Food & Cooking 33 Old-Fashioned Recipes Just Like Grandma Used to Make By Kelly Vaughan Kelly Vaughan Kelly is a former associate digital food editor for MarthaStewart.com. Editorial Guidelines Updated on March 9, 2023 Share Tweet Pin Email Trending Videos 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 like tuna casserole, chicken and dumplings, and breaded pork chops. And of course, Grandma always had something sweet waiting for you when you visited, whether it was butterscotch pudding or pineapple upside-down cake. Her food felt like a warm hug—and these old-time recipes capture that cozy, nostalgic feeling. 01 of 33 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 33 Chicken and Dumplings Romulo Yanes A true comfort dinner, fluffy drop dumplings finish this 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 33 The Best Banana Bread Of course Grandma baked the best banana bread. She probably used Martha's recipe. View Recipe 04 of 33 Tuna Casserole Con Poulos 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 05 of 33 Peach-Blueberry Cobbler It's 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 06 of 33 Classic Meatloaf Christopher Baker Made with equal parts of ground beef, veal, and pork, plus breadcrumbs for texture and Dijon mustard and Worcestershire sauce for flavor, this is truly a classic. View Recipe 07 of 33 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 that will remind you of Grandma. View Recipe 08 of 33 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 09 of 33 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 10 of 33 Lasagna with Meat Sauce Justin Walker 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 11 of 33 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 12 of 33 Butterscotch Pudding John Kernick Dark brown sugar and pure vanilla extract bring rich, caramelized flavor to this timeless dessert recipe. View Recipe 13 of 33 Green Bean Casserole It's a dish that's a must-have for holidays and family get together. 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 this dish to the next level. View Recipe 14 of 33 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 15 of 33 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 16 of 33 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 17 of 33 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 18 of 33 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 19 of 33 Easy Creamed Spinach Diana Chistruga A combination of milk and cream cheese make this simple vegetable side dish super indulgent. View Recipe 20 of 33 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 21 of 33 Honey Glazed Ham Anna Williams Everyone loves Grandma's 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 22 of 33 Cream of Broccoli Soup Romulo Yanes 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 classic soup. View Recipe 23 of 33 Scalloped Potatoes With its crispy-crunchy top and cheesy sauce, this potato side dish is must-make for Sunday dinner and every holiday. View Recipe 24 of 33 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 25 of 33 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 26 of 33 Stuffed Peppers Chicken sausage, diced tomatoes, and couscous might not be how Grandma made them but we think she'd approve of this filling that's light, nutritious, and flavorful. It's stuffed into hollowed red bell peppers and topped with shredded Monterey Jack cheese. View Recipe 27 of 33 Stuffed Artichokes This is a classic preparation for artichokes and can be served as a starter or a side. View Recipe 28 of 33 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 29 of 33 Quick Collard Greens José Manuel Picayo Rivera If you grew up enjoying Grandma's southern cooking, this recipe for collard greens will appeal. View Recipe 30 of 33 Corn-Kernel Cornbread Combining cornmeal and frozen corn kernels makes this cornbread extra homely. It's baked in an ovenproof skillet and is an easy, family-friendly dish. View Recipe 31 of 33 Breaded Pork Chops with Thyme Raise your hand if you grew up eating pork chops! We made Grandma's classic recipe even more flavorful by brining the pork chops in a mixture of water, sugar, salt, peppercorns, and orange zest before breading and frying. View Recipe 32 of 33 Easy Creamy Rice Pudding The key to 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 ingredient that Grandma probably didn't use? A 1/4 cup of Champagne. View Recipe 33 of 33 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