15+ Vintage Recipes Just Like Grandma Used to Make

Take a trip down memory lane with these vintage recipes featuring classics your grandma grew up with. If you’re searching for a simple appetizer, main course, or dessert, we add a fun, modern spin to vintage recipes like stuffing chicken salad in avocados or making an everything bagel-flavored cheese ball. Other recipes like Macaroni Salad with Creamy Avocado ​​Skillet Chicken Potpie and ​​Baked Mac & Cheese are delicious, filling and the perfect nostalgic bite.

​​Skillet Chicken Potpie

A store-bought pie crust, frozen veggies and precooked chicken simplify the prep for this easy potpie. This healthy dinner recipe is comfort food at its best.

Easy Lasagna

This classic beef lasagna recipe is easy to make and will be ready to eat in just over an hour.

​​Baked Mac & Cheese

Mac & cheese can be a true comfort on a gloomy day, and our healthy update takes advantage of extra-sharp Cheddar balanced with creamy low-fat cottage cheese and tucks a layer of spinach into the middle, which may help picky eaters down their vegetables. Whole-wheat pasta adds robust flavor and extra fiber.

Old-Fashioned Sweet Potato Casserole

Diana Chistruga

No meal is complete without a homemade sweet potato casserole. We like to sprinkle chopped pecans on top along with the marshmallows for a bit of texture.

Slow-Cooker Braised Beef with Carrots & Turnips

The spice blend in this healthy beef stew recipe—cinnamon, allspice and cloves—may conjure images of apple pie, but the combo is a great fit in savory applications too. Serve over creamy polenta or buttered whole-wheat egg noodles.

Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup with Rotisserie Chicken

This creamy rotisserie chicken soup has a delicious chicken pot pie feel to it. We call for rotisserie chicken to streamline your prep time–look for a nice big one with lots of breast meat on it. Pair this comforting and easy soup recipe with a green salad, or, if you’re really hungry, a grilled cheese sandwich.

Slow-Cooker Corn Casserole

With just five ingredients, you can make this healthy corn casserole with ease. The tang of the cream cheese and sour cream balances the sweetness of the corn. Frozen corn can vary in sweetness, so taste the brand you’re using to determine if the optional sugar is needed. This creamy corn casserole makes the perfect veggie side for any meal.

Chicken & Mushroom Shepherd’s Pie

The creamy chicken filling is spiked with sherry and the potatoes are mashed with olive oil in this healthy shepherd’s pie recipe. To make individual pies, use six 10-ounce ramekins. Serve with a green salad with balsamic vinaigrette and crusty bread.

Old-Fashioned Meatloaf

Mushrooms, garlic and oats sneak some extra nutrients into this hearty and easy meatloaf. Serve with sweet potatoes and your favorite green vegetables for a super-satisfying comfort food dinner.

Quick King Ranch Chicken Casserole

Christine Ma


Usually made by layering creamy chicken and tortillas (lasagna-style), this classic Tex-Mex chicken casserole gets speedier for an easy weeknight dinner when we mix everything together in a skillet, then pop the whole pan under the broiler to make the cheese topping gooey.

Pear-Pecan Cheese Ball

Sweet pear, salty Cheddar cheese and crunchy nuts make this healthy cheese ball recipe an alluring holiday treat. Serve with an array of crudités and crisp party crackers.

Macaroni Salad with Creamy Avocado Dressing

Give classic pasta salad a fresher, more flavorful spin. This fast pasta dish calls for avocado to replace some of the mayonnaise, which makes it extra creamy. Whole-wheat elbow macaroni and fresh vegetables round out this healthy pasta salad that you’ll be making all summer long.

Classic Zucchini Casserole

Jennifer Causey

This comforting zucchini casserole with buttery crackers and cheese is the perfect recipe for your bumper crop of zucchini. Fresh thyme is lightly floral while fresh ground pepper adds kick to this creamy summer casserole.

Classic Deviled Eggs

We love the taste of dill relish in the filling of this deviled egg recipe, but if you like a sweeter deviled egg’ opt for sweet relish instead. Our secret to healthy, creamy deviled eggs with fewer calories is to swap out half the full-fat mayo for nonfat Greek yogurt.

Slow-Cooker Green Bean Casserole with Crispy Onions

Thanks to fresh green beans, an easy homemade cream sauce and crispy onion topping, this green bean casserole recipe is healthier and more delicious than traditional recipes that use canned soup, beans and onions. Plus, the slow cooker saves you time cooking at the stove. Make sure to use fresh green beans, as frozen green beans will become mushy.

Roast Chicken with Parmesan-Herb Sauce

A store-bought rice blend and quick-cooking chicken breast help get this healthy chicken recipe on the dinner table fast. Check the label to avoid excessive sodium or other undesirable ingredients. Other herbs, such as rosemary and sage, are also delicious in this recipe.

Chocolate-Fudge Pudding Cake

When you have a craving for a comforting dessert, try this pudding cake, which forms its own rich-tasting sauce as it bakes. The coffee flavor is subtle, but it adds complex depth to the cake’s flavor.

Spinach & Tuna Noodle Casserole

Penny De Los Santos

Homemade mushroom sauce replaces a can of soup in this veggie-centric, healthy riff on a classic tuna-noodle casserole recipe. Serve with steamed green beans.

Lemon Icebox Pie with Coconut-Graham Cracker Crust

Light and delicious, this easy old-fashioned lemon icebox pie takes dessert up a notch thanks to coconut in the crust, which boosts both flavor and texture. For the brightest hit of citrus use fresh-squeezed lemon juice. Look for graham crackers made with 100% whole-wheat flour to get the most fiber. Seeing graham flour on the label? Good news—that’s coarsely ground whole-wheat.

Instant Pot Chicken Soup with Root Vegetables & Barley

Be sure to use bone-in chicken here. It enhances the flavor of the broth, and the bones are easy to remove after cooking. This healthy chicken soup can be made in an Instant Pot or pressure cooker.

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