Boston Roast Recipe

Boston Roast

A week or so I did a post on 1924 meatless menus that included menus for five meals. One of those menus included a dish called Boston Roast.

Several readers made comments about Boston Roast. A couple wondered what it was; another did an online search and found a recipe for Boston Roast and discovered that it was made using kidney beans, and still another noted that Boston is sometimes called “Bean Town” so it was made sense that the dish was called “Boston Roast.”

I’d found the meatless menus in a hundred-year-old cookbook. After getting all the comments about Boston Roast, I looked at the book’s table of contents and found the recipe for Boston Roast. The recipe called for kidney beans, grated cheese, onions, bread crumbs (cubes), chopped onions, and milk. The recipe also noted that “this is a good meat substitute.”

The recipe turned out well – though it had a slight tendency to fall apart when I sliced it. The kidney beans were the predominant flavor.

Here’s the original recipe:

Recipe for Boston Roast — Source: The New Butterick Cook Book (1924)

I used canned kidney beans rather than dried ones. The recipe calls for 1 1/2 cups of dried kidney beans which is the equivalent of 3 1-pound cans of kidney beans. I didn’t use the 3 tablespoons of salt since I didn’t cook dried beans in salted water. Instead I just used 1 teaspoon of salt which I mixed in the with other ingredients.

Here’s the recipe updated for modern cooks:

Boston Roast

Servings: 6 - 8
Time: 55 minutes
Difficulty: moderate
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3 1-pound cans kidney beans

1 1/2 cups grated cheese (I used cheddar cheese.)

2 tablespoons onions, chopped

1 cup bread cubes (coarse bread crumbs)

1/2 cup milk

1 teaspoon salt

melted butter

hot water

Preheat oven to 375° F. Drain kidney beans and then chop. (A food processor or blender can be used to chop the kidney beans.) Put the chopped beans in a mixing bowl and add the cheese, onions, bread cubes, milk, and salt. Stir until thoroughly combined. Shape into a loaf (or put into a loaf pan) and put in the oven. Bake for 40 minutes. If the top seems dry while baking, baste with melted butter and water.

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Old-Fashioned Canned Peach Pudding

Canned Peach Pudding

I was recently browsing through a hundred-year-old magazine, and came across a recipe for Canned Peach Pudding. Back then fresh fruit was scarce during the winter and early spring, so canned fruit was very popular. At the time, canned fruit (either home or commercially canned) was considered a modern option.

The Canned Peach Pudding was delightful. The pudding batter included pureed peaches, and whole peach halves (filled with a red jelly or strawberry jam) are placed in the batter and then additional batter is poured on top.

Here’s the original recipe:

Recipe for Canned Peach Pudding — Source: American Cookery (April, 1924)

When I put the baked pudding with the sugar on top under the broiler, the sugar did not brown, but the top of the pudding did begin to brown.

Here’s the recipe updated for modern cooks:

Canned Peach Pudding

Servings: 6
Time: 1 hour
Difficulty: moderate
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12 canned peach halves (approximately 1 29 oz. can + 1 15 oz. can or 1 quart home canned peaches)

1 egg

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup sugar

1 1/2 cups flour

3 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoons salt

2 tablespoons butter, melted

6 teaspoons red jelly or strawberry jam (I used current jelly.)

granulated sugar

Preheat oven to 350° F. Puree 6 of the peach halves. In a mixing bowl combine the peach puree, milk, sugar, flour, baking powder, salt, and melted butter. Put half of the batter into an 8″ X 8″ baking dish. Arrange 6 peach halves, hollow side up, on top of the batter. Fill the center of each peach half with 1 teaspoon of red jelly or strawberry jam. Pour the remaining better on top. Bake for 40-50 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove from oven and lightly sprinkle with granulated sugar. Put under the broiler until the top of the baked pudding is lightly browned. Remove from oven.

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Old-Fashioned Chocolate Waffles

Chocolate Waffles

Week-end mornings are the perfect time to make breakfast foods that are just a little special, so when I saw a recipe for Chocolate Waffles in a hundred-year-old cookbook, I decided to give them a try.

The Chocolate Waffles were crispy on the outside and tender in the middle. They contained just the right amount of chocolate. The waffles were not very sweet, but when syrup or other sweet topping is added it was just right.

Here’s the original recipe:

Recipe for Chocolate Waffles — Source: Modern Priscilla Cook Book: One Thousand Home Tested Recipes (1924)

I gradually added the hot water to the cocoa, and stirred until smooth. This resulted in a very thick paste. I could not figure out why the old recipe called for then heating this thick cocoa and water mixture to boiling, so I skipped that step.

Chocolate Waffles probably are lovely when served with chocolate sauce, marshmallow cream, or vanilla ice cream, but I just served them with maple syrup and they were delightful.

Here’s the recipe updated for modern cooks:

Chocolate Waffles

Servings: 4-6
Time: 15 minutes
Difficulty: moderate
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1/2 cup cocoa

1/2 cup water

1 cup milk

2 eggs

2 cups flour

4 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup sugar

2 tablespoons shortening, melted

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Put the cocoa in a mixing bowl, and gradually add the hot water while stirring constantly. Stir until smooth. Add remaining ingredients. Beat until smooth. Ladle batter onto a hot waffle iron and cook, following the waffle iron directions.

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Old-Fashioned Potato Biscuits

Potato Biscuits

I recently came across a hundred-year-old recipe for Potato Biscuits, and decided to give it a try. The biscuits were soft and tender. This recipe is a great way to use up leftover mashed potatoes.

Here’s the original recipe:

This recipe calls for using the Crisco brand of shortening. That’s because the recipe was published in a 1924 promotional cookbook for Crisco. When I updated the recipe, I changed it to just “shortening” since any brand would work. I used all-purpose flour rather than pastry flour when I made this recipe, and it worked fine.

Here’s the recipe updated for modern cooks:

Potato Biscuits

Servings: approximately 10 biscuits
Time: 30 minutes
Difficulty: moderate
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1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

3 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup mashed potatoes

1/4 cup shortening

approximately 1/3 cup milk, as needed

Preheat oven to 450° F. Mix the flour, baking powder, and salt together; stir in the mashed potatoes. Then cut (work) in the shortening and butter using fingers, pastry blender, or food processor. Gradually add the milk while mixing with a knife or spoon. Continue adding liquid until there is a soft dough. The amount of milk needed varies depending upon the type of flour. On a floured board, pat or roll the dough until 1/2 -inch thick. Cut with a round biscuit cutter. (I used a drinking glass as the cutter.) Place on a baking sheet, and bake for 15 – 20 minutes, or until lightly browned. Serve warm.

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Old-Fashioned Creamed Sweet Potatoes

Creamed Sweet Potatoes

I’m always looking for new ways to serve vegetables, so was intrigued by a hundred-year-old recipe for Creamed Sweet Potatoes. The recipe actually called for both diced sweet potatoes and celery. The combination worked well together, and I was pleased with how the recipe turned out.

Here’s the original recipe:

When I made this recipe, I was uncertain whether I was supposed to use left-over cold sweet potatoes that had previously been cooked, or if I was supposed to peel sweet potatoes and cut the uncooked sweet potatoes into cubes. I decided to go with the latter approach. The reason I used uncooked diced sweet potatoes is because they can easily be over-cooked and become very mushy. I wanted the sweet potatoes pieces to hold their shape.

Here’s the recipe updated for modern cooks:

Creamed Sweet Potatoes

Servings: 3 - 4
Time: 30 minutes
Difficulty: moderate
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1 cup half and half (light cream)

2 cups sweet potatoes, peeled and diced into 1-inch cubes

1/2 cup celery (about 1 stalk), diced

1/8 teaspoon paprika

1 tablespoon chopped parsley (or 1 tablespoon parsley flakes) – I used parsley flakes.

Put half and half in a saucepan; add diced sweet potatoes. Using medium heat, bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes or until the sweet potatoes are tender. Genty stir occasionally while cooking, being sure to stir all the way to the bottom of the pan since the cream will easily scorch. Once the sweet potatoes are tender, gently stir in the paprika and parsley, then add the celery. Heat for another minute or two (until the mixture is hot and bubbly); remove from the heat and serve.

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Old-Fashioned Mushroom Omelet

Mushroom Omelet

I enjoy the challenge of making omelets and I like mushrooms, so I decided to make a hundred-year-old recipe for Mushroom Omelet. The omelet turned out well and was tasty.

The 1924 New Butterick Cook Book had two Mushroom Omelet options. I selected the first one. Here are the original recipes:

Mushroom Omelet Recipes — The New Butterick Cook Book (1924)

I used milk instead of cream. One teaspoon of salt (and 1/2 teaspoon or pepper) seemed like a lot, so I used half that amount for each.

And, here is the original omelet recipe that I used:

Here’s the recipe updated for modern cooks:

Mushroom Omelet

Servings: 3 - 4
Time: 15 minutes
Difficulty: moderate
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Omelet

4 eggs, separated

4 tablespoons milk

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon pepper

1 tablespoon butter

Preheat oven to 350° F. Place egg whites in a bowl, and beat the egg whites until they form stiff peaks. Set aside.

In another bowl, whisk the egg yolks, then stir in the milk, salt, and pepper. Fold in the beaten egg whites.

In the meantime, heat a large oven-proof skillet on the top of the stove using medium-low heat.(I used a 12-inch cast iron skillet.) Put butter in pan. When the butter is melted, pour the egg mixture into the skillet. Then move the skillet to the oven, and bake for about 8 – 10 minutes or until the egg mixture is set. Remove from oven, and loosen the edges of the omelet from the skillet with a knife or spatula, then turn onto a plate. Put the mushroom filling (see below) onto half of the omelet, and then fold in half and serve.

Omelet Filling

1 cup mushroom pieces (fresh or canned)

1 tablespoon butter

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1 tablespoon flour

1/2 cup milk

Cut mushrooms into small pieces. Melt butter in a saucepan, then add the mushrooms. Sauté for several minutes, then stir in the flour, salt, and pepper. Gradually add the milk while stirring constantly. Heat until the mixture is hot and bubbly.

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Old-Fashioned Bacon Cream Soup

Bowl of Bacon Cream Soup

It’s cold and wintery outside, and I’m ready to cozy up and enjoy comfort foods. I came across a hundred-year-old recipe for Bacon Cream Soup that fits the bill. The soup was delicious and easy to make.

Here’s the original recipe:

It seemed odd that the old recipe called for putting sliced potatoes (and onions) in the soup. Smaller pieces seem more typical for a soup, so I cut the potatoes, onions, and celery into small pieces. The original recipe calls for whole milk. I think that skim, 1%, 2%, or whole milk would work in this recipe, so I didn’t specify the type of milk when I updated the recipe.

I used all of the fat that I got from cooking the bacon. Unless the bacon is extremely fatty, I don’t think that there is no need to measure out an exact amount of bacon fat for this recipe.

Here’s the recipe updated for modern cooks:

Bacon Cream Soup

Servings: 4 - 5
Time: 35 minutes
Difficulty: easy
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2 large potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch pieces

1 large onion, coarsely diced into 1/2 inch pieces

3 stalks celery, coarsely diced into 1/2 inch pieces

3 slices bacon

2 tablespoons flour

4 cups milk

Put the potato, onion, and celery pieces into a saucepan, and cover with water. Bring to a boil using high heat, then reduce heat and simmer until the vegetables are tender (about 10 minutes). Remove from heat and drain. Set aside.

Fry bacon until crisp in a Dutch oven or other large pan, then remove the cooked bacon from the pan, and break into small pieces. Set aside.

Stir the flour into the hot bacon fat. Slowly add the milk while constantly stirring and using medium heat. Stir in the cooked vegetables and bacon. Heat until hot and steamy, then serve.

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