Ground Beef Fudge Is Exactly What It Sounds Like — And Its History Is Just As Rich

If you've ever been curious about the food crazes that ran rampant in the '50s, '60s, and '70s, it's likely that you've stumbled on some recipes with flavor profiles that were questionable at best. From Jell-O and tuna to hot dogs in everything, it's interesting to see how culinary trends in home kitchens seem to evolve over time. A 1967 recipe for beef fudge is one of the strangest mid-century recipes we've come across, but many swore by the sweet-and-savory combination. While it's not quite as off-the-wall as jellied meatloaf, it's a bit counterintuitive to think of tossing leftover ground beef into a dessert.

The process of making ground beef fudge was pretty similar to making many chocolate fudge recipes today. Key ingredients included marshmallow cream and evaporated milk. The one difference, of course? The addition of a cup of cooked ground beef. There are several versions of the recipe. Some recommend adding walnuts. Others recommend leaving out the chocolate aspect of the fudge, creating a beefy vanilla dessert. While it wasn't mentioned in any of the recipes, adding a bit of bacon might also boost the sweet and salty contrast, and might help to add a crunchy textural element that could help to cover up any chewy bits of beef.

If you're ready to give beef fudge a try in your own kitchen, there are a few tips and tricks to keep in mind. In some recipes, it's recommended that you use leftover roast to create beef fudge, rather than ground beef crumbles. Running your beef through a food processor (or meat grinder — be sure to toss your beef in the freezer for a few minutes before grinding) before you add it to your fudge may help to smooth out the texture if you decide to go this route. If you're really feeling like you want to up the protein in your recipe (more power to you), some recipes recommended doubling up on the beef and leaving out other additions, like nuts and chocolate.

As with most fudge recipes, you'll want to keep a candy thermometer on hand to ensure that your beef fudge is hitting the right temperature before you pour it into a pan to cool (this can stop your fudge from developing a grainy texture). Not feeling the idea of adding ground beef to chocolate fudge? We get it. Another option if you want a similar flavor without the texture of ground beef crumbles: Try using beef fat (or tallow) to replace some or all of the butter in your fudge recipe. Doing so can add rich, deep flavors without feeling like you've bitten into something that's half-burger, half-dessert.