Food & Cooking 36 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. By Kelly Vaughan Kelly Vaughan Kelly is a former associate digital food editor for MarthaStewart.com. Editorial Guidelines and Lynn Andriani Lynn Andriani Lynn is a freelance writer for MarthaStewart.com. Editorial Guidelines Updated on April 16, 2024 Close Photo: 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. 23 Quick Comfort Food Recipes That Make Delicious Dinners 01 of 36 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. View Recipe 02 of 36 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. View Recipe 03 of 36 The Best Banana Bread Grant Webster Of course, grandma baked the best banana bread—she probably used Martha's recipe. View Recipe 04 of 36 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. View Recipe 05 of 36 Pancetta-Wrapped Pork Roast EARL CARTER Grandma knew that the secret to keeping pork moist and flavorful is wrapping it in pancetta or bacon. And now you know, too. View Recipe 06 of 36 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. View Recipe 07 of 36 Cheddar-Topped Shepherd's Pie Don't tell her we added cheddar to the recipe! A touch of cheese in the mashed potatoes makes for a most irresistible topping. View Recipe 08 of 36 Rice Pudding With Sea Salt-Caramel Sauce 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. View Recipe 09 of 36 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. View Recipe 10 of 36 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. View Recipe 11 of 36 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. View Recipe 12 of 36 Test Kitchen's Favorite Chicken Noodle 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. View Recipe 13 of 36 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. View Recipe 14 of 36 Butterscotch Pudding John Kernick Dark brown sugar and pure vanilla extract bring rich, caramelized flavor to this timeless dessert recipe. View Recipe 15 of 36 Old-Fashioned Peanut Brittle Ellie Miller This nut brittle is sweet, salty and just the thing to pull out for an afternoon snack or after-dinner treat. View Recipe 16 of 36 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. View Recipe 17 of 36 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. View Recipe 18 of 36 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. View Recipe 19 of 36 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. View Recipe 20 of 36 Classic Meatloaf 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. View Recipe 21 of 36 Pineapple 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. View Recipe 22 of 36 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. View Recipe 23 of 36 Easy Creamed Spinach Diana Chistruga A combination of milk and cream cheese make this simple vegetable side dish super indulgent. View Recipe 24 of 36 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. View Recipe 25 of 36 Pea Soup 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. View Recipe 26 of 36 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. View Recipe 27 of 36 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. View Recipe 28 of 36 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. View Recipe 29 of 36 Scalloped Potatoes With its crispy-crunchy top and cheesy sauce, this potato side dish is a must for Sunday dinner and every holiday. View Recipe 30 of 36 Turkey-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. View Recipe 31 of 36 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. View Recipe 32 of 36 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. View Recipe 33 of 36 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. View Recipe 34 of 36 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. View Recipe 35 of 36 Corn-Kernel Cornbread Combining cornmeal and frozen corn kernels makes this cornbread extra homey. It's baked in an ovenproof skillet and is an easy, family-friendly dish. View Recipe 36 of 36 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. View Recipe Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit