Do you have any signature recipes that your entire family loves? As anyone who spends a lot of time in the kitchen knows, cooking is a family affair. Coming together to enjoy a meal with the family is an experience unlike any other, and much of food culture gets dictated by what stands the tests of time and what doesn’t. While we all have our own innovations in the kitchen, somehow it always seems like our grandparents are able to cook a little bit better than we can. Still, it’s never too late to learn from the masters. With that in mind, here are 10 old-fashioned recipes that your grandmother would approve of.
1. Amish Scrapple
Ingredients:
1 3/4 cups of chicken broth
1 3/4 cups of milk
1 cup of cornmeal
1 teaspoon of ground poultry seasoning
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1/4 teaspoon of black pepper
3 tablespoons of butter
Steps:
2. Get out a skillet and cook your sausage over medium-high heat, stirring throughout. Cook for five to seven minutes and drain the excess fat.
3. Add your broth and milk and bring everything up to a boil.
4. Stir in the rest of your ingredients as well except for the butter and cook everything until it thickens.
5. Turn the heat down low, cover it and cook everything for 10 more minutes. Stir occasionally throughout.
6. When it’s done, pour the sausage mix into a loaf pan and let it cool.
7. Refrigerate it for two hours.
8. After that, turn it out onto a cutting board and cut it into one-inch pieces.
9. Finally, melt your butter in the skillet and fry the slices for eight to 10 minutes per side.
10. As a bonus step, keep the fat drippings, add flour and milk and make a gravy to serve with the slices!
2. Salisbury Steak
Ingredients:
1 pound of ground beef
1/3 cup of dry bread crumbs
1/2 cup of chopped onions
1 beaten egg
2 teaspoons of chopped parsley
1 teaspoon of garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon of black pepper
1/4 cup of milk
1 1/2 cups of mushrooms, sliced
Steps:
2. When it’s well-mixed, press the mixture into small patties.
3. Spray down a skillet and bring it up to a medium-high heat, cooking the patties until they brown on each side.
4. Take them out of the skillet and drain the extra fat.
5. Next, mix the rest of your soup, milk and mushrooms in the same skillet.
6. Add the patties back in as well, turn the heat down, cover it and cook everything for 20 minutes. Turn the patties over occasionally to make sure they’re cooked through.
7. When they’re all done, add parsley and serve.
3. Potato Soup
Ingredients:
1/4 cup of butter
4 cups of diced potatoes
1 grated carrot
2 cups of water
1 teaspoon of salt
1/2 teaspoon of pepper
1 teaspoon of dried dillweed
3 cups of milk
2 tablespoons of chopped parsley
1/4 cup of potato flakes
Steps:
2. Add your potatoes, carrot, water, salt, pepper and dillweed as well.
3. Cook everything on low heat until the potatoes turn creamy (for about 45 minutes).
4. Stir in the milk and parsley and keep cooking until everything is heated through.
5. At the end, stir in your potato flakes and serve.
4. Corn Chowder
Ingredients:
1 onion, chopped
1 celery stalk, chopped
1 sweet red pepper, chopped
2 cans of cream-style corn
1 1/2 cups of chopped chicken, cooked
1 can of evaporated milk
1 teaspoon of chicken bouillon granules
1/2 teaspoon of pepper
8 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled
Steps:
2. Add your onion, celery and red pepper and cook everything for six to eight minutes until everything turns tender.
3. Stir in your corn, chicken, milk, bouillon and pepper and heat everything through. Stir occasionally and don’t bring it to a boil.
4. Top everything with crumbled bacon and serve.
5. Old Fashioned Biscuits
Ingredients:
3 teaspoons of baking powder
1 teaspoon of salt
1/3 cup of shortening
2/3 cup of milk
1 egg, beaten
Steps:
2. In a large bowl, whisk together your flour, baking powder and salt.
3. Cut in the shortening until the mixture turns the texture of coarse crumbs.
4. Add your milk and stir until everything is just moistened.
5. When it’s ready, turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead it eight to 10 times. Pat it down into a 10 by four inch rectangle.
6. Cut the rectangle in half and crossways to make 10 squares.
7. Put your squares one inch apart on a baking sheet, brushing the top of each one with butter.
8. Bake everything for eight to 10 minutes until they turn golden brown and serve.
6. Southern Johnny Cakes
Ingredients:
1/2 cup of self-rising flour
2 teaspoons of sugar
1/3 cup of buttermilk
1 egg
1/3 cup of water
2 tablespoons of melted fat or bacon grease
butter
Steps:
2. Gradually add in your buttermilk before mixing in the egg.
3. Add water and fat and stir everything up again. By the end, the texture should be like thick soup.
4. Get out a skillet or griddle and heat it to medium-high, greasing it up with butter.
5. Fry your batter in it in two-tablespoon dollops. Fry them until they bubble and flip over, cooking to your liking.
6. Dry them off on paper towels and serve.
7. Hot Milk Cake
Ingredients:
1 cup of milk
2 teaspoons of vanilla extract
4 eggs
2 cups of sugar
2 cups of flour
2 teaspoons of baking powder
1 teaspoon of salt
powdered sugar
Steps:
2. Melt your butter in a saucepan over low heat. Stir in milk and vanilla until small bubbles form around the edge of the pan.
3. In an electric mixer with a whisk attached, combine your eggs and sugar on medium-high for five minutes.
4. In a side bowl, sift together your flour, baking powder and salt.
5. When the eggs and sugar have tripled in volume, gradually add your hot milk mix, mixing on low.
6. Add your dry ingredients as well in two parts, mixing after each pour.
7. Pour the resulting batter into the Bundt pan and bake it for an hour, checking five minutes before the time is up. Be sure not to overcook!
8. Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes before turning it out to cool all the way. Dust with powdered sugar and serve.
8. Twice Baked Potato Casserole
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons of olive oil
1 tablespoon of salt
3/4 pound of bacon, cooked and crumbled
2 cups of shredded cheddar
3/4 cup of mayonnaise
3/4 cup of sour cream
5-6 green onions, sliced
salt
pepper
Steps:
2. Rub your potatoes with olive oil and salt before putting them on a baking sheet.
3. Bake them for 45 to 60 minutes, flipping them halfway through. They’re ready when they’re soft after being poked with a fork.
4. Cool them for 15 minutes before turning your oven down to 350.
5. Cut your potatoes into small chunks and put them in a bowl.
6. Stir in your mayonnaise and sour cream.
7. Set aside a third cup of cheese, three tablespoons of bacon and two tablespoons of sliced green onions. Once that’s done, stir the rest of your ingredients together.
8. Spoon everything into a greased baking dish and top it off with the ingredients you set aside.
9. Cover the dish with foil and bake it for 30 minutes, taking the foil off for the last 10 minutes.
10. Top it with green onions when it’s done and serve.
9. Depression Era Chocolate Cake
Ingredients:
2 cups of cane sugar
1 teaspoon of sea salt
6 tablespoons of cocoa powder
2 teaspoons of baking soda
1/2 teaspoon of ground ginger
12 tablespoons of coconut oil
2 teaspoons of vanilla extract
1 tablespoon of coffee
2 cups of room temperature water
2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar
Steps:
2. Combine your flour, sugar, salt, cocoa powder, baking soda and ginger in a mixing bowl, stirring everything up.
3. Add your melted coconut oil along with vanilla and lukewarm water, stirring everything up.
4. Add your coffee and apple cider vinegar, stirring it up to break up any lumps.
5. Pour the batter into the cake pans and bake them for 25 minutes.
6. Do the toothpick test when they’re done and enjoy! Add frosting as you wish.
10. Ham and Bean Soup
Ingredients:
4 cups of chicken stock
4 cups of water
1-2 pound ham hock or ham bone
1-2 pound ham shank
2 tablespoons of olive oil
2 tablespoons of butter
1 yellow onion, peeled and diced
5 carrots, peeled and sliced
2 stalks of celery, sliced
3 cloves of minced garlic
1 teaspoon of dried thyme
1 teaspoon of dry mustard
1-2 teaspoons of black pepper
1 teaspoon of salt
1/2 teaspoon of seasoned salt
1/2 teaspoon of smoked paprika
1/4 teaspoon of nutmeg
3 bay leaves
4-6 bacon strips
hot sauce (optional)
chopped parsley or cilantro (optional)
corn bread (optional)
Steps:
2. Add your carrots, onions and celery and cook until tender.
3. Add garlic and cook for another 30 seconds.
4. Add everything else except the beans and bring it all to a boil.
5. Turn the temperature down to low and simmer it for an hour, stirring throughout.
6. Add your beans as well and bring everything to a boil.
7. Next, bring it down to low again and simmer it for two hours, stirring occasionally.
8. Take the meat off the bones and get rid of the bones. Add the meat back to the stock pot.
9. When you’re ready to serve, take out the bacon strips and bay leaves and top with cilantro, parsley or hot sauce!
11. Sweet Potato Biscuits
Ingredients:
1/3 cup of shortening
1 can of drained sweet potatoes
3/4 cup of whole milk
1 tablespoon of baking powder
1 teaspoon of salt
Steps:
2. Cut in your shortening until the texture turns to thick, rough crumbs.
3. In another bowl, mash your sweet potatoes and milk together before adding the crumb mixture until it’s slightly incorporated.
4. Turn everything out onto a floured surface and knead it about eight to 10 times.
5. Next, roll the dough out to about a half-inch thickness and cut it round biscuit cutter.
6. Put the biscuits on ungreased baking sheets and bake them at 425 degrees for eight to 10 minutes.
7. Take them out when they’re golden brown and let them cool on wire racks. Enjoy!
12. Dutch Baby Pancakes
Ingredients:
1/3 cup of granulated sugar
4 tablespoons of unsalted butter
2 cups of fresh berries
1 1/4 teaspoons of ground cinnamon
2/3 tablespoon of whole milk
1/8 teaspoon of salt
Steps:
2. Mix together your sugar and a teaspoon of cinnamon in a bowl.
3. In another mixing bowl, beat your eggs for three to five minutes until they turn frothy and light.
4. Beat in your milk, flour, salt and the rest of the cinnamon as well to make a very thin batter.
5. Next, put a 10-inch oven-safe skillet over medium heat and melt your butter in it.
6. Take the skillet off the heat and pour in your batter before putting the whole thing in the oven for 20 minutes.
7. In the meantime, add some cinnamon sugar to the fresh berries and stir it all up in a side bowl.
8. Finally, take the pancake out when it’s done and sprinkle it with the rest of the cinnamon sugar. Add the berries on top and serve!
13. Apricot Chicken
Ingredients:
1/2 cup of sweetened, condensed milk
1/4 cup of melted butter
1 1/2 cups of plain breadcrumbs
1 cup of coconut flakes
1/4 cup of apricot preserves
1 tablespoon of honey
3 tablespoons of dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1/2 teaspoon of paprika
1/2 tablespoon of apple cider or white vinegar
Steps:
2. In a side bowl, mix your condensed milk with two tablespoons of dijon mustard.
3. In another bowl, mix your breadcrumbs, coconut flakes, salt and paprika together.
4. Dip your chicken tenders in the milk before dredging them through the breadcrumbs, rolling them until they’re coated.
5. Place the breaded strips on a prepared cooking sheet and drizzle them with butter.
6. Bake them uncovered for 20 minutes.
7. In the meantime, mix your apricot preserves, honey, vinegar and the last tablespoon of dijon in a side bowl.
8. When the tenders are done, flip them over and glaze them with the apricot mixture.
9. Bake the tenders for another 10 to 15 minutes and enjoy!
14. Popovers
Ingredients:
1 cup of flour
1 cup of milk
1 tablespoon of butter
1/2 teaspoon of salt
Ingredients:
2. Add in your flour and milk together, alternating each time, beginning and ending with the flour. Beat in between your additions.
3. Stir in butter and salt as well.
4. Next, heat up a greased muffin tin in an oven at 450 degrees for three minutes.
5. When it’s ready, scoop the batter into the muffin tins until each one is two-thirds full.
6. Bake the muffin tin at 425 degrees for 20 minutes.
7. After that, turn the heat down to 350 degrees, bake for another 20 minutes and serve!
15. Amish Bread
Ingredients:
1 package of active dry yeast
1/3 cup of white sugar
2 1/2 cups of warm water
1 1/4 teaspoons of salt
2 tablespoons of shortening
Steps:
2. Next, get out a pan on the stove over heat and add the other two cups of water along with the sugar, salt and shortening.
3. Heat it until it’s warm, the sugar is dissolved and the shortening is melted. Mix everything up with a spoon.
4. Add your dissolved yeast to the mixture.
5. Add the other three cups of flour gradually, mixing it up with a spoon until it comes together and can form a ball of dough.
6. Spread flour on a cutting board and knead the dough a few times.
7. Next, grease up a bowl and put the dough in it, turning it over once so that both sides get greased.
8. Leave it somewhere warm and let it rise for three hours.
9. When it rises, punch it down with your hand and cut the dough in half.
10. Grease up two bread pans and put the dough in the pans, letting it rise for another hour and a half.
11. Finally, bake the loaves in the oven at 350 degrees for 30 minutes and enjoy!
16. Classic Icebox Cake
Ingredients:
1 box of chocolate wafer cookies
2 tablespoons of sugar
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
Steps:
2. Next, begin building stacks to make the cake. To make it in cupcake form, put a cookie in the bottom of a cupcake liner and topping it with whipped cream.
3. Add another cookie and repeat, making two more layers and ending with a cookie on top. Repeat until you use all your ingredients.
4. If you’re making one big cake, line a loaf pan with plastic wrap and add a layer of cookies to the bottom.
5. Add whipped cream and repeat this layering process until there’s an inch of space left at the top.
6. Cover the cake with plastic wrap gently and let it chill in the fridge overnight.
7. When it’s cold enough, cut into it and serve!
17. Baked Alaska
Ingredients:
1/4 cup of white sugar (plus 6 tablespoons)
1/4 cup of softened butter
4 cups of vanilla ice cream
3 egg whites
1/4 teaspoon of salt
1 teaspoon of almond extract
Steps:
2. Mix together your graham cracker crumbs, sugar and butter in a bowl. Keep three tablespoons of the crumbs aside for topping later.
3. Press the rest of the crumbs down into a nine-inch pie plate.
4. Bake the pie at 375 degrees for 10 minutes before cooling and chilling it in the freezer.
5. Next, fill the pie shell with vanilla ice cream and put it back in the freezer.
6. After that, beat your egg whites until they turn frothy and add salt and almond extract.
7. Gradually add sugar as well and keep beating everything until it turns stiff and glossy.
8. Spread the meringue over the ice cream and sprinkle the leftover crumbs on top.
9. Finally, put the pie under the broiler at 500 degrees for two minutes and serve immediately.
18. Sour Cream Donuts
Ingredients:
2 1/4 cups of cake flour
1 1/2 teaspoons of baking powder
1 teaspoon of salt
1/2 teaspoon of ground nutmeg
1/2 cup of sugar
2 tablespoons of room temperature butter
2 egg yolks
1/2 cup of sour cream
canola oil
Glaze:
3 1/2 cups of sifted powdered sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons of corn syrup
1/4 teaspoon of salt
1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract
1/3 cup of hot water
Steps:
2. Using a stand mixer with a paddle, beat together your butter and sugar until it all turns sandy.
3. Add your egg yolks and mix it all up until it turns light and thick.
4. Add dry ingredients to your mixing bowl in three parts, ending with flour and alternating sour cream.
5. Mix until the dough is sticky before covering it in plastic and chilling it for an hour.
6. Next, roll the dough out on a floured surface until it’s about a half-inch thick.
7. Take out a doughnut cutter and cut shapes out of it until it’s all used up.
8. Pour about two inches of oil into a deep pot with a frying thermometer attached.
9. Heat the oil to 325 before frying the donuts on each side for about two minutes each.
10. When they’re all done, drain them on paper towels.
11. Next, make the glaze by mixing all the ingredients in a bowl with a whisk.
12. Dunk the donuts in the glaze gently on each side and put them on a wire rack to dry
13. Wait about 20 minutes and enjoy!
19. Southern Pimento Cheese
Ingredients:
4 ounces of cream cheese
4 ounces of pimento (with oil)
1/2 jalapeno pepper
1/2 cup of mayonnaise
1/4 teaspoon of onion powder
1/4 teaspoon of ground pepper
1 large, minced garlic clove
pinch of red pepper flakes
Steps:
2. Next, combine all your ingredients into a stand mixer with the paddle attached.
3. Mix everything together and adjust your mayonnaise depending on if you want the dip to be creamier.
4. Taste it and adjust the seasonings as necessary; if you want less heat, leave out the jalapeno and the red pepper flakes.
5. When it’s done, serve with crackers and enjoy!
20. Porcupine Meatballs
Ingredients:
1 pound of ground beef
1/2 cup of uncooked white rice
1/4 cup of ketchup
1/3 cup of finely chopped onion
1 egg, beaten slightly
1/4 teaspoon of celery salt
1 teaspoon of Italian seasoning
1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder
1 teaspoon of salt
1/4 teaspoon of black pepper
Sauce:
2 can of condensed cream of tomato soup
2 teaspoons of Worcestershire sauce
1 cup of water
Steps:
2. Roll the resulting mixture into 20 meatballs, each about an inch and a half.
3. Put the meatballs in a big skillet.
4. In another mixing bowl, mix together your cream of tomato soup, Worcestershire sauce and water.
5. Pour the sauce into the skillet and bring it all to a boil over medium heat.
6. Gently turn the heat down and simmer it for 15 minutes, covering the pan.
7. Carefully turn the meatballs over and cook them for another 25 minutes, until they’re completely cooked through.
No matter what your normal repertoire of recipes is, these old-fashioned ones are sure to add some variety and excitement to your cooking. The best thing of all is that each of these dishes uses very simple ingredients and couldn’t be easier to throw together. While they might not all be things you make again and again, some of these are sure to satisfy and to impress the family. As always, feel free to make tweaks to these recipes to make them your own and have fun cooking!
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