The Allied commander in Europe during World War II became the thirty-fourth president.
Family or White House tradition
Eisenhower’s recipe collection includes beef stew he developed himself. This home pot follows the meat-and-vegetable idea at a smaller scale, with measured ingredients and an unhurried simmer.
The president & the table
Eisenhower’s preserved recipe collection includes dishes he developed himself, among them beef stew and vegetable soup. Records of his tastes also include steak, while Mamie’s deep-dish apple pie belongs to the family’s dessert story. This was a table with a president interested in the cooking.
Behind this story
Eisenhower Presidential Library recipe collection and favourite-food records.
APRON ON. HISTORY CAN WAIT.
Make it at home.
Our home adaptation · Serves 6 · Not yet kitchen-tested
What you’ll need
Let’s make it
Pat beef dry, season with salt and pepper and dust with flour. Brown in oil in a heavy pot in batches, then remove.
Soften onions for 5 minutes. Stir in tomato paste for 1 minute, then add stock, thyme, bay and beef. Scrape the base.
Cover and simmer very gently for 1½ hours. Add carrots and potatoes and simmer 40–50 minutes more, until beef and vegetables are tender.
Remove bay leaves. Simmer uncovered briefly if the gravy needs thickening, then taste for seasoning.
About this home version
A modern home recipe with practical ingredients and measured quantities.
Metric and US measures are approximate equivalents. For baking, use weights when you can.
