Jackie Kennedy Only Needed 4 Ingredients: 13 First Ladies Recipes Families Still Love
Behind every famous White House dinner there was a real family that loved simple, comforting food. Some of these First Ladies recipes were shared in cookbooks and presidential libraries, and a few were mailed to fans who asked. Here is a warm trip through history, one plate at a time..
First Ladies recipes: Jacqueline Kennedy’s 4 ingredient noodle casserole
Jacqueline Kennedy’s favorite casserole uses only four ingredients, and it is still one of the easiest dinners you can make. Called Noodles Marie-Blanche, it was served at a 1961 White House dinner for her sister Lee and Prince Radziwill. Egg noodles, butter, sour cream and cottage cheese bake into something rich, creamy and golden. Would you serve it as a side, or eat it as the main dish?
You will need: 12 ounces wide egg noodles, 4 tablespoons butter, 1 cup sour cream, 1 cup small curd cottage cheese, salt, pepper, chopped chives.
How to make it: Heat the oven to 350 degrees F. Cook the noodles until just tender and drain. Toss with the butter until melted, then stir in the sour cream and cottage cheese. Season with salt and pepper. Spread in a buttered dish and bake 25 to 30 minutes until bubbly and golden on the edges. Top with chives.
Martha Washington: creamy crab soup
Martha Washington ran a busy kitchen at Mount Vernon, and crab soup made with Chesapeake Bay crabs is one of the dishes tied to her table, served to guests, diplomats and old Army friends. She was also proud of the smoked hams cured at Mount Vernon. Our version is creamy, cozy and easy with lump crab meat.
You will need: 1 pound lump crab meat, 2 tablespoons butter, 1 small onion chopped, 2 medium potatoes diced, 2 cups seafood or chicken broth, 2 cups milk, 1 cup cream, 1 strip lemon peel, salt, pepper, parsley.
How to make it: Melt the butter and cook the onion for 5 minutes. Add the potatoes and broth and simmer 12 minutes until tender. Stir in the milk, cream and lemon peel and heat gently without boiling. Fold in the crab, warm for 3 minutes, remove the peel and season. Top with parsley.
Abigail Adams: old fashioned apple pan dowdy
The 1968 book The President’s Cookbook links apple pan dowdy to the Adams family, saying John Adams picked it to celebrate Independence Day. It is a homey dessert of spiced apples under a buttery crust that gets cut and pressed into the fruit, or dowdied, while it bakes. Quick poll: A) Pan dowdy B) Apple pie C) Apple crisp. Which one wins?
You will need: 6 apples peeled and thinly sliced, 1/3 cup maple syrup or molasses, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg, 2 tablespoons butter cut up, 1 refrigerated pie crust, 1 tablespoon sugar.
How to make it: Heat the oven to 375 degrees F. Toss the apples with syrup, cinnamon and nutmeg in a buttered baking dish and dot with butter. Lay the crust over the top and sprinkle with sugar. Bake 25 minutes, then cut the crust into squares and press the pieces into the juices. Bake 20 minutes more.
Mary Todd Lincoln: white almond cake
The story goes that Mary Todd Lincoln baked a white almond cake while Abraham Lincoln was courting her, and kept making it in later years. It is soft, light and full of gentle almond flavor. This simple version bakes in a Bundt pan and needs nothing more than a dusting of powdered sugar or a few toasted almonds on top.
You will need: 1 cup butter softened, 1 1/2 cups sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla, 1/2 teaspoon almond extract, 2 1/2 cups flour, 2 teaspoons baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1 cup milk, 1 cup finely ground blanched almonds, 6 egg whites.
How to make it: Heat the oven to 350 degrees F and grease a Bundt pan. Beat butter and sugar until fluffy, then add vanilla and almond extract. Add the flour mix and milk in turns, then the ground almonds. Whip the egg whites to soft peaks and fold in. Bake 45 to 50 minutes until a tester comes out clean.
Eleanor Roosevelt: simple supper scrambled eggs
Eleanor Roosevelt was famous for keeping the White House kitchen simple and thrifty. She was known to make her own scrambled eggs for casual suppers, which she and FDR both enjoyed. Sometimes the best meals are the plainest ones. What is your go to quick supper on a lazy Sunday night?
You will need: 6 eggs, 1/4 cup milk or cream, 1 tablespoon butter, salt, pepper, chopped chives, buttered toast.
How to make it: Whisk the eggs with milk, salt and pepper. Melt the butter in a pan over low heat. Pour in the eggs and stir slowly with a spatula, pulling the eggs from the edges. Take them off the heat while still soft and glossy. Top with chives and serve with toast.
Bess Truman: Ozark pudding with apples and nuts
Bess Truman’s Ozark pudding recipe is kept by the Truman Presidential Library, and the dessert was reportedly served to Winston Churchill when he visited Missouri in 1946. It is a crisp, chewy, cake-like pudding full of apples and nuts that tastes a bit like a macaroon. Serve it warm with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.
You will need: 1 egg, 3/4 cup sugar, 2 tablespoons flour, 1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder, 1/8 teaspoon salt, 1/2 cup chopped apple, 1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans, 1 teaspoon vanilla.
How to make it: Heat the oven to 350 degrees F and butter a pie pan. Beat the egg and sugar until light and creamy. Mix in the flour, baking powder and salt. Fold in the apple, nuts and vanilla. Spread in the pan and bake about 35 minutes until golden. Serve warm.
First Ladies recipes: Mamie Eisenhower’s Million Dollar Fudge
The Eisenhower Presidential Library shares Mamie’s Million Dollar Fudge as one of her favorite recipes. Fun fact: Mamie said she had almost no kitchen experience growing up and learned to cook after marrying Ike. This fudge makes a big batch, so it is perfect for holiday gift boxes. Would you add nuts, or keep it smooth?
You will need: 4 1/2 cups sugar, pinch of salt, 2 tablespoons butter, 1 can (12 ounces) evaporated milk, 12 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips, 12 ounces German sweet chocolate chopped, 1 jar (7 ounces) marshmallow cream, 2 cups chopped nuts.
How to make it: Bring sugar, salt, butter and evaporated milk to a boil and boil 6 minutes, stirring. Put both chocolates and the marshmallow cream in a large bowl. Pour the hot syrup over and beat until melted and smooth. Stir in the nuts, spread in a buttered pan, and let it set before cutting.
Lady Bird Johnson: Texas spoon bread
Lady Bird Johnson loved simple home cooking, and among First Ladies recipes her spoon bread recipe came from her mother-in-law, Rebekah Johnson. Spoon bread is a soft, puffy cornmeal dish that is somewhere between cornbread and a souffle. You eat it with a spoon, with plenty of butter. It is perfect next to chili, ham or roast chicken.
You will need: 1 cup cornmeal, 3 cups milk divided, 3 eggs well beaten, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 3/4 teaspoons baking powder, 2 tablespoons melted butter.
How to make it: Heat the oven to 350 degrees F. Stir the cornmeal into 2 cups of milk and cook over medium heat until it thickens into a mush. Remove from heat and stir in the rest of the milk, the eggs, salt, baking powder and butter. Pour into a buttered dish and bake about 30 minutes until puffed and golden.
First Ladies recipes: Pat Nixon’s White House meatloaf
Pat Nixon’s meatloaf was President Nixon’s favorite, and it became so popular that the recipe was printed on White House stationery and mailed to people who asked for it. That is one of those First Ladies recipes that feels like home. Moist, tender and classic, it is still a perfect Sunday dinner.
You will need: 2 pounds ground beef, 4 slices white bread soaked in 1/2 cup milk, 2 eggs, 1 small onion grated, 2 tablespoons chopped parsley, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, 1/2 teaspoon dried marjoram, 1 cup tomato sauce.
How to make it: Heat the oven to 350 degrees F. Mix the beef, soaked bread, eggs, onion, parsley, salt, pepper and marjoram gently with your hands. Shape into a loaf in a baking dish. Pour the tomato sauce over the top. Bake about 1 hour until the center reaches 160 degrees F. Rest 10 minutes before slicing.
Betty Ford: easy pepper steak
White House chef Henry Haller included Betty Ford’s Chinese style pepper steak in his book, The White House Family Cookbook. It is a quick skillet dinner of tender flank steak and green peppers in a savory soy sauce. Betty Ford was known for easy, budget friendly family food, and this one is on the table in 30 minutes.
You will need: 1 1/2 pounds flank steak thinly sliced, 2 green bell peppers sliced, 1 onion sliced, 2 tablespoons oil, 1/4 cup soy sauce, 1 cup beef broth, 1 tablespoon cornstarch, 1 clove garlic minced, cooked rice.
How to make it: Sear the steak in hot oil in batches until browned, then set aside. Stir fry the peppers, onion and garlic for 4 minutes. Mix the soy sauce, broth and cornstarch and pour in. Simmer until glossy, return the beef, and toss for 1 minute. Serve over rice.
Rosalynn Carter: Southern strawberry cake
Rosalynn Carter’s strawberry cake is a sweet Southern favorite made with cake mix, strawberry gelatin and fresh strawberries. Allrecipes shared her recipe after she passed away in November 2023, and home bakers have loved it ever since. It is pink, moist and perfect for birthdays. Poll time: A) Strawberry cake B) Chocolate cake C) Carrot cake?
You will need: 1 box white cake mix, 1 small box (3 ounces) strawberry gelatin, 3/4 cup oil, 4 eggs, 1/2 cup water, 1 cup chopped sweetened strawberries, 1/2 cup chopped nuts, whipped cream and berries to top.
How to make it: Heat the oven to 350 degrees F and grease two 9 inch pans. Beat the cake mix, gelatin, oil, eggs and water for 2 minutes. Fold in the strawberries and nuts. Bake 25 to 30 minutes and cool completely. Stack with whipped cream and top with fresh berries.
Nancy Reagan: pull apart monkey bread
Nancy Reagan’s monkey bread was a favorite of President Reagan, and it is still a holiday morning classic in many American homes. You roll little pieces of dough in butter and cinnamon sugar, stack them in a Bundt pan, and pull them apart warm. If you love cozy fall baking, try these maple desserts that taste like a crisp fall day too.
You will need: 2 cans (16 ounces each) refrigerated biscuit dough, 1 cup sugar, 2 teaspoons cinnamon, 1/2 cup butter, 1/2 cup brown sugar, 1/2 cup chopped pecans.
How to make it: Heat the oven to 350 degrees F and grease a Bundt pan. Cut each biscuit into quarters and roll in the cinnamon sugar. Layer in the pan with the pecans. Melt the butter with the brown sugar and pour over. Bake 35 minutes, rest 10 minutes, then flip onto a plate.
First Ladies recipes: Laura Bush’s Texas cowboy cookies
Laura Bush entered her cowboy cookies in Family Circle magazine’s Presidential Cookie Bake-Off, and they became one of the most famous First Ladies recipes ever. These big Texas size cookies are packed with oats, chocolate chips, pecans and coconut. Which of these First Ladies recipes will you make first? Tell us in the comments.
You will need: 1 1/2 cups flour, 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder, 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda, 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 3/4 cup butter, 3/4 cup sugar, 3/4 cup brown sugar, 2 eggs, 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla, 1 1/2 cups chocolate chips, 1 1/2 cups oats, 1 cup coconut, 1 cup chopped pecans.
How to make it: Heat the oven to 350 degrees F. Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Beat the butter and sugars, then the eggs and vanilla. Mix in the flour, then the chips, oats, coconut and pecans. Drop 1/4 cup scoops onto lined pans and bake 15 to 17 minutes.
