Recipe archive
Loading
Setting the table...
Fetching the latest recipes from the archive.
Loading
Fetching the latest recipes from the archive.
Recipe archive
America's Melting Pot
Creamed Onions hero image coming soon
1776-1800 - Early American home cooks and families celebrating holidays such as Thanksgiving.
Creamed Onions are a traditional side dish popular in late 18th-century America, featuring pearl onions simmered in a creamy, buttery sauce. Common at holiday tables, especially Thanksgiving, this dish reflects early American adaptations of European cooking techniques using accessible vegetables and dairy.
No featured photo yet. Upload a photo with your review. The highest-rated community photo may become this recipe's hero image.
Difficulty
Easy
Prep time
15 minutes
Cook time
20 minutes
Total time
35 minutes
Servings
6 servings
Region
New England
Era introduced
1776-1800
Introduced by
Early American home cooks and families celebrating holidays such as Thanksgiving.
Recipe tools
Log in to save this recipe to a collection.
Creamed Onions originated in colonial America during the Revolutionary era, drawing on European culinary traditions. This side dish commonly featured small white onions cooked gently and coated in a rich, cream-based sauce. Popular in festive meals, especially Thanksgiving, it exemplified the use of local vegetables with dairy to create comforting, elegant fare. The recipe evolved regionally but remained a staple of American holiday cooking well into the 19th century.
Share family changes, regional twists, or pantry-friendly adaptations as full community recipes.
Log in to submit a community recipe.
No community recipes yet. Submitted recipes are published right away.
Rate this recipe and share how it worked at your table.
Log in to review this recipe.
No reviews yet. Be the first to rate this recipe.
Recipes matched by era, region, occasion, ingredients, and cultural roots from the archive.
Same era
America's Melting Pot
Ash Cakes photo coming soon
1776-1800
A plain cornmeal-and-water ash cake inspired by Revolutionary-era field cooking, adapted for a skillet or campfire with salt and a little fat for modern eatability.
America's Melting Pot
Bean Porridge photo coming soon
1776-1800
Bean porridge sits close to the everyday cooking of early America: beans or peas, water, a little meat when available, and meal to thicken the pot. It was plain food, but practical food, made in a kettle and stretched for households that needed warmth, calories, and thrift more than ceremony.
1700s-1800s
Chicken Pie is a hearty savory pie made with cooked chicken, vegetables, and a flaky pastry crust. Rooted in mid to late 19th-century railroad and boardinghouse cooking, it offered a portable, filling meal for workers and travelers during the Civil War and Reconstruction period, blending practicality with comforting flavors.
Same region
America's Melting Pot
Codfish Cakes photo coming soon
1776-1800
Codfish cakes are a traditional dish featuring salted cod blended with potatoes and seasonings, then fried to golden perfection. Reminiscent of early American coastal cooking around the Revolutionary period, these patties were a practical and flavorful way to enjoy preserved fish.
America's Melting Pot
Fried Apples photo coming soon
1776-1800
Fried apples are sliced apples cooked in butter with sugar and warm spices until soft and caramelized. A traditional American side dish since the late 18th century, they pair well with breakfast dishes and pork and reflect colonial and revolutionary era cooking.
America's Melting Pot
Indian Pudding photo coming soon
1776-1800
Indian pudding is a New England colonial-era dessert dating back to the late 18th century (1776-1800). Made with cornmeal, molasses, and dairy, it reflects early American adaptations of Native American and English influences, a testament to regional colonial foodways.
Same table
1800s-present
A creamy and comforting side dish popular across the United States, especially during Thanksgiving and other holiday meals. Mashed potatoes blend simple ingredients to create a satisfying accompaniment to main courses.
1800-1860
Cornbread dressing is a savory Southern side enjoyed especially during Thanksgiving, combining crumbled cornbread with herbs and often broth for moist stuffing.
America's Melting Pot
Wild Rice Dressing photo coming soon
precontact-present
Wild Rice Dressing is a traditional American Thanksgiving side combining wild rice with aromatic vegetables, herbs, and often nuts or sausage. It reflects regional Midwestern and Native American influences and features prominently at holiday tables across the United States.