The Casserole Cookbook, Culinary Arts Institute, 1956

The Casserole Cookbook, 1956 edition.

This cookbook from the Culinary Arts Institute screams 1950s throughout, with classic mid-century illustrations and a color palette evocative of the time.  But it is the recipes themselves that transport the cook back in time.

Casseroles reached the peak of their popularity in America with the advent of canned and packaged foods after World War II.  Food companies promoted their products by offering recipes with simple instructions and minimal ingredients that home cooks could easily master in just a few steps, and preferably in one baking dish.   Many casserole recipes were shared widely on the labels of canned or boxed soups, vegetables, macaroni, meats, fish and poultry, leaving room for innovative cooks to improvise beyond the basic instructions.  As a result, the roster of American casseroles is endless, with many variations on a single theme and many, many recipe booklets and cookbooks created in the wake of all that mid-century creativity.

The Culinary Arts Institute, founded originally as the Culinary Arts Press in Reading, PA in the 1930s, published dozens and dozens of cookbooks through the later years of the 20th century on practically every kind of cooking and baking possible.  This cookbook, focusing solely on casserole recipes, promotes the creation of memorable main dishes and distinctive desserts with a minimum of time and effort, just what every busy homemaker needed!

Measuring approximately 8 5/8" x 6" with 68 pages of recipes, tips and techniques, and an index, The Casserole Cookbook is sure to provide all you need for the perfect 1950s dinner!  Break out the Pyrex!