Background Recipes have a major focus in the practical work in Home Economics. Pupils need subject knowledge to be able to turn theoretical instructions into practical action. When cooking, recipe reading takes place in parallel, which requires pupils to have prior knowledge and a well-developed subject language to understand how the recipe should be followed, interpret concepts, and use different working techniques. Objective The aim of the study was to investigate how pupils work with recipes in the practical work in the subject Home Economics. Method A qualitative observational study was chosen for the study. It provided an opportunity for a deeper understanding of how pupils worked with recipes. The survey was conducted at a school in Stockholm County with a total of twelve participants in ninth grade. In the analysis process, a thematic analysis was used with the aim of identifying different patterns and creating themes that highlight the studies topic. Results showed that pupils had deficiencies in the ability to follow instructions in recipes and lacked parts of the subject language needed to interpret words and concepts used in the recipes. The results also showed that the pupils had difficulty organizing and planning the work in the kitchen, in terms of time required and what work should be prioritized to be completed during the scheduled lesson time. Conclusion Knowledge in the Swedish language and Mathematics is a prerequisite of the subject Home Economic. By working across subject with Swedish and mathematics, pupils can have better conditions for developing their learning in Home Economics.