I should have paid closer attention as the Skyhorse Publishing reprint of the 1954 Betty Crocker Good and Easy Cook Book is a 8 1/2-inch by 5 1/2-inch paperback. It is not spiral bound. The original 1954 Good and Easy Cook Book was sold as a spiral bound cookbook. I’ve never seen a hard back edition of this cook book, but I suspect there was one. For ease of cooking you will need to use a cookbook holder to read the Skyhorse Publishing reprint edition. The paperback will NOT lay flat.

The 2017 reprint seems to contain all the original recipes and photos found in the original cookbook. Food writer Amy Sherman writes a forward for the 2017 telling about the creation of Betty Crocker the and virtues of this cookbook.

Some of the recipes you’ll find in The Good and Easy Cookbook include:

Salmon Loaf
Shrimp de Jonghe (very tasty and loved recipe)
Pork Chops and Apples
Lazy Daisy Meat Balls
Everyday Pot Roast
Oven-Fried Chicken and Biscuits (a very good TNT recipe)
Chicken a la King (another recipe we’ve tried)
Chili with Corn Chips
Yankee Chicken Hash
Fresh Spinach Salad
Cole Slaw
Pressure Creamed Potatoes (uses a pressure cooker to prepare the potatoes)
Numerous ways to prepare vegetables found on pages 137 to 145
Cream Sauce with variations (White Sauce is another name for Cream Sauce)
Mushroom Sauce
Puff Pancakes
Doughnuts
Bacon Waffles
Apple Pie with variations (Makes an 8-inch pie which I like)
Creamy Pumpkin Pie
Quick Eggnog Pie
Hot Water Sponge Cake
One-Egg Cake (another TNT recipe)
Hidden Chocolate Cookies
Honey Drops
Stir-N-Drop Sugar Cookies

You will find a section called Dinner Leftovers which gives ideas on how to use up ingredients. Some of the ideas include:

Ham: Use in:

Macaroni Cups
Creamed Ham and Eggs

Beef: Use in:

Ruth’s Hash
Sandwich fillings

The Good and Easy cookbook is a keeper as there are many easy and useful recipes included. I’ve used this cookbook for many years and love it. The only reason why I gave this cook book a 4 star rating is the binding. The cook book reprint would have been so much better if it was published as a spiral bound book.

Recommend.

I am finding I love reading historical cookbooks, even if I may not try out many of the recipes. This is definitely “of a place and time” and so much about it just makes me chuckle – like the entire section on jazzing up condensed canned soup. On the other hand, some of the simpler recipes (like sliced onion topped with minimal seasoning and little “hats” of corned beef hash), were a good reminder that everyone needs to “barely a recipe, more assembly instructions” meals in their back pocket. Every day does not require a ton of ingredients and steps – sometimes, “good and easy” is more than good enough for quick and tasty meals on the plate. I probably copied out four or five recipes or ideas from this book and I am excited to give them a try!

Without question the worse cookbook I've ever owned. Seriously recipes are like add one bag of frozen vegetables and one can of soup = dinner. What a joke!

Great book

Great recipes I can't wait to make. Pictures are included. All seem very very easy to make would recommend. Thanks

Despite the small sized type used there are many easy and delicious dishes in this recipe collection. Variations for many of the dishes are suggested.

It s a cookbook for Pete s sakes: you know full of recipes, ideas for what can go together and what s the worst idea imaginable, full of simple/quick meals. In this case four meals per day (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner/Supper, and a Bonus) meal. It even has desserts which a lot of cookbooks today seem to have forgotten.

This is an older cookbook published in a time when people ate food and enjoyed it as well. I m sure that the ones who insist on knowing the exact break down of carbs, calories, percentages and the like will be disappointed.

If you re like me and get nostalgic for how food used to be prepared, then dive on into a cookbook from the past, feast, sit back and ENJOY!

I came across a spiral-bound first edition of this cookbook and fell in love. Words cannot express how darling the 1950's blue and pink illustrations are, and there are old-timey photographs as well. Only The Winnie-the-Pooh Cookbook could beat it for cuteness, and I am pretty determined to never let either of them go.
Although my copy's spiral binding is kind of falling apart, this cookbook was clearly meant to be practical. The recipes mostly consist of traditional American dishes for family-style meals. None of the dishes are too outlandish or complicated. The way it's slightly outdated is endearing more than inconvenient. It seems to capture the era just before premade foods came into vogue. Everything is made from scratch, and the most artificial ingredient it calls for is packets of gelatin. There's even an index to help you whip up that malted milkshake as quickly as possible!

EVEN THOUGH THIS BOOK IS OVER 45 YEARS OLD, IT IS IN GREAT CONDITION BECAUSE OF IT BEING SPIRAL BOUND. IT CONTAINS PLENTY OF COOKING TIPS ESPECIALLY AS IT RELATES TO TIMETABLES FOR MEATS (INCLUDING TEMPS). BUT YOU ALSO GET TIPS FOR DIFFERENT SALAD DRESSINGS, VEGETABLES BUTTERS AND FROSTINGS FOR CAKES AMONG OTHERS. AT THE END OF THE BOOK ARE FACTS ABOUT FREEZING FOOD. SEVERAL RECIPES I FOUND INTERESTING (i.e. COCONUT TAFFEE BARS), BUT ALSO A TIP ABOUT FRIED EGGS THAT I HAVE NEVER TRIED. ALWAYS WORTH A LOOK WHEN YOU HAVE BETTY CROCKER'S NAME ON IT.

Nothing particularly special or interesting in the recipes. Anything slightly complicated (beyond what you don't really need a recipe for) can be found on other cookbooks on my shelf.

would love to get another one if Betty crocker was a goodreads.com member.

Good beginning cookbook

I have had several of Betty Crocker s books and one that I had I also gave away was also the best. If I had known I would never s one again I would have held on tight. This one was more of what to do with everything the easiest way possible. Was a good and easy cookbook.

I love cookbooks and am always looking at something new. Problem is, I never have time to try the recipes. Well, this book proved different. The recipes are so simple and quick, I tried it out the very first night. I couldn't believe my kids actually ate something that looked so exotic (& easy at the same time). Usually I'm lucky if I can get them to eat mashed potatoes. The recipes vary from simple meals like salads and sandwiches, too more complicated (at least that is the impression I want my husband to have) meals that you could serve to guests (they would never guess it only took you 20 minutes). They even have a prepare ahead section, for those days when you know you will barely have time to breath, let alone cook! I would recommend this cookbook to anyone, especially those Moms, like me, who are busy with soccer pratice, PTA, and other kid related projects.