesting" meal on the Slenderizing Luncheon menu called "Slim Ham Slaw." It is served in a hallowed out cabbage, lol (yes, there is a photo). I love your channel! Thanks for all of the great content. :)

Most of the series of cookbooks are on the archive organization.

My father, who grew up during the Depression, thought that every meal needed meat and often a dessert. My mother was mostly vegetarian and hated cooking meat, so everything was overcooked. We couldn't cut a porkchop, so we'd just break off a piece instead. My tastes run towards Mexican and Asian. Well marked cookbooks are often the best. Another great episode, Anna!

I have that book.

I have always had luck with recipes from specific products- like the land o lakes recipes. I feel like they really want you to buy their products so the recipes are usually delicious. They are either right on the product or in the little books at grocery checkout.

I just recently discovered your channel and am working my way through. As a vintage lover of vintage cookbooks, this picture leaped off the page at me. We had this cookbook when I was a kid and I was obsessed with it. I couldn’t wait to grow up and “entertain”. I would have completely recreated the red tablecloth buffet with the chicken and those little angel food cakes. The only thing my mom made from this was the spiced orange mold. We had it for several thanksgiving dinners. Anyway, it was a hoot to run across someone else who enjoyed this cookbook. By the way, I still have it but have never made any of the recipes. One mystery is, what the heck is “coffee cream”? One of the recipes calls for it. None of my Facebook friends had ever heard of it.

Thanks!

This was a staple in our home when I was growing up. I do make it with sauce instaed of soup.

I have my mom's copy of the book but it doesn't look like she ever used it. The hamburger pie sounds a lot like Shepherd's Pie. Maybe using more onion, adding shredded carrots, substituting tomato sauce for the soup, and seasoning with thyme would improve the taste. Adding tomato slices around the edge like the picture shows would be fun.

Actually back then it was the women that were gastronomically adventurous and men were pretty much good with steak or burgers every night. My dad ran a restaurant for a time in the early seventies and long after he sold it people commented on how it was him that cooked and liked unusual food and it was my mom that would simply eat baked chicken every night. It was so common that I noticed it even as a kid. Also according to my grandmother hostessing could be taught. The "right time to eat" signal was when the chatter and laughter started to taper off. Generally she had the first courses being held warm and waited for it. She could point out the time based basically on the decibel of the room. 🤷

Dottie is cute. Unbelievable what we ate but it is how it was.

Oh my gosh this is the only recipe my mother would let me make when I was 15 and she was working! Went by a different name that I don't remember now and it was cooked on top of the stove in a cast iron skillet. It really did taste good and I've been trying to remember if it was tomato soup that was used to. Maybe try it in the place I work. Thanks!

I love this! Thank you

Not sure if you were aware... but in 1963, when that cookbook was made, they had tomato, celery, and mixed vegetable flavored Jell-o. My mother make thing thing with shredded lettuce, finely chopped celery, and pecans in lime Jell-o. I hate it, but she loves it. And I am a perosn who LIKES Jell-o.

I have to admit that I laughed a little too much at your review of this cook book. You said exactly what I was thinking. Love your channel!

My mother used to make this exactly she would put Parmesan cheese in the potatoes It was like a Cottage pie

I love your channel so much! You’re always bringing nice memories to my mind. It’s a tradition to always have a cranberry jello mold every Thanksgiving, ever since I can remember. It has the celery that you dislike.😆.They did use a lot of celery in their jello back then, didn’t they?! Lol! I actually really like it, and it has raspberry jello, walnuts, pineapple, and of course canned whole cranberry sauce in it as well.

My parents were born in the 1920s. They often drank coffee at dinner. Otherwise they drank water. Coffee always followed dinner.

This meal was our go-to thru 60’s and 70s not from this book. Tomato sauce and it always was seasoned correctly. Still love it use frozen green beans

Celery gives crunch to otherwise blah jello.

I have to agree… All the men I’ve had in my life (could I word that better?🤔) were meat and potatoes kind of guys, with only one exception. They wanted simple, basic foods, like mom used to make. Nothing wrong with that. I think it’s a cute and charming quality.

@ 6:34 Neiman Marcus Apple Pie? I'd like to see (and taste) that. I have never heard of it but it sounds fancy. What makes it special?

Love the humor!

Chicken in any form was very special in the sixties it was not an everyday food at least in England anyway.

What a fun video! I’m sorry it didn’t taste better. It was clear early on that the flavor would be underwhelming. Tomato soup has so little to offer. Thanks for sharing this! 🙂

These vintage cookbook reviews are great. Mayonnaise cream? Hmmmm. Hamburger Pie like hamburger helper? Lol. With the potato topper it’s like a shepherds pie. Nice!

I have about 8 of them.

Anybody just click like before even watching the vid?

Mom made hers with bbq sauce

my grandma would have her bridge group over now and then and she often served an aspic or a lime jello mould. it almost always had small bits of celery or carrot shavings, and i had a kind of love-hate relationship with it. much prefer just unadorned cherry 🍒 or strawberry 🍓 jello with cool whip

Love how you worked that piping bag. I would Just plop it on! Love the dog walk break! Like a shepherds pie?

Dinnertime is when I say it is.

Oh, I had that one but I was afraid to try any of the recipes.

This is clearly based on an English cottage pie which uses fresh vegetables, beef stock and tinned tomatoes.

I love this- I think I would do the biscuit topper- sorry so bland!!!!! I need to go on a vintage cookbook hunt!!!!

I remember my mom making hamburger pie for potlucks.

I recall the meals my Mom made with living care back in the 60s and 70s and they always seemed a bit bland and wonder if it was just the era where they didn’t know and use many herbs. Also, she used some canned veggies that also added to the blandness -was it my Mom’s cooking or did others feel the same. I’m in my 70s and that’s what I recall

My mom called it hamburger tomato pie she had green beans and potatoes in it. Used real tomato sauce. Don't know what she seasoned it with chili powder was definitely in it and the bisque top like a pie crust with biscuits instead

Sign me up for the mens menu, coffee too 😆🤷🏻‍♀️

My husband likes Asian food, Mediterranean food, lobster,and the occasional escargot 🤢 I'm more the meat and potatoes person 😋

Yeah it is. I live with all men. It comes in a lot of forms but literally always boils down to animal protein and a carb. They call almost anything outside of that "chicken food".

My mom put french fried onions IN it...idk

This seems more like the American take on a classic British sheperds pie to me.

Nice book review and recipes I am so sorry not flavor enough Thank you for sharing! New friend!

So basically a shepherds pie? Or something akin to it? Looks great!

I hope I don’t make you sad. My husband was born in 1954 and he likes simple food.

The author of the book is correct when she says men want simple foods FOR A BUFFET

I wonder who was supposed to make all this food for the stag party?

🍔🍔🍔🥧🥧🥧👍💕😊

Mmm we are a family of 3 2 men and one woman. I am full of shite when it comes to food. The husband I can say is true meat and potatoes and he is good. The son eat almost everything except bread, rice, paste and porridge / pap.

Maybe the person who wrote about men like simple food had an unaventeraues eater like me deceased husband. Just black cofee. I want food I grew up with. His sister said his mom was the worse cook.

Everything is renamed in every generation