Luby’s is a well-known cafeteria-style restaurant chain that has been serving classic comfort food in the southern United States since 1947. With its hearty entrees, homemade sides, and famous LuAnn platters, Luby’s is all about bringing people together over delicious, homestyle meals. Many customers have fond memories of dining at their local Luby’s, which naturally leads to the question – does Luby’s have an official cookbook?
A Bit of History on Luby’s
Luby’s was founded by Bob Luby in San Antonio, Texas in 1947. It started off as a single cafeteria serving classic comfort food like fried fish, chicken fried steak, and macaroni and cheese. Over the decades, it expanded across Texas and ultimately grew into a chain of over 200 cafeteria-style restaurants.
Luby’s is best known for its LuAnn Platter, which was introduced in the 1960s and named after Bob Luby’s daughter. A LuAnn Platter typically consists of choice of entrée, two vegetables, salad, and yeast rolls or cornbread. It captures the hearty, homestyle appeal that Luby’s is all about.
In addition to the LuAnn Platter, other classic Luby’s offerings include meatloaf, fried chicken, turkey with cornbread dressing, chicken fried steak, pot roast, and a variety of freshly prepared vegetables and side dishes. The cafeteria line allows customers to peruse all the options and fill their trays with all their southern comfort food favorites.
The History of Luby’s Cookbooks
Given Luby’s long history and popularity across Texas and the southern United States, it’s only natural that the restaurant would choose to share some of its recipes and culinary know-how with its loyal customers in the form of an official cookbook.
In fact, Luby’s has published not just one but several cookbooks over the decades. Their cookbooks let home cooks recreate the classics they love from their local Luby’s cafeteria.
The first Luby’s cookbook was published in 1973, over 25 years after the restaurant first opened. It was called “Luby’s Recipes” and contained 65 recipes for Luby’s most popular menu items.
In 1998, they released an updated and expanded cookbook called “Luby’s: The Restaurant Recipes and More.” This cookbook included over 200 pages of recipes broken down into helpful chapters like “Soups,” “Vegetables,” “Breads,” and more.
Their most recent cookbook is called “Luby’s Favorites” and was published in 2015. It contains many of the classics you would expect like chicken fried steak and macaroni and cheese, along with full color photos.
So in summary – yes, Luby’s does have several official cookbooks spanning different decades that allow fans to recreate the magic of Luby’s meals in their own home kitchens.
What’s in the Luby’s Cookbooks
The Luby’s cookbooks contain recipes for many of the favorites they have been serving customers for over 70 years. Here is an overview of some of the recipes included:
Main Entrees
– Fried fish
– Chicken fried steak
– Meatloaf
– Spaghetti with meat sauce
– Roast turkey with cornbread dressing
– Pot roast
– Baked ham
– Salisbury steak
Sides
– Macaroni and cheese
– Mashed potatoes
– Green bean casserole
– Collard greens
– Cornbread dressing
– Baked sweet potatoes
– Fried okra
– Steamed vegetables
Soups
– Baked potato soup
– Creamy mushroom soup
– Chicken noodle soup
– Vegetable beef soup
– Tomato basil soup
Salads
– Creamy coleslaw
– Cucumber salad
– Cottage cheese and fruit salad
– Tomato aspic salad
– Carrot and raisin salad
Breads
– Yeast rolls
– Jalapeno cheese bread
– Cornbread muffins
– Hawaiian bread
Breakfast
– Pancakes
– Breakfast tacos
– Biscuits and gravy
– Breakfast casserole
Desserts
– Luby’s famous LuAnn platter cake
– Pecan pie
– Bread pudding
– Peach cobbler
The wide variety of recipes cover all the mealtimes and favorites customers love from Luby’s cafeterias. From main dishes to sides, soups, salads, breads, breakfast and dessert, the cookbooks truly capture the essence of Luby’s comfort food.
Examples of Signature Recipes
To give a better idea of what the recipes in the Luby’s cookbooks look like, here are a few examples of some of their signature dishes:
Chicken Fried Steak
Ingredients:
– 1 lb cubed steak
– 1 cup all-purpose flour
– 1 teaspoon seasoning salt
– 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
– 2 eggs, beaten
– 1/2 cup milk
– 1/4 cup vegetable oil
– Country Cream Gravy (see cookbook for recipe)
Instructions:
1. Season the cubed steak on both sides with the seasoning salt and pepper.
2. Set up a breading station – place the flour in one dish, the beaten eggs and milk in a second dish, and a wire rack in a third.
3. Working one piece at a time, coat the steak in flour, then egg, then back into the flour to coat thoroughly.
4. Heat the oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the breaded steak for 2-3 minutes per side until golden brown.
5. Drain on a paper towel lined plate. Top with country cream gravy to serve.
LuAnn Platter Cake
Ingredients:
– 1 box cake mix (white, yellow, or butter recipe)
– Ingredients called for on cake mix box
– 1 20oz can crushed pineapple, drained
– 1 small jar maraschino cherries, drained
– 1 container coconut flakes
– 1 small container pecans, chopped
– 1 16oz container cream cheese frosting
Instructions:
1. Prepare the cake batter according to package directions. Fold in drained pineapple and maraschino cherries.
2. Pour batter into greased 9×13 inch pan. Bake according to package directions.
3. Once cake is cooled, frost the top with cream cheese frosting. Sprinkle coconut flakes and chopped pecans over the top.
4. Chill cake for at least 1 hour before serving.
Where to Get the Luby’s Cookbooks
Wondering where you can get your hands on the famous Luby’s cookbooks? Here are a few places to find them:
– Check with your local Luby’s cafeteria – some locations sell the cookbooks at the register
– Look for them online at Amazon, Ebay, or other book retailers
– Search for used copies on sites like Thriftbooks, Alibris, or Better World Books
– Luby’s corporate office offers a cookbook by mail order on their website
The cookbooks range from about $5 for used copies up to $20-25 for a new copy. Getting an original version can be a special souvenir for Luby’s fans.
You may also find some Luby’s recipes online shared by fans, but to get the full experience the published cookbooks are your best bet. Recreate your favorite platters, sides, breads and desserts at home from the official sources.
Does Luby’s Still Update and Print New Cookbooks?
Luby’s printed cookbooks span decades, but are they still making new editions today?
The most recent cookbook “Luby’s Favorites” was published in 2015. Since then, there have not been any major new cookbook releases.
However, in celebrating their 75th anniversary in 2022, Luby’s did offer a special 18-month calendar that included 12 “fan favorite” recipes. This gave customers a taste of some cherished menu items to enjoy at home.
It seems currently Luby’s is focused more on recipe cards and online recipe sharing rather than full cookbook volumes. While not fully discontinued, the cookbooks are primarily available as the retro editions from previous decades.
The company’s priorities seem to have shifted towards modernizing in recent years. In 2021, Luby’s sold their cafeteria business to shift focus towards becoming a streamlined franchisor.
So unfortunately big, full cookbooks in the previous decades’ longstanding tradition do not seem to be on the horizon. The existing cookbooks still allow fans to recreate the classics, though new volumes are unlikely.
Conclusion
In summary – yes, Luby’s has published several cookbooks over the decades spanning their most famous and beloved menu items. Their first cookbook came out in 1973, with subsequent expanded editions in 1998 and 2015.
The cookbooks contain recipes that let home cooks recreate restaurant favorites like chicken fried steak, LuAnn platters, cornbread casseroles, and more. While new volumes are not as much of a priority these days, the existing cookbooks are still treasured by fans wanting to enjoy Luby’s style cooking at home.
Checking local Luby’s, online retailers, or secondhand sites can help you track down the vintage cookbooks. Whip up some comforting cuisine and enjoy a taste of Luby’s history from your own kitchen.