34 Old-Fashioned Recipes Just Like Grandma Used to Make

From classic meatloaf and tuna noodle casserole to vegetable sides and extra-special desserts, these recipes will remind you of home.

turkey and mushroom bolognese — Credit: Chris Simpson

There's nothing like the taste of grandma's home cooking. The old-fashioned recipes in this collection are like leafing through her favorite cookbook. You'll find comfort food classics, from casseroles to soups. And of course, grandma always had something sweet waiting for you when you visited, cake or pudding or both.

Some of these recipes do have modern touches that incorporate ingredients and techniques that weren't necessarily popular years ago. Despite the tweaks, they stay true to the theme of grandma's cooking. Her food felt like a warm hug—and these old-time recipes capture that cozy, nostalgic feeling.

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Old-Fashioned Apple Pie

The name says it all: This time-honored dessert regularly tops the list of favorite pie recipes. Grandma made it on the regular, and you should, too. The buttery crust is the perfect contrast to the soft apple filling.

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Chicken and Dumplings

Romulo Yanes

Here's a true comfort dinner, where fluffy drop dumplings finish a hearty chicken dish. Our recipe uses shortcuts—precooked chicken and store-bought stock—that grandma might or might not have approved of.

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The Best Banana Bread

The Best Banana Bread — Grant Webster

Of course, grandma baked the best banana bread—she probably used Martha's recipe.

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Creamy Chicken and Rice Casserole

Yunhee Kim

If you need an easy dish to feed a crowd, or want to bring a meal to a friend or family member, this comforting meal fits the bill nicely.

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Peach-Blueberry Cobbler

Peach-Blueberry Cobbler

Like a taste of summer gone by, this biscuit-topped dessert scents the kitchen as it bakes. Grandma might have made her cobbler just with peaches but we love the filling with berries, too.

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Cheddar-Topped Shepherd's Pie

Cheddar-Topped Shepherds Pie — Brie Goldman

Don't tell her we added cheddar to the recipe! A touch of cheese in the mashed potatoes makes for a most irresistible topping.

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Rice Pudding With Sea Salt-Caramel Sauce

rice pudding with sea-salt caramel sauce and berries — Con Poulos

The key to this soft and creamy rice pudding is using arborio rice, which releases its starches as it cooks low and slow with milk, vanilla extract, granulated sugar, and cinnamon. One step that grandma probably didn't include? Folding whipped cream into the cooked pudding, which adds a lovely lightness.

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Lasagna With Meat Sauce

Lasagna with Meat Sauce — Brie Goldman

Everyone always looked forward to grandma's lasagna. This recipe uses ground beef and sweet Italian sausage, plus no-boil noodles, which saves prep time.

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Martha's Banana Cream Pie

Bryan Gardner

This dreamy dessert is packed with old-fashioned flavors. Our recipe is a classic, with a graham cracker crust, sweet custard, and plenty of homemade whipped cream.

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Tuna Casserole

Tuna Casserole — Rachel Marek

Buttery panko breadcrumbs bring crunch to this classic comfort food. Grandma says you should use elbow macaroni because it holds the sauce so well; good-quality canned tuna packed in oil is another must-have ingredient, and that's simply because it tastes better than other alternatives.

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Test Kitchen's Favorite Chicken Noodle Soup

chicken soup — Armando Rafael

This is a traditional take on a beloved soup—and one that grandma would approve of. The recipe starts with a whole chicken, which gives you a mix of light and dark meat and is cheaper than buying pre-cut chicken pieces.

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Chicken Tetrazzini

Chicken Tetrazzini — David Loftus

A cozy, comforting chicken casserole, this easy recipe calls for shredded rotisserie chicken and linguine. The result is an easy, family-friendly dinner.

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Butterscotch Pudding

John Kernick

Dark brown sugar and pure vanilla extract bring rich, caramelized flavor to this timeless dessert recipe.

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Old-Fashioned Peanut Brittle

close up of peanut brittle overhead — Ellie Miller

This nut brittle is sweet, salty and just the thing to pull out for an afternoon snack or after-dinner treat.

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Green Bean Casserole

Our genius upgrade on green bean casserole skips the canned soup mix for a creamy mushroom sauce with fresh button mushrooms, chicken broth, and whole milk. A sprinkle of crispy fried shallots on top takes the dish to the next level.

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Pot Roast

Rob Tannenbaum

Chuck roast is braised with turnips, new potatoes, and carrots until it's rich, tender, and succulent. It's the ultimate Sunday dinner.

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Chicken Marsala

Bryan Gardner

Just like nonna made! This classic chicken recipe is defined by its signature sauce made with cremini mushrooms, Marsala wine, garlic, and lemon juice.

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Fried Chicken

Did your grandma use a buttermilk brine on her fried chicken? This one includes dry mustard powder and ground paprika, which keeps the chicken super moist and adds so much flavor to this classic recipe. It's best enjoyed hot while it's still super crispy.

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Classic Meatloaf

classic meat loaf — Christopher Baker

Made with equal parts ground beef, veal, and pork, plus breadcrumbs for texture and Dijon mustard and Worcestershire sauce for flavor, this is truly a classic.

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Pineapple Upside-Down Cake

Good Old-Fashioned Double Upside-Down Cake — Bryan Gardner

An old-fashioned dessert with timeless appeal, this version is made in a nonstick skillet, which creates an easy release for a picture-perfect finish every time.

21 of 34

Monkey Bread

Another much-loved and much-requested recipe, this version of monkey bread uses a classic yeast dough and a combination of melted butter, light brown sugar, and cinnamon to create the beloved sticky, sweet, and subtly spiced flavor that makes this coffee-time treat so irresistible.

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Easy Creamed Spinach

easy creamed spinach — Diana Chistruga

A combination of milk and cream cheese make this simple vegetable side dish super indulgent.

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Swedish Meatballs

Swedish meatballs

A combination of ground beef and pork makes for flavorful meatballs, but the real star of the show is the cream sauce. Don't skip the fruit jelly on the side.

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Split Pea Soup With Ham

Split-Pea Soup with Ham — David Loftus

Skip the canned variety for this old-fashioned soup with green split peas, glazed ham, and chicken broth. A tablespoon of lemon gives this deeply savory soup a hint of sunshine.

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Stuffed Artichokes

Grandma didn't shy away from prickly artichokes, and neither do we. This is a classic preparation for artichokes and can be served as a starter or a side.

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Cream of Broccoli Soup

Cream of Broccoli Soup — Rachel Marek

We're sure this recipe would be grandma-approved. It requires six ingredients: unsalted butter, yellow onion, all-purpose flour, chicken broth, broccoli florets, and heavy cream. The end result is a smooth, delicious, and totally comforting soup.

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Sautéed Greens

If you grew up enjoying grandma's southern cooking, this recipe for sauteed greens will appeal. You can use Swiss chard, collards, beet greens, or mustard greens.

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Scalloped Potatoes

scalloped potatoes

With its crispy-crunchy top and cheesy sauce, this potato side dish is a must for Sunday dinner and every holiday.

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Turkey-Mushroom Bolognese

turkey and mushroom bolognese — Chris Simpson

Grandma made meat sauce every week. We like to think she'd love this flavor-packed version made with ground turkey and mushrooms just as much as her own.

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Stuffed Cabbage With Beef and Rice

Stuffed Cabbage with Beef and Rice — Marcus Nilsson

One of Martha's favorite recipes, this stuffed cabbage recipe has a hearty filling of crushed tomatoes, long-grain white rice, and ground beef chuck.

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Chicken Cacciatore

Quentin Bacon

Using a whole chicken is a time-honored, economical, and efficient way to get both light and dark meat for this Italian-inspired recipe that also calls for cremini mushrooms, onion, bell peppers, and plenty of garlic and crushed tomatoes.

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Stuffed Peppers

Stuffed Peppers

Chicken sausage, diced tomatoes, and couscous might not be how grandma made them, but we think she'd approve of this filling, which is light, nutritious, and flavorful. It's stuffed into hollowed red bell peppers and topped with shredded Monterey Jack cheese.

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Honey Glazed Ham

Anna Williams

Everyone loves honey-baked ham on Easter or Christmas. To make the sweet and sharp glaze, mix together honey, Dijon mustard, brown sugar, and ground cloves.

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Seared Lamb Loin Chops

Seared Lamb Loin Chops — Bryan Gardner

This lean cut of lamb is just as spectacular on a holiday as it is for a weeknight dinner. Grandma served it both ways and we will, too.

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