I Tried Recipes Found on Real Headstones

When a favorite recipe becomes a family tradition, the dish and the love behind it live on for generations. Some families even choose to remember loved ones by engraving their signature recipe onto their gravestone. In cemeteries across the country, you’ll find beloved recipes for everything from Spritz Cookies to Chicken Soup. Author Rosie Grant celebrates these dishes in her new book, To Die For: A Cookbook of Gravestone Recipes, and cemetery photographer Chantal Larochelle makes many of the dishes at home. With Halloween around the corner, I decided to take inspiration from these two creators and try four of the recipes for myself. The dishes were delicious love letters to family, legacy, and connection.

Bonnie’s Chocolate Oatmeal No-Bake Cookies

This recipe for classic no-bake cookies comes from Bonnie June Rainey Johnson, a beloved mother and grandmother who passed away in 2007 at the age of 71. Johnson was lovingly known as the “driver’s license lady” for her work at the Alaska Department of Revenue and later the Division of Motor Vehicles. She enjoyed gardening, quilting, and exploring beaches looking for sea glass with her four children. But one of her greatest passions was cooking, and she was known for the dishes she shared with family and friends. Bonnie’s recipe for No-Bake cookies is engraved on her headstone and includes one surprise ingredient I hadn’t tried before.

The addition of instant cocoa powder (Johnson recommends using Swiss Miss) gives these no-bake cookies a sweeter, more milk chocolate flavor than other recipes I’ve tried. Once you’ve boiled the cocoa with sugar, milk, and margarine, the recipe is as easy as stirring in quick oats, peanut butter, and vanilla. Drop spoonfuls on wax paper and let the cookies set until firm. My entire family loved these cookies, and I will absolutely be using Johnson’s recipe moving forward. Each bite is the perfect flavor combination of oatmeal, peanut butter, and hot chocolate.

Deb Nelson’s Red Lantern Cheese Dip

Debra Ann Nelson passed away in 2021 at the age of 56. She was a beloved member of her small-town Iowa community and a longtime employee of the now-closed Red Lantern Steakhouse. There she made batch after batch of her famous cheese dip. The recipe was so iconic, it’s engraved on Nelson’s headstone in Dow City Cemetery in Iowa. Nelson’s recipe starts with a tub of spreadable sharp cheddar cheese. Add the cheese to a bowl along with mayo, sour cream, garlic powder, dried minced onion, and a splash of milk. Stir to combine and top with bacon bits. Let it chill for a bit in the fridge before diving in.

I couldn’t get enough of this cheese dip. It’s vaguely reminiscent of the canned cheese I often ate as a kid, and as someone who craves the nostalgic flavors of my childhood, that’s the highest compliment I can give. The dip is incredibly creamy with just the right amount of savory flavor from the garlic, minced onion, and bacon. Every single person who tried it raved about how good it was.

 Margaret Davis’ Glazed Blueberry Pie

Margaret Davis passed away in 2004 at the age of 86. She currently rests with her husband, Eddy, in Mountain View Memorial Park, in Washington State. Davis was known for her Glazed Blueberry Pie recipe, which, according to the Seattle Times, she handed out at Christmas every year. This fresh blueberry pie is unlike others I’ve tried, thanks to a rich cream cheese layer and plenty of fresh berries.

Making Davis’ pie is pretty simple; it starts with a purchased or homemade pie shell that’s been baked and cooled. For the filling, start by spreading the crush with softened cream cheese. Next, layer in fresh blueberries and a homemade blueberry sauce. Chill for at least one hour. I loved the combination of fresh berries and tangy cream cheese flavor. I will absolutely be making this pie again in the spring and summer when berries are at their best.

Valerie C. Volpe’s Chicken Soup

Valerie C. Volpe was “a lady raised by a lady” and was a beloved daughter, mother, wife, grandmother, sister, aunt, and friend. Volpe passed away in 2016, and her famous chicken soup recipe is inscribed right from her recipe card at the top of her headstone. The comforting chicken soup recipe has two flavor additions I hadn’t tried before. Adding parsnips and turnips to the recipe gives the dish a subtle earthy flavor that perfectly complements the savory chicken.

What I loved most about this chicken soup was the flavor of the broth. It’s rich and savory with just the right amount of fresh herb flavor thanks to parsley and dill. The chicken shreds beautifully in this dish, and the vegetables become soft and tender. This is one of those cozy dishes that reminds me of dinners at Grandma’s house.