Ever walk into a kitchen, and the smell takes you back to being in the kitchen with grandma? Or, take a bite and remember sitting around the dinner table with your parents? We’ve gathered 20 nostalgic dinner recipes that will conjure up all the feels and take you back to being a kid. Classic sloppy joes, tuna casserole, chicken fingers, meatloaf, pot roast, and Salisbury steak, these old-fashioned favorites are always a winner.
Easy and Tasty Salisbury Steak With Gravy
“Excuse the extra gravy in picture. But we all love extra gravy, lol. This is very good and so easy to make. The flavor just blends in so nicely. It is good as it looks… yummo!” – Brenda-Lee
Sloppy Joes
“My mom has made this for years and it is a family favorite.” – Shannon
Chicken Fried Steak
“I love a good chicken fried steak and just have no luck using cubed steak, tenderizing steak, etc. This is a good tender rib-eye steak gently tenderized with a crispy coating. Good served with white cream gravy!” – Debby
Tuna Noodle Casserole With Cream Cheese (No Canned Soup)
“I like this recipe because it is made with cream cheese instead of cream of mushroom soup.!” – Betty
Lee’s Chicken Fingers
“This is my son’s favorite. I created this after trying a tempura batter recipe for frying vegetables. It looks like it is going to take a lot of time because of all the ingredients, but it is really quick and easy. It is also easy to make changes to.” – Stephen Lee
Mi-Mi’s Mac and Cheese Please
“Sometimes box macaroni and cheese will just not satisfy the craving for homemade macaroni and cheese. Try this ooey gooey goodness to serve with your favorite meatloaf!” – Jean
Classic Tuna Salad
“This Classic Tuna salad is creamy and full of flavor and textures. The flaky tuna is combined with mayo, eggs, and fresh veggies.” – Debbie
Hearty Meatloaf
“Including my late hubby, we usually had several strapping lads at our table who loved to eat (seriously, they were like locusts, and I had the grocery bills to prove it). It’s a large loaf and occasionally we even had leftovers! It’s pretty basic, but feel free to spice it up according to your family’s taste.” – Annalisa
My Grilled Cheese and Tomato Soup
“Seriously one of my favorite things to make AND eat! It’s good for any time of year – picnic in the summer or next to a fire in the winter.” – Vail
Battered French Fries
“A change from regular fries. These are battered just like when you batter chicken or fish. They are very, very good!” – Maria
Bacon Cheeseburger Sloppy Joes
“Quick, easy, ooey, gooey, messy, tasty, and kid-friendly cheese burgers in Sloppy Joe form!” – Kevin
Granny Grant’s Crock Pot “Pot” Roast
“My family is always excited when it’s pot roast night. I’m excited because dinner cooked while I was working!” – Fran
Pizza Casserole
“We found this recipe in a kid’s cookbook years ago. We altered it as our children got older. It is for kids both the young and old at heart.” – Cathie
French Fried Onion Rings
“Who doesn’t love onion rings? I do but didn’t know it was really easy to make at home. This is a simple recipe that I came up with.” – Vanessa “Nikita”
Connie’s Pork Chops Over Rice
“This recipe has been in my family for at least forty-five years. I have no idea where it originated. It’s easy to prepare, has few ingredients, and the rice is so yummy. Great with a salad and green veggie.” – Connie
Crispy Southern Fried Chicken
“My family loves good fried chicken and I’ve been making this recipe for years. My grandmother first told me how to do this when I was just a young bride, trying to learn to cook. This recipe makes crispy fried chicken that comes out golden and flavorful.” – Elaine
Homemade Chicken Pot Pie
“This is one of my family’s most favorite recipes, especially my youngest daughter. She absolutely loves these. The original recipe came from an old friend of ours. It reminds me of the old-timey chicken pot pie that came in individual pans back in the ’50s… only better tasting.” – Virginia (Ginger)
Deluxe Egg Salad Sandwiches
“My husband wasn’t much of a fan of egg salad sandwiches until I made this recipe. Now he loves them!” – Nancy
Beef Stroganoff
“Easy peasy beef stroganoff. Goes a long way and feeds the whole family!” – Sydney
Simple Hot Dog and Potato Hash
“When asked what do you want for dinner, my kids would request this! This was what they considered gourmet. Very kid-friendly!” – Shelley