Our Quickest Retro Dinner Recipes

Grandma’s Swedish Meatballs

My mother made these hearty meatballs when we were growing up, and now my kids love them, too. My daughter likes to help shake the meatballs in flour. —Karin Ness, Big Lake, Minnesota

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School-Night Sausage Stroganoff

I found this recipe in an old church cookbook about 25 years ago and tweaked it to fit my family's tastes. It's a savory, creamy dish that's quick to fix on a busy school night. —Kristine Chayes, Smithtown, New York

Beer & Cheddar Fondue

This great-tasting beer cheese fondue is my mom's favorite, so I make it for her birthday every year. I like to serve this cheddar cheese fondue recipe with apple slices, rye bread cubes, and chunks of carrots, mushrooms, celery, zucchini, squash and broccoli. —Amanda Wentz, Virginia Beach, Virginia

Tuna Potato Supper

Tuna lovers will find this to be a real treat. My husband and I enjoy it as a nice change from the ordinary baked potato. Add a salad for a simple lunch or dinner. —Rosella Peters, Gull Lake, Saskatchewan

Turkey a La King

This is a smart way to use up leftover turkey. You might want to make a double batch! —Mary Gaylord, Balsam Lake, Wisconsin

Broccoli Beef Braids

Each slice of this fast-to-fix golden bread is like a hot sandwich packed with beef, broccoli and mozzarella. —Penny Lapp, North Royalton, Ohio

Crescent Beef Casserole

This flavorful meal-in-one dish is all you need to serve a satisfying and quick weeknight dinner. It's on the table in just 30 minutes. —Taste of Home Test Kitchen

Ground Beef Stroganoff

MY mother-in-law gave me this recipe 25 years ago. It's been a staple in my meal planning ever since because it's easy and takes little time to prepare. I usually serve it with green beans or another vegetable and a salad. -Marjorie Kriegh, Nampa, Idaho

Quicker Chicken and Dumplings

Ready in 30 minutes, this easy chicken and dumplings recipe takes advantage of convenience items and uses time-saving, drop-style dumplings. —Willie DeWaard, Coralville, Iowa

Weekday Beef Stew

Beef stew capped with flaky puff pastry adds comfort to the weeknight menu—my family is always glad to see this meal. Make a salad and call your crowd to the table. —Daniel Anderson, Kenosha, Wisconsin

Pork Chops 'n' Pierogi

The Polish dumplings are traditionally served as a meal, with applesauce or sour cream. This meal in one is a different way to use pierogi. —Greta Igl, Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin.

Homemade Chicken Potpie

Why look for potpie in the frozen food aisle when this easy version tastes much better? The chicken pot pie's crust is so tender and flaky, and underneath you'll find the ultimate comfort food for kids and adults. —Amy Briggs, Gove, Kansas

Classic Cobb Salad

Making this salad is a lot like putting in a garden. I plant everything in nice, neat sections, just as I do with seedlings. —Patricia Kile, Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania

Deviled Chicken Thighs

I make this dish when I invite my next-door neighbor over for supper. It's just enough for the two of us. The tasty chicken is tender and moist with a bit of crunch from the cashews. —Bernice Morris, Marshfield, Missouri

Kielbasa Hot Potato Slaw

I like the challenge of cooking lighter meals that pack big flavor. This one, which came from a dear friend, fits the bill. My son rated it a 10 out of 10! —Beverly Batty, Forest Lake, Minnesota

Favorite Meat Loaf Cups

My family enjoys meat loaf, but sometimes I can't spare the hour or more it takes to bake in the traditional shape. A quick alternative is to divide the meat mixture into muffin cups for individual servings that are ready in less than 30 minutes. —Sue Gronholz, Beaver Dam, Wisconsin

Turkey Scallopini

Quick-cooking turkey breast slices make this recipe a winner when you only have a few minutes to fix a satisfying meal. I've also used flattened boneless skinless chicken breast halves in place of the turkey of this entree. —Karen Adams, Cleveland, Tennessee

Hearty Salisbury Steaks

I love serving Salisbury steak with mashed potatoes and vegetables. It's the essence of down-home goodness. And it always disappears fast! —Dorothy Bayes, Sardis, Ohio

Stovetop Turkey Tetrazzini

A very special aunt shared this fun spin on creamy tetrazzini. We think it’s even better the next day. —Tasia Cox, Niceville, Florida

Grandma's Tomato Soup

This recipe is my grandmother’s. Originally, she even made the tomato juice in it from scratch! Gram had this recipe cooking on the stove every time I visited her. She enjoyed making this tomato soup and other favorite dishes for family and friends, and she made everything with love. —Gerri Sysun, Narragansett, Rhode Island

Snappy Tuna Melts

I lightened up a tuna melt by switching mayo to creamy balsamic vinaigrette. Kids and adults both go for this quick meal hero. —Christine Schenher, Exeter, California

Tangy Sweet-and-Sour Meatballs

A fabulous sauce, green pepper and pineapple chunks transform premade meatballs into something special. Serving them over rice makes for a satisfying main dish. —Ruth Andrewson, Leavenworth, Washington

Crescent Turkey Casserole

How do you make a dinner of turkey and vegetables appealing to kids? You turn it into a pie, of course! My version tastes classic but doesn’t take any time at all. —Daniela Essman, Perham, Minnesota

Whole Grain Chow Mein

My kids are picky eaters, but teriyaki and hoisin sauces work wonders with them. They love the meatballs, and I swap the noodles for whole grain pasta. —Kelly Shippey, Orange, California

Country Chicken and Gravy

Here's a lightened-up take on the classic southern comfort-food dish: chicken and gravy. This recipe has been a hit at our house since the first time we tried it! —Ruth Helmuth, Abbeville, South Carolina

Steak Diane

When I want to provide a memorable dinner but don't want to spend hours in the kitchen, this is the recipe I rely on. I've used it many times on holidays or other occasions for a quick, impressive main dish. We relish the savory steak Diane sauce. —Pheobe Carre, Mullica Hill, New Jersey

Crunchy Tuna Salad with Tomatoes

On a hot summer day, there's nothing more refreshing than this salad. I grow a few tomato plants in my garden and the fresh-picked taste makes the dish even more of a treat. —Diane Selich, Vassar, Michigan

Chicken with Rosemary Butter Sauce

This elegant rosemary chicken requires minimal effort but will win you major compliments. You'll love the mellow sauce! —Connie McDowell, Greenwood, Delaware

Sweet-and-Sour Popcorn Chicken

This sweet and sour chicken dish is one you’ll find yourself returning to again and again. Pre-cooked, frozen popcorn chicken simmered in a thick, homemade sweet-and-sour sauce is the secret to this fast and fabulous recipe. And what a great way to dress up frozen chicken nuggets! —Amy Corlew-Sherlock, Lapeer, Michigan

Pizza Potato Toppers

Not only is this recipe quick and easy to make, but it's an economical treat as well. I don't know of a more satisfying way to stretch a half-pound of meat! —Sheila Friedrich, Antelope, Montana

Mac 'n' Cheese Dinner

Don’t settle for ordinary mac and cheese. This version is my kids’ favorite, so I always make a huge pot. It’s an easy recipe to cut down or double (or triple!). It can also be made into a low-fat recipe if you use nonfat milk, reduced-fat cheeses and lean ham. —Raymond James, Port Orchard, Washington

Tangy Beef Turnovers

My mom's recipe for these flavorful pockets called for dough to be made from scratch, but I streamlined it by using crescent rolls. My children love them plain or dipped in ketchup — mustard works, too. —Claudia Bodeker, Ash Flat, Arkansas

Chicken Biscuit Skillet

My mother always made this while we were growing up. Now I make it for my own husband and kids. I use the small biscuits since their tops brown so nicely. I also sometimes add mushrooms to this recipe because my family loves them. —Keri Boffeli, Monticello, Iowa