Some dishes were once regulars on the dinner table but have slowly faded from memory. These 23 forgotten recipes bring back the flavors that shaped home cooking across generations. They’re practical, comforting, and proof that simple meals still deserve a spot in today’s kitchen. If you’ve been missing the food that made dinner feel special, now’s the time to bring it back.
Mushroom Leek Kugel
Mushroom Leek Kugel was more than just a side—it was a tradition passed down through generations. With tender noodles, earthy mushrooms, and a rich sauce, this dish was made without recipes because it was already memorized. It was the kind of food that showed up at family gatherings and holiday tables year after year. This is one of those casseroles that deserves a second chance at the dinner table.
Get the Recipe: Mushroom Leek Kugel
Vegetarian Cabbage Rolls
Vegetarian Cabbage Rolls were a staple in many kitchens, slowly simmering on the stove for hours until they were just right. Stuffed with rice and vegetables and wrapped in a rich tomato sauce, they were a way to make something filling without needing fancy ingredients. It was a meal that could stretch to feed a crowd, something every Boomer generation household knew well. This is the kind of casserole that made dinner feel like an occasion.
Get the Recipe: Vegetarian Cabbage Rolls
One-Pot Buttermilk Chicken and Potatoes Casserole
One-Pot Buttermilk Chicken and Potatoes Casserole brings back a dinner style that once ruled the table. The simple pairing of seasoned chicken and hearty potatoes was a constant in busy households looking for comfort and ease. This version brings back that dependable one-dish dinner with the tang of buttermilk and golden, crispy edges. Meals like this remind us why some recipes never needed a fancy name to stick around.
Get the Recipe: One-Pot Buttermilk Chicken and Potatoes Casserole
Cheesy Cabbage Casserole
Cheesy Cabbage Casserole was once a common sight at Sunday dinners, thanks to its use of humble ingredients like cabbage, shredded cheese, and cracker crumbs. Dishes like this carried warmth and simplicity, using what was on hand to create something that stuck in people’s memories. As newer trends took over, recipes like this were quietly forgotten. Reviving it brings back a piece of American cooking history.
Get the Recipe: Cheesy Cabbage Casserole
Chicken Pot Pie
Chicken Pot Pie was once the heart of a weeknight dinner, with its flaky crust and creamy filling standing in for several side dishes all at once. It was more than just comfort food—it was a smart, hearty way to feed everyone without extra pots and pans. Over time, its place at the table was lost to frozen alternatives and quick meals. Revisiting this dish is a reminder of the flavors that defined classic home cooking.
Get the Recipe: Chicken Pot Pie
Grasshopper Pie
Grasshopper Pie was the showstopper dessert at many gatherings during the '60s and '70s. Its vibrant green hue, mint flavor, and cookie crust made it instantly recognizable and hard to forget. Though flashy in its time, it quietly faded out of style in favor of newer, trendier sweets. Bringing it back is a fun way to celebrate the colorful desserts of the past.
Get the Recipe: Grasshopper Pie
Chicken Divan
Chicken Divan was one of those dishes you could expect to find in every mid-century American kitchen. It combined pantry basics—chicken, broccoli, and creamy sauce—into a baked dish that felt just fancy enough for company. Over time, it slipped through the cracks of evolving food trends. Making it today is a way to revisit a dish that made its mark on mid-century American cooking.
Get the Recipe: Chicken Divan
Sloppy Joes
Sloppy Joes used to be a dinner bell favorite, scooped onto buns with a mess of flavorful beef. With just a few ingredients and hardly any prep, it became a school-night go-to across the country. But in recent years, it's been replaced by flashier sandwich trends. Bringing it back today is a way to enjoy a meal that has stood the test of time.
Get the Recipe: Sloppy Joes
Slow Cooker Cincinnati Chili
Slow Cooker Cincinnati Chili takes us back to when regional dishes had a real presence in American homes. Known for its bold spices and surprising pairings like spaghetti, this chili brought personality to the table. Despite its unique charm, it’s one of many local staples that fell out of everyday menus. Cooking it again is a great way to revisit a forgotten American classic.
Get the Recipe: Slow Cooker Cincinnati Chili
Cornbread Stuffing
Cornbread Stuffing brought people together around the holiday table with its soft texture, savory herbs, and bits of vegetables and bacon. Once a must-have at big family meals, it gradually became overshadowed by boxed stuffing mixes. Recipes like this represent the kind of food you didn’t need to dress up to enjoy. Keeping it in rotation means holding onto a piece of old-fashioned comfort food.
Get the Recipe: Cornbread Stuffing
Lamb Shepherd’s Pie
Lamb Shepherd’s Pie was the answer to feeding a hungry family with simple ingredients and a whole lot of care. Ground lamb, mashed potatoes, and vegetables layered together in one dish made it reliable and hearty. It’s the type of meal that families used to prepare without needing a written recipe. If there’s one casserole that proves old-fashioned cooking was built on instinct, it’s this one.
Get the Recipe: Lamb Shepherd’s Pie
Crock-Pot Green Bean Casserole
Crock-Pot Green Bean Casserole was more than a holiday staple—it was a kitchen regular in many Boomer households. With canned soup, green beans, and fried onions, this classic was easy to put together and even easier to love. Even though it’s been brushed aside in favor of lighter veggie sides, it still holds a nostalgic place in food history. If grandma was cooking, this casserole was bound to make an appearance sooner or later.
Get the Recipe: Crock-Pot Green Bean Casserole
Tuna Noodle Casserole
Tuna Noodle Casserole blended pasta, canned fish, and a creamy base into a practical dish that made sense for tight budgets and busy nights. Once a go-to comfort food, it slowly fell out of favor due to its processed roots. Today’s version leans into those same comforting memories, just with a cleaner update. Some classics just need a refresh to stay relevant.
Get the Recipe: Tuna Noodle Casserole
Crock-Pot Sweet Potato Casserole
Crock-Pot Sweet Potato Casserole brings back the kind of slow-cooked side dish that filled homes with comfort during the holidays. With sweet potatoes, brown sugar, and sometimes marshmallows, it was a seasonal treat that never needed improvement. Over time, modern side dishes pushed it off the menu. If grandma was making this, you knew it was going to be a meal worth waiting for.
Get the Recipe: Crock-Pot Sweet Potato Casserole
Grandma’s Cornbread
Grandma’s Cornbread was simple, crumbly, and served with everything from soups to fried chicken. It didn’t need toppings or frills—it was made to stand on its own with a buttery, golden crust. As mixes and bakery loaves became common, the habit of baking it from scratch started to fade. Reviving it brings back a simple, comforting side dish that never should have disappeared.
Get the Recipe: Grandma’s Cornbread
Best Easy and Creamy Squash Casserole
Best Easy and Creamy Squash Casserole was once the dish that every home cook could make without measuring. Its creamy texture and baked topping were classic signs of 1970s-style casseroles. As newer side dishes gained attention, this one quietly fell out of regular use. If there’s one dish that proves vintage recipes had staying power, this is it.
Get the Recipe: Best Easy and Creamy Squash Casserole
Old-Fashioned Lattice Top Apple Pie
Old-Fashioned Lattice Top Apple Pie represented the gold standard of homemade desserts in the ‘70s. With its flaky crust, spiced apples, and iconic woven top, it was a fixture of weekend baking. Though apple pie never disappeared, this handmade version is less common today. Baking it today is a way to reconnect with the flavors that made homemade desserts a staple of the decade.
Get the Recipe: Old-Fashioned Lattice Top Apple Pie
School Cafeteria Mac and Cheese
School Cafeteria Mac and Cheese was creamy, baked, and came with that unforgettable golden crust. Before boxed versions and gourmet reinventions, this was the kind that showed up on lunch trays and dinner tables alike. It didn’t rely on fancy ingredients—just comfort in every bite. A bite of this brings back memories of school lunches and the comfort food that shaped American meals.
Get the Recipe: School Cafeteria Mac and Cheese
Lime Jello Salad
Lime Jello Salad was the centerpiece of many potlucks and church gatherings in the ‘60s and ‘70s. Its eye-catching color and quirky combination of fruit, gelatin, and creamy toppings made it stand out in any spread. Over time, its playful nature became a novelty rather than a norm. Making it today is a way to embrace the quirky side of classic American cooking.
Get the Recipe: Lime Jello Salad
Salisbury Steak in the Slow Cooker
Salisbury Steak in the Slow Cooker takes us back to when TV dinners were just starting to gain popularity. This dish was often the main event, paired with mashed potatoes and that signature brown gravy. Over time, its presence faded as convenience foods replaced real cooking. Bringing it back today is a way to appreciate a dish that was once a weeknight favorite across the country.
Get the Recipe: Salisbury Steak in the Slow Cooker
Chicken on the Ritz Casserole
Chicken on the Ritz Casserole was the comfort meal of countless weeknights, known for its crispy cracker topping and creamy chicken base. Everyone had their own version, passed from one family cook to the next. It required almost no prep, which made it a practical favorite. If there was ever a casserole that deserved to be remembered, it’s this one.
Get the Recipe: Chicken on the Ritz Casserole
Cracker Barrel Meatloaf
Cracker Barrel Meatloaf brings back a style of meatloaf that once ruled Sunday dinners and classic diners. With its rich glaze and tender texture, it was the kind of meal people looked forward to all week. In the age of fast food and takeout, this kind of slow-baked recipe faded into the background. Bringing it back means reclaiming a dish that has fed generations.
Get the Recipe: Cracker Barrel Meatloaf
Crock-Pot Chicken and Dumplings
Crock-Pot Chicken and Dumplings reminds us of a time when dinner was slow, rich, and full of care. It had all the parts of a good meal—tender chicken, broth thickened with flavor, and soft dumplings to soak it all in. Though it was once made weekly in many homes, it’s since become rare outside of the South. Keeping this recipe around means keeping a bit of American food history alive.
Get the Recipe: Crock-Pot Chicken and Dumplings
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