18 First Ladies And Their Favorite Foods
First ladies are often associated with pursuing noble causes that speak to the core values of the presidential administrations of their time. One thinks of Nancy Reagan and her campaign against the drug epidemic of the '80s, and her now infamous slogan, "Just say no!" Or, Michelle Obama and her "Let's Move," initiative, an advocacy program promoting healthy eating habits among kids. But, even though distinguished, first ladies are people too, and they all have their own favorite foods. Sometimes, they are even the same treats that the average American craves on a daily basis.
The American government's approach to food varies wildly over the decades. But, a first lady's favorite food can reveal a lot about the tastes of the women who have played supporting roles to American presidents throughout history. Some have served home-made dishes in the White House, others sought sophisticated options. Each gives us an insight into the different approaches to hosting and dining in the White House.
Martha Washington: Crab soup
If you love the idea of a pot of soup simmering on the stove on cold days, then you have something in common with America's first-ever first lady, Martha Washington. Her favorite? A hearty crab soup, likely made with fresh Chesapeake Bay blue crabs, found in abundance near Mount Vernon. Mrs. Washington became famous for her hospitality even back in the days when her husband was still a general in the Continental Army. The Washington residence in Mount Vernon was remodeled for this very reason before she moved in (per US History).
Crab soup would have likely been a central part of many meals served to diplomats, as well General Washington's military comrades and their families. A modern twist to elevate the old recipe includes sautéed onions and potatoes, some cream, and a lemon peel. Martha Washington was also fond of smoked ham, a staple of her native Virginia.
Abigail Adams: Apple Pan Dowdy
Abigail Adams hailed from Weymouth City, Massachusetts, which made her a New Englander through-and-through. Her love for apple pan dowdy could, therefore, be explained by the strong preference for apple-based desserts in the region. "The President's Cookbook" by Poppy Cannon and Patricia Brooks, published 1968, highlighted Mrs. Adams' love for this particular dish and also published a copy of the recipe.
Apple pan dowdy consists of thinly sliced apples mixed with cinnamon, nutmeg, and molasses or maple syrup. These are then "dowdied" before finishing in the oven. That latter process simply involves cutting a flaky, butter-enriched pastry crust into the apples with a knife. Being only the second president of the United States, John Adams would have had a sharper appreciation for Independence Day than most. It says a lot that the apple pan dowdy was his meal of choice to commemorate the day.
Mary Todd Lincoln: Almond cake
Mary Todd Lincoln lived a life of tragedy. She helped to assuage the blues with a white almond cake. She even popularly baked the cake in her courtship to Abraham Lincoln. Before Honest Abe was assassinated in 1865, they had lost two children, with their youngest son also dying six years later.
According to the Food Timeline, Mary believed — like many in her time — that sugar contained strong nutritious qualities. She therefore put in a lot of time and effort in her desserts, including puddings, cakes, cookies, and candy. Also common in the Lincoln household menu were waffles, batter and buckwheat cakes, as well as egg cornbread. The white almond cake can be made by blending softened butter, sugar, and vanilla with sifted flour, baking powder, and finely ground blanched almonds. It is then baked to gold (in a Bundt pan, for shape).
Eleanor Roosevelt: Hasty/Indian pudding
Where Martha Washington was known for being hospitable and even extravagant, Eleanor Roosevelt was said to have been a lot more thrifty in her management of the White House. This extended to kitchen affairs and was reflected in the foods that were prepared and served during her tenure. One common, if messy, dessert was Hasty pudding, at times also known as Indian pudding. The dish is made by simmering a blend of whole milk, heavy cream, molasses, and brown sugar with cornmeal, ginger, cinnamon, and salt. The pudding is then baked and served with whipped cream or a scoop of ice cream.
Eleanor and Franklin D. Roosevelt were also frequent consumers of scrambled eggs, in keeping with their modest food habits. This approach earned the Roosevelt White House a reputation for "bad food." Mrs. Roosevelt herself confirmed it in a response to a query from the Ladies' Home Journal in 1929, per Wine Jus.
Bess Truman: Ozark pudding
Bess Truman is yet another first lady whose favorite meal was a dessert, in her case the Ozark pudding. President Harry Truman was certainly a fan of the treat, which Atlas Obscura described as a "mashup between an apple crisp and a pecan pie." Mrs. Truman had a reputation with guests for her home-cooked meals. The Ozark pudding gained a special place in American history when she reportedly served it to Winston Churchill after his famous "Iron Curtain" speech.
If you want to recreate the Bess Truman Ozark pudding today, you can start by whisking together eggs and sugar until they form a smooth, velvety mixture. Fold in flour, baking powder, and a pinch of salt. Add chopped apples and nuts to the mixture and then pour it into a buttered pie pan and bake until golden brown. This recipe is archived and publicly available in the Harry S. Truman Presidential Library and Museum.
Mamie Eisenhower: Million Dollar Fudge
One of Mamie Eisenhower's most popular recipes is for her Million Dollar Fudge, preserved since the 1950s and deemed to be a standard for fudges ever since. The recipe starts with a mixture of sweet chocolate, marshmallow fluff, sugar, butter, and evaporated milk. The mixture is then boiled until smooth before being allowed to set at room temperature.
Unlike most other first ladies, Mamie had a unique advantage when it came to cooking in the White House. President Dwight Eisenhower was more than happy to work his own way around the kitchen, which added another layer to the couple's experiences during his presidency. For example, they were said to have differed over their opinions on the importance of onions, with Mamie specifically averse to using them in her cooking. Ike was also known to impress his guests with his "dirty steak" method of cooking. He wrote a personal cookbook, which contained recipes for vegetable soup and golden corn pudding, among many other dishes.
Jackie Kennedy: Poached salmon
Jacqueline Kennedy brought a sophistication to the White House kitchen, as she made French cuisine the standard. She even appointed chef René Verdon to bring that authenticity to the menu. Still, her own tastes remained simple — she often preferred a classic dish like poached salmon. Mrs. Kennedy's dish of choice was usually served alongside a lamb entrée with string beans and potatoes as well as some ice cream. This was confirmed in the book "Dinner With the President: Food, Politics, and a History of Breaking Bread at the White House" by Alex Prud'homme, as reported by Vogue.
Jackie shared some food preferences with President John F. Kennedy, too. For instance, they were both apparently quite fond of soufflés, while dinner in their household would often feature chicken with tarragon (Poulet à l'Estragon). Kennedy's elegant taste extended to drinks as well: she was known to enjoy The Frrrozen Hot Chocolate, an NYC classic.
Lady Bird Johnson: Spoon bread
Claudia Alta Taylor Johnson inherited her favorite dish— the spoon bread — from her mother-in-law, President Lyndon Johnson's mother Rebekah. More fondly known by the public as Lady Bird Johnson, she was another first lady who emphasized the value of home cooking even in the White House, and brought back a more traditional approach after the opulence of Jackie Kennedy.
A well-made spoon bread in the fashion of Lady Bird Johnson should turn out into more of a smooth pudding than a solid snack. This buttery effect can be achieved by cooking cornmeal with milk over low heat and stirring constantly until it forms a smooth, thick mush. Once the mixture has cooled slightly, you would then combine it with additional milk, beaten eggs, a pinch of salt, baking powder, and melted butter. Other favorites from the Johnson family White House included the president's beloved Pedernales River Chili as well as Ranch Apple Fried Pies.
Pat Nixon: Meatloaf
Pat Nixon's meatloaf was as popular in her home as it was with the American public. The home-cooked special was President Richard Nixon's favorite. At the same time, the recipe for it was in such high demand that it was printed on official White House stationery and sent out to scores of people who had requested it. This original recipe included breadcrumbs, whipping cream, tomato sauce, parsley, and seasoning salt, along with the standard ground beef, eggs, salt, pepper, and tomato sauce topping.
A different take on the recipe was also published by Henry Haller and Virginia Aronson in their book "The White House Family Cookbook" of 1987. The newer version added sautéed onion and garlic, bread soaked in milk, dried thyme, and dried marjoram, and got rid of whipping cream, seasoning salt, and breadcrumbs from the meatloaf itself. Instead, they used tomato purée with breadcrumbs for the topping.
Betty Ford: Chinese pepper steak
Betty Ford is another first lady whose kitchen legacy in the White House was covered in Henry Haller's "The White House Family Cookbook." Accordingly, Mrs. Ford was insistent that some specific meals were made using her personal recipes. One of her strong favorites was Chinese pepper steak, a common dinner of choice in the Ford household. The meal was made out of tender flank steak, green bell peppers, and a savory sauce of onion soup mix, soy sauce, and sherry.
Betty also followed in the footsteps of Martha Washington, as she made crab soup a fixture of her White House menu as well. This dish was usually served with bread, and was one of those that Mrs. Ford insisted on being made following her personal recipe. Unlike many other first families, the Fords were not huge lovers of dessert. President Gerald Ford would occasionally indulge in a lemon-flavored pudding, however.
Rosalynn Carter: Strawberry cake
A common thread among many first ladies here is their love for homemade food, which was also the case with Rossalyn Carter. Her strawberry cake is widely known as one of her absolute favorites, and it fell right within her wheelhouse of Southern, family-style meals. An updated version of Rosalynn's original recipe was published on AllRecipes.com following her passing in November 2023. The recipe featured a yellow or white cake mix, strawberry gelatin, oil, and eggs, while the batter was to be enriched with chopped nuts and sweetened strawberries.
Henry Haller revealed in "The White House Family Cookbook" that President Jimmy Carter was in fact responsible for his wife's love for cooking. Apparently, it was he who took her under his wing after they got married and taught her many of his favorite recipes. Like Betty Ford before her, she would come to require that these were prepared in the White House in accordance to her personal specifications.
Nancy Reagan: Pumpkin pecan pie
Much like the rest of us, it would appear that many first ladies have also had an enduring weakness for sweet indulgences. Nancy Reagan was no different, with her apparent favorite being the pumpkin pecan pie. The simple recipe has been preserved from Mrs. Reagan's personal White House collection, and works by mixing canned pumpkin, eggs, sugar, dark corn syrup, and cinnamon. The filling is then poured into an unbaked pie shell and topped with a generous layer of chopped pecans.
When not making her pecan pie, Nancy would also often find herself working on a monkey bread recipe (Mashed), which was a personal favorite of President Ronald Reagan. Other notable meals which were served frequently in the Reagan White House included lean beef dishes like Osso Buco, as well as steak with chili. Mrs. Reagan was a fan of seafood too, including varieties of broiled trout with kiwi, salmon mousse, and swordfish Veronique.
Barbara Bush: Chocolate chip cookies
Barbara Bush is one of only two women in history who was married to but also mothered a U.S. president. The popular first lady was also well known for her chocolate chip cookies. Her recipe combined various ingredients such as butter, sugar, eggs, and vanilla extract, with a dry mix of flour, baking soda, and salt. The Houstonian Hotel, Club & Spa recreated the chocolate chip cookies according to Mrs. Bush's recipe with her blessing. According to their website, the first lady had inherited it from one of her longtime friends known as Patsy Caulkins.
Many first ladies would appear to have determined their main White House meals based on their husbands' preferences. Barbara did not always share in President George H. W. Bush's tastes, though. The LA Times once reported about his dislike for broccoli, for instance, which his first lady was said to be very fond of.
Hillary Clinton: Lamb
Hillary Clinton's White House kitchen would have likely seen a lot of lamb dishes, seeing as the meat is her acknowledged favorite. It was one of the crucial factors behind her decision to hire Walter Scheib as executive chef when she moved into the White House following her husband Bill's ascension to the presidency in 1994. According to the Washington Post, The California-born chef auditioned for the gig by making pecan-crusted lamb with a morel sauce. He accompanied this with sweet potatoes, spiked with red curry.
Hillary's strong love for all manner of spicy foods is well documented. She is also quite different to most other first ladies on this list, by virtue of the fact that her life in the White House went far beyond the traditional duties of a president's wife. During her own presidential run in 2016, she revealed to NPR's "All Things Considered" that part of her daily routine involved munching on a hot pepper to boost her immunity.
Laura Bush: Coconut cake
Laura and George W. Bush were a rather unique couple in the sense that food was never much of a priority in their White House. As such, meals that were simple favorites became the norm in the regular menu. This was certainly the case with the first lady's favorite dessert, a coconut cake whose recipe had reportedly been passed on to her by a friend of the family. A step-by-step demonstration of how to recreate the Laura Bush coconut cake was uploaded on YouTube by Delish in 2021. Behind the baking process was Bill Yosses, who worked as a special pastry chef for the Bush family.
The Bushes' special eating habits were chronicled in a book titled "White House Chef: Eleven Years, Two Presidents, One Kitchen" by Walter Scheib. He had remained in his capacity as executive chef when George and Laura Bush replaced Bill and Hillary Clinton in the White House.
Michelle Obama: Pizza and fries
Michelle Obama spent most of her eight years in the White House running programs to encourage healthy eating. It might sound like a contradiction that she then disclosed her favorite food to be pizza and fries, but it really is not. Mrs. Obama went ahead to explain the reasons behind her love for pizza, including the fact that it can also be prepared as healthy food. "Pizza is the ultimate food," she said, "because it can be a junk food, [but] it can [also] be healthy."
Michelle made these revelations to a group of government employees' children during a "Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day," in 2016. One young boy asked the first lady what her favorite food was, and her response was emphatic: "Hands down, pizza!" She told the kids in the crowd that she would always take a veggie pizza on Fridays, and also spoke about her love for French fries.
Melania Trump: Chicken parmigiano
Melania Trump is back in the White House, and one of the dishes that might be following her to D.C. is her favorite New York chicken parmigiano. The first lady has already confirmed that she does not intend to stay in the capital full-time this time around, after her husband Donald was re-elected President. Instead, she will split her time between the White House and New York.
Speaking during her first stint as First Lady, Melania revealed to New York Magazine her favorite restaurant in the city, as well as her best food from the joint. "One thing I love most about New York is the variety of amazing foods you can eat," she said. "My all-time favorite is the Chicken Parmigianino at Jean-Georges." This recipe involves thin chicken breasts which are seasoned, dredged in flour and egg whites, then coated with a crisp Parmesan crust before being baked to gold.
Jill Biden: Chicken parmesan
Jill Biden's time as First Lady was sandwiched between Melania Trump's two stints in the White House. One thing that the two women share is a love for chicken parmesan. While Mrs. Trump admitted that she was in love with the dish as it is usually prepared at John-Georges in New York, Dr. Biden is more renowned for her homemade version. She shared her exact recipe for the meal via her Instagram page at the height of the COVID lockdown in 2020. It featured a homemade tomato-basil sauce, crispy breaded chicken, and layers of melted mozzarella and Parmesan.
Jill explained that her chicken parmesan recipe originated from her grandmother, and revealed that she had carried on the tradition by preparing it often for kids while they still lived at home. In the video, she also encouraged Americans to keep alive the tradition of cooking at home, saying, "Food is love. It is how you show your love to your family."