The History of American Classic Foods

American classic foods are my favorite fare, especially during the holidays and to serve at special occasions. For the most part, American cuisine is easier to prepare than other cultural foods and provides endless opportunities for creating unique dishes from original recipes.

Throughout my life, I've worked at several restaurants and had the privilege of learning how to prepare a diverse collection of American, Italian, Swedish, German, Hungarian, Asian, and French cuisine. While America is younger than other nations, our country offers a bounty of foods that are unique to our region.

The American Classic Breakfast

While many people think the American classic breakfast is comprised of doughnuts and coffee, our founding families ate breakfasts primarily consisting of breads made from cornmeal.

Pioneers learned how to make a variety of cornbreads including Johnnycakes, Hoecakes, Ashcakes, and Corn Dodgers using basic ingredients of cornmeal, baking powder, and buttermilk.

The Victorians boosted breakfast foods by adding meat, fish, fruit, fruit juices, eggs, and hot cereal. During this era, Americans were introduced to breakfast foods such as Eggs Benedict, poached eggs, omelets, and artisan cheeses served with crackers and fruit.

Cold cereals were introduced by the Seventh-Day Adventists when Keith Kellogg founded Battle Creek Toasted Corn Flake Company in 1906. Kellogg accidentally created corn flake cereal in 1894 when he overcooked a pot of cooked wheat. He later introduced Rice Krispies which quickly became an American favorite breakfast cereal.

Today's American classic breakfast consists of eggs, meat, pancakes or waffles, potatoes, and fruit cup or fruit juice. My all-time favorite is eggs over easy, bacon and ham, home fries, and a Belgian waffle slathered in salted butter and Vermont maple syrup.

A scaled-down version of the American classic breakfast is cold or hot cereal, fresh fruit bowl or cottage cheese, toasted bread or English muffins, and fruit juice, coffee, or tea.

The American Classic Hamburger

Perhaps the most recognized American classic is the hamburger. According to U.C. Davis University of California, the hamburger came to be after the invention of the meat grinder during the 1860s.

The hamburger beef patty was sold at restaurants during the late 1800s, but didn't meet its companion, the bun, until World War I. White Castle popularized the hamburger during the 1920s and is accredited with its fame.

White Castle was my first exposure to fast food. Growing up, my mom prepared the majority of meals from scratch, but once a month we were treated to White Castle. For me, no other burger compares to their tasty treat with the steamed bun, grilled onions, and small hamburger patty with drilled holes.

Today, the options for hamburgers are endless. They can be baked, broiled, pan-fried, deep-fried, or grilled and served on soft buns, toasted bread, onion rolls, as a Panini, or inside Pita bread.

The American Classic Lunch

The American classic lunch has roots in lunch wagons and street car diners. Lunch wagons were prevalent in the late 1800s and offered sandwiches, hot foods, and coffee to downtown workers.

Street car diners made their appearance in New England during the 1870s to provide meals not offered via lunch wagons. Fare included breakfast foods, hamburgers, hot dogs, grilled cheese sandwiches, egg salad and tuna salad sandwiches, roast beef sandwiches served with mashed potatoes and gravy, BLT sandwiches, macaroni and cheese casserole, potato salad, baked beans, an assortment of salads, and a plethora of homemade pies, cakes, and pastries.

Today, street car diners are an icon of American history and continue to serve the Classics, along with gourmet and vegetarian versions. Food trucks have become extremely popular in places like NYC, Boston, New England, and coastal cities.

The American Classic Dinner

For most, the term 'American Classic Dinner' brings up thoughts of steak and baked potatoes, pot roast, chicken pot pie, meatloaf, one-dish casseroles, and hamburgers with French fries and milkshakes.

American classic dinners wouldn't be complete without a slice of homemade apple pie topped with a dollop of whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Americans are known for being meat-and-potato lovers, but casseroles are America's claim to culinary fame. Classic casseroles are divided into three categories and include: meat casseroles, vegetable casseroles, and noodle casseroles.

Popular meat casseroles include: Shepherd's Pie, Scalloped Potatoes and Ham, Beef Stew Casserole, Chicken and Rice, ground beef casseroles, chicken casseroles, and meat lasagnas.

Popular vegetable casseroles include: Sweet Potato casseroles, Cauliflower and Cheese Bake, Corn casseroles, Cheddar Potato Puff, Broccoli Casserole, and the ever-popular Green Bean casserole.

Classic noodle casseroles include the all-time favorites of tuna noodle casserole and macaroni and cheese bake. Newer versions include Turkey Noodle casserole, Broccoli, Noodles and Cheese, and Beef Noodle Stroganoff.

Pot pies were a staple in Greek and European households, but weren't popularized in America until the mid-1800s. Pot pies were essential for Americans who didn't have much money. These tasty dinners utilized leftover meats and vegetables combined with a creamy sauce or gravy nestled inside a flaky crust.

Pot pies are considered American comfort food. They have evolved into gourmet culinary delights that utilize exotic spices, seafood, chicken, Kobe beef, and select cuts of pork combined with fresh, organic vegetables and starches.

Today, American food trends embrace the Classics with a twist of the exotic. Americans are using wild game to create a vast array of hamburgers and casseroles and combining ingredients from around the globe to develop a new genre of American classic foods.

Sources:

The Early Show: History of Breakfast in America

U.C. Davis University: The Hamburger: How It Came About

NPR: Restoring Humble Potpie to Its Rightful Place