19 Forgotten Recipes Grandparents Used to Make on Repeat

Forgotten recipes tend to stick around for a reason, even when they quietly disappear from modern dinner rotations. These 19 dishes are the kind grandparents leaned on again and again because they were reliable, filling, and made from familiar ingredients. Each recipe reflects a time when meals were planned around what worked, not what was trending. Bringing them back feels less like nostalgia and more like rediscovering what made dinner dependable.

A bowl of macaroni salad with elbow pasta, diced red bell peppers, celery, and a creamy dressing. A spoon is lifting a portion from the bowl. Slices of pickles are visible in the background. — Amish Macaroni Salad. Photo credit: Upstate Ramblings.

Slow Cooker Osso Buco

A plate of cooked lamb chops sits on a bed of sliced, cooked carrots. The dish is garnished with chopped green onions. Utensils, a wooden spoon with spices, and a small bowl of more green onions are nearby on a burlap cloth surface. — Slow Cooker Osso Buco. Photo credit: Thermocookery.

Slow Cooker Osso Buco is a long-simmered dinner built around tender meat and deeply developed flavor. It takes about 8 hours using veal shanks, vegetables, broth, and herbs. The taste is rich, savory, and comforting without being complicated. This dish reflects the kind of meal that rewarded patience and fed a family well.
Get the Recipe: Slow Cooker Osso Buco

Slow Cooker Beef Bourguignon

A ladle of beef stew with carrots, potatoes, and parsley in a rich brown sauce. — Slow Cooker Beef Bourguignon. Photo credit: Thermocookery.

Slow Cooker Beef Bourguignon is a classic stew-style dinner that cooks slowly into something deeply satisfying. It takes around 8 hours using beef, mushrooms, vegetables, and wine. The flavor is savory, rich, and balanced with soft textures throughout. This is the type of dependable meal that once anchored many family tables.
Get the Recipe: Slow Cooker Beef Bourguignon

Slow Cooker Neiman Marcus Chicken

Plate of creamy chicken casserole topped with sliced almonds and green onions, served with crackers. — Slow Cooker Neiman Marcus Chicken. Photo credit: Thermocookery.

Slow Cooker Neiman Marcus Chicken is a creamy, familiar dinner that relies on simple ingredients and time. It takes about 6 hours using chicken, cream-based components, and seasoning. The taste is rich, savory, and mild. This dish reflects a period when comfort meals were meant to be easy and filling.
Get the Recipe: Slow Cooker Neiman Marcus Chicken

Slow Cooker Turkey Pot Pie

A spoonful of creamy chicken and stuffing casserole garnished with herbs. — Slow Cooker Turkey Pot Pie. Photo credit: Thermocookery.

Slow Cooker Turkey Pot Pie is a hearty dinner with tender turkey and vegetables in a thick, savory base. It takes around 6 hours using turkey, vegetables, and broth. The flavor is familiar, savory, and comforting. This kind of meal was often used to stretch leftovers into something satisfying.
Get the Recipe: Slow Cooker Turkey Pot Pie

Slow Cooker Cranberry Chicken

Plate of glazed chicken with cranberries, green beans, and stuffing on a red and white checkered cloth. — Slow Cooker Cranberry Chicken. Photo credit: Thermocookery.

Slow Cooker Cranberry Chicken is a sweet-savory dinner that cooks gently over the day. It takes about 6 hours using chicken, cranberry sauce, and pantry seasonings. The taste balances mild sweetness with savory depth. This dish reflects how simple ingredients were once used creatively and often.
Get the Recipe: Slow Cooker Cranberry Chicken

Slow Cooker Cranberry Short Ribs

Braised meat with gravy, fresh cranberries, and herbs served over mashed potatoes on a white plate. — Slow Cooker Cranberry Short Ribs. Photo credit: Thermocookery.

Slow Cooker Cranberry Short Ribs is a slow-cooked dinner that turns tough cuts into tender, flavorful meat. It takes about 8 hours using beef short ribs, cranberries, and seasoning. The flavor is rich, savory, and lightly tangy. This is the kind of recipe families returned to because it always worked.
Get the Recipe: Slow Cooker Cranberry Short Ribs

Slow Cooker Chicken Spaghetti

A plate of creamy spaghetti with shredded chicken, topped with chopped parsley and black pepper. — Slow Cooker Chicken Spaghetti. Photo credit: Thermocookery.

Slow Cooker Chicken Spaghetti is a creamy, filling dinner that stretches protein and pasta together. It takes around 6 hours using chicken, pasta, cheese, and sauce. The taste is savory and comforting with a soft texture. This dish reflects how casseroles and slow cooker meals once ruled busy kitchens.
Get the Recipe: Slow Cooker Chicken Spaghetti

Vintage Tuna Rice Casserole (No Canned Soup!)

A baked casserole topped with melted cheese and herbs, with rice and green peas visible inside. — Vintage Tuna Rice Casserole (No Canned Soup!). Photo credit: Thermocookery.

Vintage Tuna Rice Casserole is a baked dinner built around pantry staples and simple preparation. It takes about 45 minutes using tuna, rice, milk, and seasoning. The flavor is mild, savory, and familiar. This recipe shows how earlier meals focused on practicality without sacrificing comfort.
Get the Recipe: Vintage Tuna Rice Casserole (No Canned Soup!)

Chicken and Rice Casserole with Minute Rice

A plate of cheesy vegetable casserole with broccoli, peas, and cauliflower, with a fork lifting a bite. — Chicken and Rice Casserole with Minute Rice. Photo credit: Thermocookery.

Chicken and Rice Casserole with Minute Rice is a straightforward baked dinner that comes together quickly. It takes about 50 minutes using chicken, rice, broth, and seasoning. The taste is savory and filling with soft, comforting texture. This dish reflects an era when convenience meant fewer steps, not shortcuts.
Get the Recipe: Chicken and Rice Casserole with Minute Rice

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Sweet Potato Casserole With Marshmallows and Pecans

Baked sweet potato casserole topped with toasted marshmallows in a round dish, partially eaten, with a metal serving spoon visible. — Sweet Potato Casserole With Marshmallows and Pecans. Photo credit: Thermocookery.

Sweet Potato Casserole With Marshmallows and Pecans is a baked side that often doubled as a main attraction. It takes around 45 minutes using sweet potatoes, marshmallows, pecans, and butter. The flavor is sweet, nutty, and rich. This dish was repeated often because it pleased everyone at the table.
Get the Recipe: Sweet Potato Casserole With Marshmallows and Pecans

Mushroom Leek Pasta Bake

A white dish filled with creamy pasta topped with mushrooms and herbs is placed on a blue and white striped cloth. — Mushroom Leek Pasta Bake. Photo credit: Thermocookery.

Mushroom Leek Pasta Bake is a baked dinner built around vegetables and a creamy sauce. It takes about 50 minutes using pasta, mushrooms, leeks, and cream. The taste is savory, earthy, and comforting. This type of dish reflects how meatless meals were once common without being labeled.
Get the Recipe: Mushroom Leek Pasta Bake

Authentic Rice and Lentils

A white dish filled with cooked lentils and rice, topped with chopped cilantro and caramelized onions. A wooden spoon rests on a patterned napkin next to the dish. — Authentic Rice and Lentils. Photo credit: Thermocookery.

Authentic Rice and Lentils is a simple, filling dinner made from humble ingredients. It takes about 40 minutes using lentils, rice, onions, and spices. The flavor is savory, earthy, and deeply satisfying. This meal shows how repetition often came from reliability, not boredom.
Get the Recipe: Authentic Rice and Lentils

My Grandmother's Recipe for Carrot Casserole

A delightful slice of carrot cake with a dollop of whipped cream graces a decorative black and white plate. A fork rests invitingly on the cake while a white and blue cup peeks from the background, almost like the perfect ending to a recipe for an unforgettable carrot casserole. — My Grandmother's Recipe for Carrot Casserole. Photo credit: Thermocookery.

My Grandmother’s Recipe for Carrot Casserole is a baked dish with soft texture and lightly sweet flavor. It takes around 45 minutes using carrots, eggs, butter, and sugar. The taste is gentle, familiar, and comforting. This recipe reflects how family favorites were passed down through repetition.
Get the Recipe: My Grandmother's Recipe for Carrot Casserole

Easy Three Bean Salad

A glass bowl filled with a Three Bean Salad including kidney beans, chickpeas, green beans, and sliced red onion, with a wooden spoon and a striped cloth nearby. — Easy Three Bean Salad. Photo credit: The Bite Stuff.

Easy Three Bean Salad is a cold, make-ahead dish that often appeared alongside family dinners. It takes about 15 minutes using beans, vinegar, sugar, and oil. The flavor is tangy, lightly sweet, and refreshing. This dish was repeated often because it lasted well and fed many.
Get the Recipe: Easy Three Bean Salad

Old Fashioned Chinese Chive Pocket Recipe (韭菜盒子)

A basket filled with Chinese chive pockets with chives, glass noodles and egg filling. — Old Fashioned Chinese Chive Pocket Recipe (韭菜盒子). Photo credit: Sassy Chopsticks.

Old Fashioned Chinese Chive Pocket Recipe is a pan-cooked dish filled with chives and savory filling. It takes about 60 minutes using dough, chives, eggs, and seasoning. The taste is savory, aromatic, and satisfying. This recipe reflects how traditional foods were cooked regularly, not saved for occasions.
Get the Recipe: Old Fashioned Chinese Chive Pocket Recipe (韭菜盒子)

Amish Macaroni Salad

Amish Macaroni Salad is a creamy cold salad often served at family gatherings and weeknight meals. It takes about 30 minutes using macaroni, eggs, dressing, and vegetables. The flavor is mildly sweet and creamy. This dish stayed in rotation because it was reliable and easy to prepare ahead.
Get the Recipe: Amish Macaroni Salad

Roasted Cauliflower Bake in Green Herb Sauce

A baked dish with roasted cauliflower florets covered in a green herb sauce is displayed in a white ceramic baking dish. A sprig of fresh parsley garnishes the top. A small bowl of olive oil and a few scallions are placed beside the dish. — Roasted Cauliflower Bake in Green Herb Sauce. Photo credit: Thermocookery.

Roasted Cauliflower Bake in Green Herb Sauce is a vegetable-forward dish baked until tender. It takes about 45 minutes using cauliflower, herbs, oil, and seasoning. The flavor is savory, fresh, and balanced. This reflects how vegetables were often baked simply and served often.
Get the Recipe: Roasted Cauliflower Bake in Green Herb Sauce

Summery Caponata

A bowl of Caponata with diced eggplant, red bell peppers, tomatoes, onions, and a basil garnish. A blue and white striped cloth is beside the bowl. — Summery Caponata. Photo credit: The Bite Stuff.

Summery Caponata is a vegetable-based dish built around eggplant and tomato. It takes about 40 minutes using eggplant, tomatoes, vinegar, and olive oil. The taste is savory with a slight tang. This kind of dish was repeated because it worked hot or cold and stretched ingredients well.
Get the Recipe: Summery Caponata

Pea Salad

Pea Salad is a cold, creamy side that often appeared at family meals. It takes about 15 minutes using peas, dressing, cheese, and simple seasonings. The flavor is mildly sweet and savory. This dish reflects how repetition came from convenience and familiarity.
Get the Recipe: Pea Salad