What Is A Million Dollar Recipe And How Did It Get A Fancy Name?

Whether it's water pie from the Depression era or ants on a log, U.S. cooks love using a catchy food title. And one of the most wide-ranging terms in the American culinary lexicon is a "million dollar" recipe. The name's applied to everything from a cheesy million dollar chicken casserole to a dip, cake, type of pickle, and even cocktail. Expectedly, such varied food categories don't all intertwine with a specific set of ingredients or techniques. And while many date to the early 20th century, they didn't all emerge in the same context, either.

Instead, "million dollar" functions as a slang term that signifies decadence. Such foods are rich, folding in several heavy ingredients like cream, varying types of cheese, and bacon — oftentimes all at once. Rather than relying on truly expensive ingredients, million dollar recipes layer indulgent pantry staples to make the result taste like a million bucks without actually costing much.

Million dollar dishes often reflect 1950s retro food trends, and you'll most often see the name applied to comforting home-cooked favorites like casseroles, soups, dips, and cakes. The million dollar dip — which typically pairs cream cheese, cheese, bacon, mayo, and seasonings — appeared during this time. Meanwhile, some recipes for the equally dairy-heavy million dollar spaghetti — often made with cream cheese, ricotta or cottage cheese, sour cream, mozzarella, and ground beef — stretch back to the 1940s. After World War II, the American economy prospered, and such a food term proved apt for the times.

Outside of a culinary context, the term "million-dollar" first appeared in print in an 1854 Frederick Douglass text. The term's early adaptation in the food realm is debated: Some believe the million dollar cocktail — a gin-based drink using grenadine for a pink tinge and egg whites for richness — was created in Japan in 1894, while others argue it was first shaken up in Singapore. The dairy-heavy creations now intertwined with the million dollar name were still to come. Which one — and when — was coined first is unknown, but it's clear the term was in use by the 1950s. And once the name caught on, it swooped up an ever-growing list of dishes.

Add softened butter to a classic deviled eggs recipe, and you get a million dollar version. Incorporate marshmallow cream and evaporated milk into a standard fudge recipe? That's worthy of the name, too. Proud of a cheese- and seafood-heavy dip? You can call that a million dollar dip as well.

Subsequently, take note that dishes with the million dollar name can take on varying compositions. A million dollar soup might comprise a pairing of chicken sausage, beans, and squash — or potato, rotisserie chicken, and cheese. Rather than a definitive culinary descriptor, a million dollar food exudes a source of pride — usually with extra decadent ingredients involved.