16 Vintage Recipes Just Like Grandma Used to Make (2024)

Table of Contents

Quick King Ranch Chicken Casserole Pear-Pecan Cheese Ball Macaroni Salad with Creamy Avocado Dressing Classic Zucchini Casserole Classic Deviled Eggs Slow-Cooker Green Bean Casserole with Crispy Onions Chocolate-Fudge Pudding Cake Old-Fashioned Meatloaf Sloppy Joe Casserole Chicken Salad-Stuffed Avocados Everything Bagel Cheese Ball Southern Macaroni Salad Chicken & Broccoli Casserole Spinach & Tuna Noodle Casserole Lemon Icebox Pie with Coconut-Graham Cracker Crust Chicken Tetrazzini References

Go back in time with these vintage recipes featuring classics your grandma grew up with. Whether you're looking for an easy appetizer, main dish or dessert, we take a vintage recipe and put a fun, modern twist on it like stuffing chicken salad in avocados or making an everything bagel flavored cheese ball. Recipes like Macaroni Salad with Creamy Avocado Dressing and Lemon Icebox Pie with Coconut Graham Cracker Crust are delicious, filling and the perfect nostalgic bite.

01of 16

Quick King Ranch Chicken Casserole

View Recipe

16 Vintage Recipes Just Like Grandma Used to Make (1)

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.

02of 16

Pear-Pecan Cheese Ball

View Recipe

16 Vintage Recipes Just Like Grandma Used to Make (2)

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.

03of 16

Macaroni Salad with Creamy Avocado Dressing

View Recipe

16 Vintage Recipes Just Like Grandma Used to Make (3)

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.

04of 16

Classic Zucchini Casserole

View Recipe

16 Vintage Recipes Just Like Grandma Used to Make (4)

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.

05of 16

Classic Deviled Eggs

View Recipe

16 Vintage Recipes Just Like Grandma Used to Make (5)

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.

06of 16

Slow-Cooker Green Bean Casserole with Crispy Onions

View Recipe

16 Vintage Recipes Just Like Grandma Used to Make (6)

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.

07of 16

Chocolate-Fudge Pudding Cake

View Recipe

16 Vintage Recipes Just Like Grandma Used to Make (7)

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.

08of 16

Old-Fashioned Meatloaf

View Recipe

16 Vintage Recipes Just Like Grandma Used to Make (8)

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.

09of 16

Sloppy Joe Casserole

View Recipe

16 Vintage Recipes Just Like Grandma Used to Make (9)

Like sloppy Joes? Then you'll love this sloppy Joe casserole recipe. This kid-friendly dinner has the classic sloppy Joe flavors kids love, while parents will like all the veggies that are packed in to make it a healthy meal.

10of 16

Chicken Salad-Stuffed Avocados

View Recipe

16 Vintage Recipes Just Like Grandma Used to Make (10)

Looking for an easy, packable lunch for work? This healthy homemade chicken salad served inside an avocado instead of with bread is just the ticket. Plus, this recipe makes enough for ready-made lunches for the week!

11of 16

Everything Bagel Cheese Ball

View Recipe

16 Vintage Recipes Just Like Grandma Used to Make (11)

This is not your grandma's cheese ball. It has all the flavor of an everything bagel without all the carbs and with just 3 ingredients! Want to emphasize the bagel taste? Serve it with bagel chips and some raw veggies for dipping to keep things healthy.

12of 16

Southern Macaroni Salad

View Recipe

16 Vintage Recipes Just Like Grandma Used to Make (12)

Bring this quintessential Southern macaroni salad, made with whole-wheat macaroni, celery, peas and ham, to your next picnic or barbecue. It's the perfect salad to feed a crowd!

13of 16

Chicken & Broccoli Casserole

View Recipe

16 Vintage Recipes Just Like Grandma Used to Make (13)

This one-pan chicken-and-broccoli recipe comes out of the oven all browned, cheesy and bubbling like a casserole, but is really prepared more like a skillet meal on the stovetop. Serve with a crunchy green salad.

14of 16

Spinach & Tuna Noodle Casserole

View Recipe

16 Vintage Recipes Just Like Grandma Used to Make (14)

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.

15of 16

Lemon Icebox Pie with Coconut-Graham Cracker Crust

View Recipe

16 Vintage Recipes Just Like Grandma Used to Make (15)

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.

16of 16

Chicken Tetrazzini

View Recipe

16 Vintage Recipes Just Like Grandma Used to Make (16)

This retro dish will please kids and adults alike.