# Great Depression Mac and Cheese

A unique mac and cheese recipe from the Great Depression era, featuring hot dogs, mashed potatoes, and a saltine cracker topping for an economical and filling meal.

- Total time: 30 min
- Cuisine: American
- Category: Side
- Language: en

## Ingredients

- cut up hot dogs
- butter
- flour
- mashed potatoes
- salt
- pepper
- cheese
- noodles
- crushed saltine crackers

## Instructions

1. Sauté cut up hot dogs until browned.
2. Melt down some butter and mix in flour to build a quick roux.
3. After a couple minutes, add mashed potatoes.
4. Season with basic salt and pepper.
5. Mix in noodles.
6. Add crushed saltine crackers to the top.
7. Bake at 400 degrees for half an hour.

## Equipment

- pan
- oven

## Tips

- Proteins were limited, so the cheapest meat available was used.
- Potatoes were used to stretch meals and keep everyone full due to being cheap.
- Cheese was often skipped or used sparingly because many couldn't afford it.
- Crushed saltine crackers were added for a nice crunch and were cheap.

## Source

- Original video: https://youtube.com/shorts/o9seQwZo6rk?si=p5SRCB0kOdwSgVpw
- Recipe page: https://www.cliprecipe.com/recipe/d28a8355-a85a-441d-a555-9ba68c89c233
- Extracted: 2026-04-13

Extracted from the video by Clip Recipe (https://www.cliprecipe.com). Quantities and steps are as stated or shown in the video. Site guide for agents: https://www.cliprecipe.com/llms.txt