Retro recipes can elicit fond memories of your grandmother’s pot roast or evoke eerie images of canned fruit jiggling in a Jell-O mold. While some recipes are better left in the past (Watergate salad, I’m looking at you), others have stood the test of time and are worth revisiting.
These satisfying recipes use fresh ingredients to reimagine the classic flavors we know and love. Make one of these old-school dishes at your next dinner party and I guarantee it will be a hit.
Because if there’s one thing people love more than kale salad and avocado toast, it’s old-school chicken pot pie… topped with tater tots.
Spinach dip
An ’80s favorite, spinach dip taught us the art of serving food out of a hollowed-out loaf of bread. This mouthwatering version ditches the mayo and uses fresh spinach instead of frozen. Serve hot with crudités and tortilla chips.
Deviled eggs
This recipe uses the flavors of a Caesar salad to add zing and intrigue to the traditional version. Worcestershire sauce, anchovy paste, lemon juice and garlic pack a punch that will convert deviled egg-loathers into devotees.
Chicken pot pie
There’s something so comforting about chicken pot pie — it’s like a warm hug. Leave it to Molly Yeh to dream up a tater tot-chicken pot pie casserole hybrid. We should really top more things with tots.
Tuna noodle casserole
This ain’t your mama’s TNC — the only thing that comes out of a can in this recipe is the tuna. A whole head of roasted garlic and nutmeg-scented cream sauce add layers of flavor to this dish.
Not the sad beige casserole you were expecting, right?
Baked Alaska
Baked Alaska was the pinnacle of dessert chic in the 1950s. If you’re brave enough to put ice cream cake in the oven, you really can do anything.
This pie version shakes up the classic with a salted pretzel and graham cracker crust. It’s also highly customizable — just use your favorite ice cream flavor to make it your own.
Wedge salad
Iceberg lettuce may not be the sexiest lettuce out there, but I’m with famed cookbook author and champion of American cuisine James Beard on this one: “Yes, homely cabbage-like iceberg lacks the spicy thrill of arugula, the cachet of frisée, the heartiness of kale, the bitter crunch of endive, and the tenderness of green leaf. But when it comes to texture, these greens have got nothing on iceberg’s pure and beautiful crunch.”
This California twist on the classic wedge salad is topped with avocado, prosciutto crumbles and homemade buttermilk ranch dressing.
Lemon meringue pie
How adorable are these? Tart and bright lemon curd combines with fluffy meringue in little two-bite minis. Your grandmother will be so proud.
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