The Classic Sunday Stew Your Grandparents Loved But You Rarely See Today

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Popular recipes come and go in the same way fashion, music, and other trendy things often do. One generation's favorite may be virtually unknown by the time their grandkids are cooking in kitchens of their own, for no reason other than changing tastes and food priorities. A classic example of this can be found in a simple, hearty dish with very humble roots. It's known as mulligan stew, and it's fallen off the food radar in the decades since many of our grandparents regularly enjoyed it.

Mulligan stew has a history about as unpretentious as it gets, tracing its origins to the migrant workers of the early 20th-century. These traveling workers developed a close-knit community, often having to make do with what little food they could afford or scrounge together, which led to the creation of this filling, yet flexible, stew. There's no hard-and-fast recipe that defines what constitutes mulligan stew; in fact, it's generally defined by combining assorted bits of available meat, vegetables, and seasonings into a warm, satisfying meal. The Irish-inflected name is often attributed to the dish's general resemblance to traditional beef stews from that country. 

With the onset of the Great Depression, ordinary Americans were forced to innovate much like the traveling workers. Mulligan stew became a common Depression-era dinner (alongside the similarly flexible Hoover stew) because it made the most of often-limited food supplies. This means various versions can star beef, chicken, or other meats, alongside veggies, like carrots, potatoes, onions, or whatever else might be readily available.

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Although the Depression came to an end after abandoning the gold standard kick-started the American economy, old food habits often die hard — meaning those who developed cooking skills during this period held tight to the lessons they learned over decades. So, many Americans who grew up during the 1940s, '50s, and '60s likely chowed down on the budget-friendly classic, mulligan stew.

However, over time, this stew steadily slipped into the category of classic meals your grandparents loved that slowly disappeared. Still, those who'd like to try it can easily do so, either winging it with their leftovers, Depression-style, or seeking out one of the many online versions that standardize the dish for more recipe-oriented modern cooks.

So, if you're looking for a hearty stew to cook up for dinner but find yourself a little short on funds or ingredients, think like grandma and grandpa. Their old school favorites, like mulligan stew, are delicious lifesavers that help carry on America's unique food heritage.