16 Civil War Recipes Made for Soldiers (2024)

Home Recipes Cooking Style Comfort Food

Lara EucalanoUpdated: Feb. 08, 2024

The staple ration for Union soldiers was hardtack, a rock-hard biscuit. But other simple Civil War recipes, like soups, stews and hash, could be made with whatever ingredients the soldiers had on hand.

Yankee Red Flannel Hash

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Hash is a classic diner dish. With potatoes and pastrami, this one's easy to make at home. The beets give it fabulous color and flavor. —Nancy Mock, Colchester, Vermont

New England Baked Beans

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For a potluck or picnic, you can’t beat this classic side that starts with a pound of dried beans. Molasses and maple syrup give it a slight sweetness. —Pat Medeiros, Tiverton, Rhode Island

Cajun Baked Catfish

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Green Tomato Pie

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When frost nips our garden, I quickly gather all the green tomatoes still on the vine and make this old family favorite. It's been handed down from my grandmother, and now my granddaughters are asking for the recipe.—Violet Thompson, Port Ludlow, Washington

Beef Barley Soup with Roasted Vegetables

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The beauty of this soup is that you can roast the vegetables separately in the oven while it's simmering away. Then simply add them in during the last minutes on the stovetop. I love that the roasted vegetables keep their own bright flavors that add to this earthy bowl of warmth. —Gayla Scott, West Jefferson, North Carolina

Quick Buttermilk Cornbread

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The tattered recipe card for this buttermilk cornbread proves it's been a family favorite for years. It's my daughter's top request. —Judy Sellgren, Grand Rapids, Michigan

Hearty Navy Bean Soup

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My family loves navy bean soup! Beans were a commodity you did not survive without in the '30s. This excellent navy beans and ham soup is a real family favorite of ours and I make it often. —Mildred Lewis, Temple, Texas

Giant Molasses Cookies

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Sausage Johnnycake

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Here’s a nice hearty breakfast with plenty of old-fashioned flavor. I serve it to my bed-and-breakfast guests. They love the cake’s savory middle and maple syrup topping. It’s a fine way to start the day! —Lorraine Guyn, Calgary, Alberta

Classic Beef Stew

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This easy beef stew recipe is my favorite. The rich beef gravy helps the hearty flavor of the potatoes and carrots to come through. It's the perfect homemade dish for a blustery winter day. —Alberta McKay, Bartlesville, Oklahoma

Homemade Buttermilk Biscuits

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The recipe for these four-ingredient homemade buttermilk biscuits has been handed down for many generations. —Fran Thompson, Tarboro, North Carolina

Bacon-Potato Corn Chowder

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I was raised on a farm, so a warm soup with homey ingredients, like this corn chowder with bacon, was always a treat after a chilly day outside. My hearty chowder nourishes the family. —Katie Lillo, Big Lake, Minnesota

Easy Cheesy Biscuits

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I'm a big fan of homemade biscuits, but not the rolling and cutting that goes into making them. The drop-biscuit method solves everything! —Christina Addison, Blanchester, Ohio

Pickled Eggs with Beets

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Ever since I can remember, my mother served this pickled egg recipe at Easter. It was a tradition that my family expected. I made them for my granddaughter the last time she visited and they were all gone before she left. —Mary Banker, Fort Worth, Texas

Beef Vegetable Soup

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This nicely seasoned soup tastes so good. It's convenient, too, since it simmers all day in the slow cooker. —Jean Hutzell, Dubuque, Iowa

Originally Published: March 19, 2019

Lara Eucalano

Lara is a senior editor for Taste of Home who manages a supremely talented community of freelancers. She assigns and edits content about cooking techniques, kitchen tools and, of course, food trends. Prior to her work at Taste of Home, Lara spent a decade in the marketing field as a brand storyteller, content curator and project manager.In her nonwork life, Lara loves to read, garden and cook. (Not all at the same time!) Look for her at home in Milwaukee, keeping an eye on her mischievous flock of backyard chickens.

16 Civil War Recipes Made for Soldiers (2024)

FAQs

What was a typical meal for Civil War soldiers? ›

These rations allotted just over a pound of meat, likely beef or pork, just under a pound of "hard bread," and a small collection of dried vegetables. The most common form of hard bread, was called hard tack, a basic wheat biscuit that did not easily decay and could survive a rough march.

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What food was invented during the Civil War? ›

Gail Borden's invention of condensed milk was very helpful for the Union army. Soldiers would also regularly drink coffee, however it was not always entirely coffee beans. Dandelion root served as a supplement or Ersatz good when coffee beans were scarce.

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What food did soldiers eat during war? ›

They ate mutton or beef, alongside potatoes and bread to keep them full. Plum puddings or chocolate were also common, especially in emergency rations, eaten by individuals trapped behind enemy lines. Instant coffee became the staple drink for G.I.'s to such an extent that the nickname of G.I.

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What biscuit like food did soldiers eat in the Civil War? ›

During the Civil War one of the most common meals for soldiers was a cracker-like food called hardtack. Hardtack is made from flour, water, and salt.

Did Civil War soldiers eat canned food? ›

In 1817, William Underwood, a canner from England, immigrated to the United States. The William Underwood Company of Boston became prominent, supplying canned food to expeditions and Civil War combatants.

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What did soldiers drink in the Civil War? ›

Whiskey, gin, beer, and wine were the favored drinks. However, drunkeness was not tolerated in either Federal or Confederate camps.

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What was in a box of C-Rations? ›

C-Rations were developed in 1938 as a replacement for reserve rations, which sustained troops during World War I, and consisted chiefly of canned corned beef or bacon and cans of hardtack biscuits, as well as ground coffee, sugar, salt and tobacco with rolling paper — not much in the way of variety.

What does the C in C-Rations stand for? ›

The post-war canned ration, evolved out of the ww2 C Ration, is the “Ration, Combat, Individual”, but are commonly called C ration as well. The C Ration in 12-ounce cylindrical cans exhibited here as three meals. From left to right: Meat & Vegetable Hash, Meat & Vegetable Stew and Meat & Beans.

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Are C-Rations still available? ›

However, the MCI Ration was so similar, that troops continued to call the new rations “C-Rations,” or “Charlie Rats” for short. These MCI rations were used until 1978, when they were replaced with the MRE or Meal Ready-to-Eat ration, which is still used today.

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Did Civil War soldiers eat beef jerky? ›

During the Civil War, an estimated 2 million Union Soldiers ate jerky with relish.

What were dried biscuits called in the Civil War? ›

Hardtack

A preserved hardtack from the U.S. Civil War, Pensacola Museum of History, Florida
Alternative names	ANZAC wafers, brewis, cabin bread, dog biscuit, molar breakers, pilot bread, sea biscuit, sea bread, sheet iron, ship's bisket, shipbiscuit, tooth dullers, worm castles
Main ingredients	Flour, water

2 more rows

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How much coffee did Civil War soldiers drink? ›

Trade continued throughout the North, with the allotted rations including 36 pounds of coffee a year for every Union soldier.

What did they eat for breakfast in the Civil War? ›

Breakfast was usually a large and hearty meal. Even in town, Americans maintained the farm practice of fortifying oneself for a hard day of work. Middle-class Americans ate beefsteak or pork, eggs, fried potatoes, fruit pie, hotcakes and coffee. In cold weather, porridge became popular.

What food did they eat in the Civil War in Texas? ›

So much beef, pork, mutton, grain, sugar, salt, peas, beans, flour and corn meal was shipped away that Texas became known as the breadbasket of the Confederacy.

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How many calories did Civil War soldiers eat? ›

THE FULL CAMPAIGN RATION OF THESE MEN IN THIS LITHOGRAPH IS ONE POUND OF HARDTACK, THREE-QUARTER POUNDS OF SALT PORK, OR ONE AND A QUARTER POUNDS OF FRESH MEAT, SALT, SUGAR, COFFEE. THIS EQUATES TO ROUGHLY 4000 CALORIES. YOU ARE LOOKING AT THE CALORIC INTAKE OF WHAT OUR MODERN TROOPS SHOULD BE GETTING. PER DAY.

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What was the daily amount of food a Union soldier was entitled to in the Civil War? ›

According to army regulations for daily camp rations, a Union soldier was entitled to receive 12 oz of pork or bacon or 1 lb. 4 oz of salt or fresh beef; 1 lb. 6 oz of soft bread or flour or 1 lb. of hard bread (hardtack), or 4 oz of cornmeal.

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