Krumpli nudel and other ideas for poor days
If you ask grandma about cooking on poor days, chances are she has a recipe.
In every culture and community, poor days are inevitable and everyone needs a go-to plan for dinner.
In the German-Hungarian communities, here was their solution:
Krumpli Nudel for Poor Days
First Day
Put in lots of water in a pot and boil diced potatoes until almost done.
Then put in egg noodles.
Cook until done and drain.
Season, butter and eat.
Second Day
Take left over Krumpli Nudel and fry until brown.
Then stir up eggs in it just before it is done.
In the U.S. it used to be common to see housewives picking dandelions along the road or in weedy areas. Dandelions made a hearty basis for a poor day dinner.
Today, it's more likely families will buy rice, noodles, beans or potatoes as a foundation and build around it. Add creamed soup, canned or frozen vegetables, maybe a bit of hamburger and you have a meal no matter what combination you make of that.
One classic 'poor man's meal' is poor only because it is simple. It's really a hearty meat-and-potatoes meal that fills everyone up:
Brown a pound of hamburger and set aside.
Make hash brown potatoes either with diced or shredded potatoes. Add seasoning.
Add a can of corn to potatoes and continue cooking.
Add the hamburger to the rest of the mixture.
Cheese on top is nice, too!
