A skillet mix of fried potatoes, onions and sliced hot dogs, born out of ingenuity and necessity during the 1930s Great Depression era and known as a Poor Man's Meal, because of the low cost, easy prep and ingredient availability. This dish continues to carry comfort that never goes out of style.
Poor Man's Meal - Hot Dogs with Potatoes and Onions
There are those days where you know you need to eat, but you just don't really feel like cooking or even know what it is that you want!
Enter one of my favorites. Fried potatoes.
I can certainly make a meal of those alone, or really any other potato central dish to be honest - set a pot of those smothered potatoes in front of me and I'm a happy gal - but if you want to get in a little protein too, it's excellent with some sliced smoked sausage or hot dogs tossed in and I make it regularly because I love it!
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It's actually a fall back to a meal from the era of the Great Depression know as Poor Man's Meal, the resurgence of which to the modern day might be credited to Miss Clara, the original YouTube Grandma, who, together with her grandson Christopher, ran a YouTube channel called Great Depression Cooking with Clara.
She was 98 years old when she passed away in 2013, but her channel content lives on and I have enjoyed listening to her stories of growing up during that time and the resilience and hope her videos provide.
You can also purchase her cookbook (#ad) in print, Kindle or audio form.
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There’s a certain kind of comfort that only comes from those dishes that were born in hard times - the ones that didn’t rely on abundance, but on ingenuity. During the Great Depression, families had to stretch every scrap they had, turning the simplest ingredients into meals that were humble, filling, and shared around crowded tables.
This dish was born from that.
Potatoes were cheap, onions kept well, and hot dogs were one of the few meats people could afford. Together, they became a skillet supper that fed millions as a one‑pan mix of fried potatoes, onions, and sliced hot dogs that went by many names, but always carried the same make-do spirit.
This dish was born from that.
Potatoes were cheap, onions kept well, and hot dogs were one of the few meats people could afford. Together, they became a skillet supper that fed millions as a one‑pan mix of fried potatoes, onions, and sliced hot dogs that went by many names, but always carried the same make-do spirit.
It wasn’t fancy, but it was comforting and dependable. A pot sizzling on the stove meant you were going to bed with something in your belly. And even now, nearly a century later, that same combination still brings that same kind of quiet comfort.
What you'll need for the classic version:
- Bacon grease, lard or cooking oil
- Some kind of potato
- Onion
- Hot dogs
- Salt and pepper, to taste
It's really that simple!
The prep? As easy as it comes.
Dice the potatoes and cook in a little fat, add onions and continue cooking until softened. Add hot dogs and continue cooking until everything is heated through and tender.
The prep? As easy as it comes.
Dice the potatoes and cook in a little fat, add onions and continue cooking until softened. Add hot dogs and continue cooking until everything is heated through and tender.
Even though I love it pretty basic myself and make it that way the most, there are so many ways to adapt this dish with a more modern twist, or even with some Deep South flare.
- Use whatever your favorite potato is - russets, red or yellow skinned, multi-colored, peeled or skin on.
- Use your favorite onion. For me that's Vidalia in season and other sweet onions otherwise, but use whatever your favorite is - white, yellow or red or even sliced green onion works.
- Use those inexpensive grocery store chicken, turkey, pork or combo hot dogs, all beef or gourmet steak dogs or use smoked sausage - kielbasa, mild, Cajun or Andouille. You can also make this dish with ground beef.
- Expand your seasonings beyond good old salt and pepper with garlic powder, paprika, your favorite all-purpose seasoning and dried or fresh herbs.
- Finish with a dash of Worcestershire, vinegar or hot sauce.
- Add a few tablespoons of chopped tomatoes or tomato sauce for extra flavor. Add a little water to that to make a touch of gravy. Mrs. Clara did this with her Poor Man's Meal.
Poor Man’s Meal may have been born out of necessity, but it carries a kind of comfort that never goes out of style.
Here's what you'll need to make this Poor Man's Meal of Hot Dogs with Potatoes and Onions:
- 1/4 cup bacon drippings, lard, extra virgin olive oil or other cooking oil
- 4 medium russet potatoes, peeled and cubed or other skin-on red, yellow or multi-colored potatoes
- 1 small onion, halved and sliced
- 4 classic franks or other hot dogs, sliced 1/4 inch thick
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 1/4 cup water
- Freshly grated Parmesan or Pecorino Romano cheese, optional
Here's how I make it!
Heat chosen fat in a 10-inch skillet over medium high. Add the potatoes.
Add onions.
Add salt and pepper and toss to coat with oil.
Scoot potatoes to the outside of skillet.
Add the sliced hot dogs or sausages into the center, adding additional fat if needed. Toss the hot dogs to coat them with the fat but keep them in the center of the skillet.
Pour water all around the edges of the skillet. This helps with the steaming process.
Reduce heat to medium, cover skillet and steam cook for 10 minutes covered, without disturbing or stirring.
Remove cover and stir, drawing the potatoes into the hot dogs. Increase heat to medium high.
Continue cooking, uncovered, turning and stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes, or until potatoes are cooked through and tender.
Transfer to a serving bowl and top with some freshly grated Parmesan or Pecorino Romano cheese if you like.
For more of my favorite recipes with hot dogs, click over to my Pinterest page!
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