Somewhere between 30-ingredient turkey brines and “elevated” green bean casserole, Thanksgiving recipes got complicated. But the women who filled church cookbooks decades ago? They were making dishes their families loved, with ingredients they already had and without spending all day in the kitchen. If you’re looking for some old-fashioned, tried-and-true inspiration, check out these 15 no-frills Thanksgiving recipes from old church cookbooks.

I love old church cookbooks. I pick them up at thrift shops and garage sales in Minnesota, South Dakota, and Wisconsin. I sometimes make the recipes I find, but I often just read them. I’m fascinated by how much has changed in 40, 50 years in terms of what we eat, how we cook, and what ingredients are available.

Here, I’m sharing 15 old church cookbook recipes, hand-picked for your Thanksgiving gathering. Untouched. Original wording. Nothing has been changed.

I hope you enjoy!

Country Corn Bread

  • 1 1/2 cups self-rising corn meal
  • 1 egg
  • 1/2 cup self-rising flour
  • 1/2 cup shortening
  • 1 1/2 cups buttermilk

Mix flour, corn meal, egg, and melted shortening and buttermilk all together. Mix real good. Pour into greased pan and bake in a 400-degree oven until golden brown, approximately 40 minutes. Serves 6. 

Submitted by Faye Smith
Cherished Recipes, 1979
First United Pentecostal Church, Brandon, Mississippi

Sweet Potato Casserole

  • 3 cups cooked mashed sweet potatoes
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 3 well-beaten eggs
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 3/4 stick melted butter
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
  • 3/4 cup milk
  • 1/2 stick oleo
  • 1/3 cup flour
  • 1 cup finely chopped pecans

Mix the first 7 ingredients together in a mixing bowl. This will be a thin mixture. Pour this into a 8 x 9-inch casserole dish. In a separate bowl, cream sugar and oleo. Add flour and pecans; mix well. Pour this mixture over the potato mixture and bake in a 350-degree oven for about 35 to 45 minutes.

Mrs. Charlene Benson
Cherished Recipes, 1979
First United Pentecostal Church, Brandon, Mississippi

What is oleo?

If you see “oleo” in a vintage recipe, don’t panic. It’s short for oleomargarine, which is simply margarine. Butter works just fine as a substitute in any of these recipes.

Company Green Bean Casserole

  • 2 packages frozen cut green beans (French cut)
  • 1 can bean sprouts
  • 1 can water chestnuts, sliced
  • 1 onion, grated
  • 1 can mushrooms
  • 1 can mushroom soup
  • 1/2 lb. sharp cheddar cheese (grated)
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon pepper
  • 2 teaspoons soy sauce

Bake at 400F for 30 minutes. Add 1 can French fried onions on top and bake 10 minutes longer.

Doris Stengel
Potpourri of Recipes, 1974
Bethlehem Lutheran Church, Brainerd, Minnesota

Duchess Potato Casserole

  • 3 cups potato flakes
  • 2 cups water
  • 1/4 cup butter
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2/3 cup milk
  • 1 package cream cheese (3 ounces)
  • 1 cup sour cream (room temperature)
  • 1/4 cup minced onion
  • Dash paprika

Heat water, butter and salt to boiling; remove from heat, add milk. Stir in potato flakes with a fork.

Let stand until liquid is absorbed. Combine sour cream and cream cheese, blend well. Add to potatoes. Stir in onion. Put in 1 1/2 quart baking dish. Dot with butter and sprinkle with paprika. Bake at 400F for 30 to 40 minutes or until brown. Keep covered while baking. Can be prepared ahead and kept in the refrigerator until ready to bake and serve.

Doris Stengel
Potpourri of Recipes, 1974
Bethlehem Lutheran Church, Brainerd, Minnesota

Where’s the stuffing?

I went looking for a stuffing or gravy recipe in my cookbook stash and came up empty-handed. My guess is that those dishes were so personal to each family that nobody thought to write them down. Does your family have a “no recipe, just know” stuffing? This is mine – but I’ve actually written it down!

Scalloped Corn

  • 1 can cream style corn
  • 2 eggs (slightly beaten)
  • 1 cup milk
  • 2 slices dry bread (broken up)
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • Dash of pepper

Combine all ingredients and pour into greased casserole. Top with cracker crumbs and butter. Bake about 1 hour at 350F, covered.

Lena Marino, Sr. 
Treasured Recipes, 1976
St. Francis DeSales Parish, Spooner, Wisconsin

An old church cookbook

Squash Casserole

  • 2 lbs. yellow squash
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 3 tablespoons butter or margarine
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • 1/2 cup grated sharp cheese
  • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon pepper, or to your own taste
  • 5 soda crackers, crumbled

Combine squash and onion. Cook in boiling, salted water until tender. Drain and mash. Preheat oven to 350F. Lightly grease 2-quart casserole. Combine squash and onion, butter, salt, pepper, cracker crumbs, beaten eggs, and Worcestershire sauce. Put in casserole and top with grated cheese. Bake 30 minutes.

Mary Ellen McKenzie
Our Favorite Recipes, 1980
United Methodist Women, Jacksonville, Florida

Corn Spoon Bread

  • 3 eggs (separated)
  • 1 1/4 cup milk (scalded)
  • 3/4 cup cornmeal
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1 cup creamed corn
  • 3/4 teaspoon baking powder

Beat egg whites; beat egg yolks till thick. Stir cornmeal, salt into scalded milk, beating hard. Cook a few seconds, stirring until it’s like thick mush. Blend in butter, corn, baking powder. Fold in egg yolks, then whites, pour into baking dish. Bake at 375F for 35 minutes or until knife inserted in center comes out clean.

Eileen Holcomb
Treasured Recipes, 1976
St. Francis DeSales Parish, Spooner, Wisconsin

“Scald the milk”

If a recipe tells you to scald milk, heat it until it steams and small bubbles form around the edge, but don’t let it boil. It was a must when milk wasn’t pasteurized. These days, you can almost always skip it, though some bakers still do it for softer yeast breads and rolls.

Angel Biscuits

  • 2 packages dry yeast
  • 1 cup lukewarm water
  • 2 tablespoons sugar
  • 2 cups buttermilk
  • 1 teaspoon soda
  • 3/4 cup cooking oil
  • 5 cups self-rising flour

Dissolve yeast in 1 cup lukewarm water. Add sugar, soda, and cooking oil; mix well. Add flour and buttermilk. Mix until consistency of rolls. Seal and store in refrigerator. This will keep about 1 week. Pinch off amount desired, shape into rolls or biscuits and bake at 400F for 10-12 minutes.

Patsy Fuller
Cherished Recipes, 1979
First United Pentecostal Church, Brandon, Mississippi

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Cranberry Salad Mold

  • 1 package cherry Jell-O
  • 1 cup boiling water
  • 1 cup dairy sour cream
  • 1 cup jellied cranberry sauce

Dissolve Jell-O in boiling water and allow to partially thicken. Gently fold in cream and cranberry sauce. Return to refrigerator until time to serve. 6 to 8 servings.

Mrs. Paul Koosman
Potpourri of Recipes, 1974
Bethlehem Lutheran Church, Brainerd, Minnesota

A Thanksgiving meal with squash, mashed potatoes, cranberries

Salad that isn’t a salad

If you’re not from the Midwest or the South, “salad” in an old church cookbook may not mean what you expect. Jell-O, marshmallows, whipped cream, and canned fruit all count as salad here. These dishes were just as likely to be served alongside the turkey as with dessert, so go ahead and put one on your Thanksgiving table.

Cranberry Overnight Salad

  • 1 lb. fresh cranberries
  • 2 apples (cored, but not peeled)
  • 1 can pineapple tidbits (drained)
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 4 cups miniature marshmallows
  • 1 cup cream (whipped and sweetened)
  • 1/2 cup nuts, chopped

Grind cranberries and apples. Mix in sugar, pineapple and marshmallows. Refrigerate overnight. Fold in the whipped cream and nuts. Serve chilled on salad greens or in a bowl.

Mrs. James Glenn
Potpourri of Recipes, 1974
Bethlehem Lutheran Church, Brainerd, Minnesota

Who is Mrs. James Glenn?

Flip through any old church cookbook and you’ll notice many recipes are credited to a woman by her husband’s name, like “Mrs. James Glenn,” instead of her own. It’s a charming (and slightly funny) quirk of the time. It also means the best cook in the congregation may be hiding behind her husband’s name.

Pecan Pie

  • 3 eggs
  • 1 cup Karo syrup
  • 1/4 cup melted butter
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 cup chopped pecans
  • Dash of salt

Beat eggs real good. Add sugar and Karo syrup; then butter and salt. Add pecans last. Pour in unbaked pie shell and bake at 350F until firm.

Wilma Snow
Cherished Recipes, 1979
First United Pentecostal Church, Brandon, Mississippi

Sweet Potato Pie

  • 2 cups sweet potatoes, mashed
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 3 whole eggs
  • 1 can Eagle Brand sweetened condensed milk
  • Flavoring, to taste (like vanilla)

Mix all ingredients and pour into unbaked 9-inch pie shell. Cook until you can insert a knife and it slips out clean.

Mary Phillips
Cherished Recipes, 1979
First United Pentecostal Church, Brandon, Mississippi

Missing temperature?

Many old recipes skip mention of baking temperature. 350F is typical.

Pumpkin Pudding Cake

  • 1 2/3 cup flour
  • 1 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon soda
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon cloves
  • 1/3 cup water
  • 1/3 cup oil
  • 1 cup pumpkin puree
  • 1/3 cup raisins
  • 1 egg
  • 1/3 cup nuts

Mix all ingredients together; pour into a greased tube pan (angel food pan). Bake at 350F for 40 to 45 minutes

C. Osterhues
Treasured Recipes, 1976
St. Francis DeSales Parish, Spooner, Wisconsin

Pumpkin Bread

  • 1 1/2 cups sugar
  • 1/2 cup oil
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 cup pumpkin
  • 1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
  • 1/3 cup water
  • Raisins, nuts or dates (optional)

Bake at 350F about 1 hour or less. Makes 2 small or 1 large loaf.

Hazel Enfield
Potpourri of Recipes, 1974
Bethlehem Lutheran Church, Brainerd, Minnesota

Johnny Appleseed Cake

Generously grease and flour a 13 inch cake pan. Set aside. In a large saucepan, combine 1/2 cup butter or oleo and 1 3/4 cups sweetened applesauce. Place over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until butter melts. Remove from heat.

Blend in the following (no eggs in this recipe):

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 cup raisins
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon soda
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1/4 teaspoon cloves
  • 1 cup (or less) nuts

Stir dry mixture into sauce mixture, pour into prepared pan, spreading dough to edges. Bake at 350F until dough springs back when touched, 35 to 45 minutes. Serve warm or cold, plain or with whipped cream or frosting of choice.

Sarah Smythe
Potpourri of Recipes, 1974
Bethlehem Lutheran Church, Brainerd, Minnesota

More Thanksgiving Recipes

I’ve been publishing Thanksgiving recipes on Cheap Recipe Blog for more than 15 years. If you didn’t find a recipe to try, above, here are some of my favorites:

I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving filled with gratitude and plenty of new food memories.