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The Breakfast that Got Us Through the Great Depression | Fried Cornmeal Mush
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Feb 28, 2025
Printable recipe below! The Great Depression Recipe is easy and has great flavor for breakfast. Used in this video: Propane camp stove https://amzn.to/2MG9vo9 Cowboy Apron https://www.kentrollins.com/shop Kent Rollins Mesquite Whisk https://www.kentrollins.com/shop Rode wireless Go 2 mic: https://amzn.to/3seAQ7X Cowboy Hat: Chazhatz.com For more suggested products seen in our videos click here: https://www.amazon.com/shop/cowboykentrollins ====================== Printable Recipe: https://kentrollins.com/fried-cornmeal-mush/ ====================== Check out our BEST SELLING cookbooks. Get your copy here: https://www.kentrollins.com/shop
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0:00
we'd seen storms roll in we'd seen black
0:03
clouds but we'd never seen nothing like
0:05
this as we look towards the North and
0:07
the West there was a roll of dirt that
0:09
just rolled far up into the heavens
0:11
farther than you could see and it was a
0:13
blackened dirt that fell upon us like a
0:16
ghost and it stayed longer than we ever
0:18
wanted it the Dust Bowl today we're
0:20
celebrating a recipe that got us through
0:22
the Dust Bowl the Great Depression fried
0:25
cornmeal mud
0:33
so you might be asking yourself what is
0:35
cornmeal mush well really all it is is
0:38
cornmeal and water and then it's bolded
0:39
and then it's chilled and then it's frat
0:42
but when we talk about mush really it
0:44
really translates from back in the
0:45
Northeast and even over in England as
0:48
porach the Miso Americans many many
0:50
thousands of years ago the indigenous
0:52
people that were here they grew what
0:54
they called maze which really translates
0:56
into corn corn was brought about really
0:59
as a food Source not only just for
1:01
livestock but mostly for people now sure
1:04
it was grown and it was dried and then
1:06
it was usually ground with a rock
1:08
surface to make a meal now when you're
1:10
making cornmeal mush the finer the grind
1:13
the better it is for making mush in the
1:15
16th century and everybody started
1:17
growing corn and then they got to
1:18
figuring that we can dry this stuff
1:20
there's so many things that we can use
1:21
it for not only just to make this but
1:24
cornbread corn is very essential to
1:26
those people back then but it was also
1:28
very essential to the people going
1:29
through the the Dust Bowl and the Great
1:31
Depression in 1929 the stock market
1:34
crashed but to come along with that
1:36
there was a drought that had already
1:37
started in the plane and by the time
1:39
1930 got here due to over farming
1:42
drought and an undying wind that blowed
1:44
day after day after day we had the Dust
1:47
Bowl I mean black clouds just rolling in
1:49
from everywhere the epicenter of that
1:51
was Dart Texas but my dad told me
1:54
stories that when they went through the
1:55
Dust Bowl it would get so dark that
1:58
chickens would go to roast right
2:00
afternoon that they would be up in the
2:01
attics the old men the next day trying
2:03
to scoop the sand out of the attic to
2:05
keep the ceiling boards from caving in
2:07
and during this time there were over
2:09
400,000 people that left the planes due
2:12
to the Dust Bowl and the depression and
2:15
went West to California these people
2:17
become migrant workers these people
2:18
become anything that they could be just
2:20
to survive but this was still on their
2:22
table this was still on their plate
2:30
[Music]
2:31
to start this recipe we got four cups of
2:33
cornmeal now when you go and buy
2:35
cornmeal don't buy the stuff that says
2:37
cornmeal mix by yellow cornmeal and to
2:41
that we're going to add a little
2:43
salt I'd say about that much give it a
2:46
little
2:47
stir and then we're going to add some
2:49
water now you've seen me we have already
2:51
put four cups of water in a stock pot
2:54
over there and it needs to come to a
2:56
bowl now we're going to air on the side
2:59
like I do when I make bread calls for
3:02
about 2 cups but we're going to start
3:04
with a cup and 3/4 and that's cold water
3:07
that is cold water not hot water but you
3:10
want to get this to where that cornmeal
3:12
is begin going to soak up all that water
3:15
and it's going to make nearly like a
3:17
batter but just keep stirring
3:20
it as this sits this is going to conal
3:22
and that cornmeal is going to soak up
3:24
even more water but we're going to meet
3:26
you over there we're going to put it in
3:27
that boiling water and we're going to
3:29
make us some
3:30
[Music]
3:38
mush well we got our water it has come
3:41
to a boil it has this is ready so when
3:46
you water when you reach that boiling
3:47
point of that water and you got your
3:49
cornmeal ready to go let's just dump her
3:51
in there now we're going to cook this
3:53
stirring constantly until it
3:56
thickens now my mother used to tell me
3:58
about an old recipe and she had a
4:00
cornmeal mush recipe and she' clipped it
4:02
off an old flyer sack many years ago for
4:06
cornmeal mush I wished I knew what
4:09
happened to it but every research I was
4:11
doing they was all about the same water
4:14
and cornmeal so when you pour that cold
4:18
water in there that boil is going to
4:19
quit so we're going to bring it back to
4:20
a boil until it thickens probably going
4:22
to take three to four minutes then we're
4:24
going to put it in a greas loaf pan
4:26
making this I remember some of the
4:28
stories that my dad told me but my dad
4:30
said we went through that Dust Bowl we
4:32
survived it it give us True Grit we had
4:35
it in our ears we had it in our teeth we
4:37
even had it in our plate
4:38
determination pride and just a struggle
4:41
constantly every day to fight the wind
4:44
and the weather but I'm going to tell
4:45
you this right now y'all need to come in
4:47
here close because our porridge or mush
4:50
is about to the thickness we need it and
4:53
you can see how thick that has got
4:56
probably been on about 2 minutes so
4:59
whatever we face as a nation today
5:02
whatever's going on we got to know that
5:04
we need this grit and this determination
5:06
that was brought about from the toughest
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generation of people that ever live and
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they're passing it on to us and me and
5:12
Shan are sharing it with y'all in some
5:14
cornmeal fried
5:16
[Music]
5:23
[Music]
5:26
Lush well got her in there smooth it out
5:29
like in concrete you do we're going to
5:31
let this cool to room temperature then
5:34
we're going to cover it with some
5:35
plastic wrap stick it in the ice box and
5:37
let it chill for at least 4 hours and
5:39
then it is ready to fry
5:46
up see how nice that dumped out of there
5:49
make sure you grease that loaf pan or
5:51
this ain't going to happen but hey you
5:53
know this is cornmeal mush and we're
5:54
going to fry it but also we did in our
5:57
cookbook a fried Crea wheat that's it's
5:59
really the same Shan said her dad and
6:01
them used to fix it a long long time ago
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but get your sharp
6:05
knife and then we're just going to slice
6:07
right down through here and then just
6:10
let it lay
6:11
over there you go that's number one you
6:14
can get them as thick or as thin as you
6:16
want them now if y'all are interested
6:18
too be sure and stick around to the end
6:20
of this I'm going to share a story with
6:22
y'all that my dad told me about the Dust
6:25
Bowl and uh it's in our cookbook and I'd
6:27
love to read it to you it's called dust
6:29
of of our fathers but I'm going to meet
6:31
y'all over here at the fire we need to
6:32
get a cast iron skillet hot and we need
6:35
to fry up this
6:37
[Music]
6:40
mush cast iron skillet 2 tablespoons of
6:43
butter we're about medium maybe just a
6:45
little over that and we're going to cook
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these till they're golden brown you got
6:49
to be careful too when you're doing this
6:51
get your spatula under there and then oh
6:54
did you hear that
6:56
sound you can see how fast that butter
6:59
sort of soak that up you might want to
7:01
turn your heat down just a
7:05
tad we want these to be golden brown and
7:08
set up on both sides but you can always
7:11
tell you got enough in there if they'll
7:13
slide all over the skillet you know
7:15
nothing is sticking that way how long we
7:17
going to cook them beats me people we're
7:20
going to cook them till they just right
7:22
because you want to make sure that that
7:25
side is really cooked well before we
7:26
turn that over so we don't break nothing
7:29
so I don't know who was the first one in
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the boat but I think it was this fell
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we'll just take a
7:35
look he soaked up some of that butter so
7:37
he going to have to Brown some more you
7:39
know when you're cooking this my dad
7:40
said they had it this way many times but
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if they ever thought that it was really
7:45
rich his mother would sprinkle a little
7:47
sugar on there then they would put
7:49
molasses or maple syrup on thereo it was
7:52
fine dining back in the deput
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[Music]
8:09
there it is fried cornmeal mush now I'll
8:13
give you a little tip too be sure when
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you're watching them when you're frying
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them that you see them bottom edges go
8:19
to Crispen up really well before you
8:21
turn them CU them things are accident
8:23
prone to try to fall apart if you ain't
8:25
paying attention but a good chill in ice
8:27
box for four hours bring them out there
8:29
and then let's get to fried them in that
8:30
butter also another tip spray that
8:33
spatula really well with some of that
8:35
good cooking oil spray that way you can
8:36
slip under there and gently turn them
8:38
things over now well last time I had one
8:41
of these it was made out of cream of
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wheat it was not made out of cornbread
8:44
so sort of Cuts Like a pancake it does
8:48
got a little L syrup on
8:53
it it's surprising
8:57
[Music]
8:59
yes Lulu it is pretty
9:02
good really when you get in there to it
9:05
if you don't even think about it you
9:07
just think you're eating a
9:11
pancake hear that little crunch it's got
9:13
you know thank God for those people that
9:15
went through tough times that had just
9:17
Simple Pleasures in life they always
9:19
told me that tough times bring about
9:21
tough people and they do for all of that
9:23
generation and hey easy to make they are
9:26
we hope y'all enjoyed a little part of
9:28
history as going back don't forget what
9:30
all them people's struggles were apply
9:32
them to yourself today you'll be sure
9:33
and make it but fix this recipe and be
9:36
sure and stick around for the story
9:37
there at the end and don't forget also
9:39
we made this too with cream of wheat
9:41
with a caramel pecan syrup in our
9:43
cookbook here so be sure and check that
9:44
out as well but it is with pride honor
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and privilege that I tip my hat to all
9:49
the service men and women and all the
9:51
veterans who have kept that old flag of
9:52
flying over Camp no matter where they be
9:55
rest of you get on up in here close I'll
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dust the Dust Bowl off of me
10:00
I'm going give you a
10:01
hug God bless you each and every one and
10:04
I'll see you down the fried cornmeal
10:06
mush
10:07
[Music]
10:09
Trail the greatest generation of people
10:11
that ever lived to me was the people
10:13
that went through the dust bow and they
10:15
were tough let's talk about True Grit
10:18
they had it but the same thing still
10:20
applies to us today and if you'll listen
10:22
to this story and bear with me hey I
10:24
think we'll all get a little meaning out
10:25
of it and it's just called this the dust
10:28
of our father fathers I was raised and
10:31
still live in the very southwest corner
10:32
of Oklahoma and if you throw a rock to
10:35
the west it'll land in Texas our
10:37
community of Hollis is nestled in a flat
10:39
grassy Prairie of the Great Plains wheat
10:42
and cotton fields dot the landscape as
10:44
well as cattle ranches many of which
10:46
have been in operation for Generations
10:48
it's harsh country the wind blows and
10:50
the dust rolls here some Cales are born
10:53
and they won't feel a raindrop on their
10:55
back for months folks just don't have
10:57
grit in their teeth but it's in their
10:59
Hearts too it's not for the week and
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most of the folks who call this their
11:03
home are descendants of dust bow
11:06
survivors historians claim that the
11:08
Oklahoma Panhandle was the epicenter of
11:10
the Dust Bowl and as the crow flies
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Hollis is about 140 Mi southeast of the
11:15
Panhandle there were reports of dirt
11:17
traveling as far as New York City from
11:20
the great dust storms in the 1930s so
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really our little town wasn't a far
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commute for the chaos to come knocking
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at folks doors my father he lived
11:29
through this Dust Bowl in Hollis along
11:31
with parents and four siblings when I
11:34
was growing up he'd tell us kids stories
11:36
about the great darkness that swept over
11:38
his home and as far as the eye could see
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when he was a little boy remembering his
11:43
tales now I realized that he was not
11:45
only a part of the greatest Generation
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but the toughest one as well I can still
11:50
hear his words
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today I remember the wind blowing pretty
11:54
hard that first morning which was the
11:56
beginning of the dirty 30s the sun
11:58
disappeared like a storm was rolling in
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but the clouds had a strange color to
12:03
them I asked mama if it was a tornado
12:06
she seemed panicked as she called for us
12:08
to come inside the murky clouds kept
12:11
building and tumbling over and over and
12:13
I remember when the black wall finally
12:14
hit it was like a dark shadow that laid
12:17
over our house its evil breath full of
12:20
dirt blew heavy against our door Mama
12:23
lit a cold oil lantern in the kitchen
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and even though it was clearly afternoon
12:28
when the sun should have Ste been
12:29
shining the wind beat on the house with
12:31
an eerie howl rattling the wind to pain
12:33
so hard that I thought they would
12:35
shatter small particles of Earth crept
12:38
into every crack of the house Mama
12:40
quickly hung quilts over the windows and
12:43
doors trying to keep the dust out the
12:45
wind went on for ours and the cold oil
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lanterns grew dim from all the dust
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floating around us what we thought was
12:52
just a bad storm that would last a few
12:55
hours didn't leave it stayed for six
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more years
12:59
at night Mama would put me and my twin
13:01
sister to bed she'd wrap our faces with
13:03
a wet towel to keep us from breathing
13:05
the dust while we
13:06
slept I'd think I can't go to sleep cuz
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I might not ever get up in the mornings
13:11
the wind would usually be calm but it
13:14
left its calling card across our white
13:16
bed sheets were long thin lines of dirt
13:19
8 in apart that had blown through the
13:21
cracks in the walls every few days Paul
13:24
and my older brothers would get up in
13:26
the attic with a shovel to remove all
13:28
the dirt from the ceiling to keep it
13:30
from caving in chickens would Roost in
13:32
the middle of the day because of the
13:34
darkness mailbox were covered by sand
13:36
drifts we called it the devil's breath
13:39
there was no escaping it everyone was
13:42
affected the rich the poor the livestock
13:45
we'd go over to the neighbors help them
13:47
remove some of their cows that have died
13:48
from Suffocation later even more perish
13:51
from
13:53
starvation even though that dark area is
13:55
decades behind us its presence still
13:57
lingers in the areas where the heavy
13:59
dirt settled throughout America's
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Heartland is bread into its people
14:04
there's an undying faith that tomorrow
14:06
will be better there ain't no giving up
14:09
and always look for the good the glass
14:11
is half full so let's keep pouring faith
14:15
family and courage got those folks
14:18
through the toughest of times like a
14:20
sand blaster the Dust Bowl removed a lot
14:22
of things from this old country and her
14:24
people but it didn't get their will to
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survive with a gritty Forest it carved
14:28
out a tougher more determined bunch of
14:30
folks I'm glad I didn't have to go
14:33
through it but I am so proud and
14:35
indebted to those who did I hope to
14:37
continue their legacy so when it hasn't
14:39
rained in months and the wind kicks up
14:42
the dust without ceasing I remember how
14:44
it must have been for my father and all
14:46
the fathers who endured the hard times
14:48
of the
14:49
30s and I'll be thankful for a little
14:52
bit of grit in my teeth and hope in my
14:54
heart I was just admiring our
14:57
baby he
15:01
so damn cute ought to be getting long
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