33 Retro Breakfast Recipes That Deserve a Comeback

Updated: May 09, 2023

The 50s, 60s and 70s brought us many wonderful things, including lots of inventive breakfasts. These retro breakfast recipes are so delicious, they're worthy of gracing our tables today!

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Ham & Collards Quiche

I love quiche and wanted to make something that incorporates my southern roots. With eggs, cheese, ham and nutritious collard greens in a flaky crust, it’s a complete meal. —Billie Williams-Henderson, Bowie, Maryland
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Eggsquisite Breakfast Casserole

I developed this recipe over 20 years ago. The rich warm sauce tastes especially great on cold winter mornings. I hope your family enjoys it as much as mine! — Bee Fischer, Jefferson, Wisconsin. Don’t forget to check out our collection of the best vintage breakfasts.
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Corn Cakes with Poached Eggs

These easy corn cakes are super tender thanks to the creamed corn in the batter. Top them with poached eggs and fresh salsa, and you get one of my favorite breakfasts. —Jamie Jones, Madison, Georgia
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Delectable Granola

Here's a great make-ahead recipe! Be sure to remove from the cookie sheets within 20 minutes after baking so the granola doesn't stick. —Lori Stevens, Riverton, Utah
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Vanilla French Toast

We discovered this easy French toast recipe in Mexico. We couldn't figure out what made the French toast so delicious until we learned the secret was vanilla. Since then, we've added a touch of vanilla to our waffle and pancake recipes, and it makes all the difference. —Joe and Bobbi Schott, Castroville, Texas
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Spiced Apple Oatmeal

These easy apple-y oats let your family have a warm and cozy breakfast no matter how busy you are. —Teri Rasey, Cadillac, Michigan
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Overnight Yeast Waffles

These easy, fluffy waffles are so delicious. I freeze them so I can enjoy them for breakfast on busy mornings. —Mary Balcomb, Florence, Oregon
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Skillet Banana Fritters

This delicious banana treat is sure to be a hit in your home. They are so yummy served with ice cream on the side. For an extra special treat, add chocolate syrup!—Sharon Yonts, Scottsboro, Alabama
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Bacon-Cheese Puff Pie

This recipe comes from my grandma, and it's one of my family's favorites. We love the combination of bacon, tomatoes and cheese for brunch at any time of year.
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Aunt Edith's Baked Pancake

My aunt made a mighty breakfast that revolved around 'The Big Pancake'. I always enjoyed watching as she poured the batter into her huge cast-iron skillet, then created the perfect confection: baked pancakes. —Marion Kirst, Troy, Michigan
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Pumpkin Cream of Wheat

This autumn-inspired breakfast tastes like pumpkin pie—without the guilt! Double the recipe if you feel like sharing. —Amy Bashtovoi, Sidney, Nebraska
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Mushroom and Brown Rice Hash with Poached Eggs

I made my mother's famous roast beef hash healthier by using cremini mushrooms instead of beef and brown rice instead of potatoes. It's ideal for a light main dish. —Lily Julow, Lawrenceville, Georgia
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Dark Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread

A colleague brought this in one day for someone’s birthday. I grow zucchini in my garden so I had a lot of opportunities to experiment with the recipe. My mother-in-law loves it, and not just because it's pretty good for you! —Sally Newton, Smethport, Pennsylvania
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Eggs Benedict with Homemade Hollandaise

Legend has it that poached eggs on an English muffin started at Delmonico’s in New York. Here’s my take on this brunch classic, and don’t spare the hollandaise. —Barbara Pletzke, Herndon, Virginia
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Sausage Pancake Muffins

My kids love sausage and pancakes but making them during the week was out of the question. I purchased the frozen variety on a stick but wasn't keen on the calories, additives or price. This version of pigs in a blanket is a great alternative that's much more cost effective. —Lisa Dodd, Greenville, South Carolina
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Toad in the Hole Bacon Sandwich

Switch up the cheese—pepper jack comes with a nice kick—or use sliced kielbasa, ham or sausage in place of the bacon in this versatile grilled cheese sandwich. This recipe couldn’t be easier to double to serve two. —Kallee Krong-McCreery, Escondido, California
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Mini Ham Quiches

These quiches are delightful for brunch when you don’t want to fuss. Replace the ham with bacon, sausage, chicken or shrimp, or use chopped onion, red pepper or zucchini instead of olives. —Marilou Robinson, Portland, Oregon
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Overnight Pancakes

Our kids love waking up to these golden, fluffy pancakes. The buttermilk batter is refrigerated overnight, making them perfect for busy mornings and special occasion breakfasts alike. —Lisa Sammons, Cut Bank, Montana
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Warm 'n' Fruity Breakfast Cereal

Sleepyheads will love the heartiness of this nutritious cooked cereal with cinnamon. It's loaded with chopped fruit and nuts. Eat it with plain yogurt and sliced bananas or blueberries. —John Vale, Long Beach, Washington
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Scrambled Egg Hash Brown Cups

They may look like muffins, but these cuties pack all your favorite rise-and-shine ingredients—eggs, hash browns and bacon—into a single-serving cup. Grab one and get munching. —Talon DiMare, Bullhead City, Arizona
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Creamy Hash Browns

My mother often took this comforting side dish to social dinners because it was such a hit. Now I get the same compliments when I make it. Bacon and onion jazz up a creamy mixture that’s quick and easy to make thanks to convenient frozen hash browns and canned soups. —Donna Downes, Las Vegas, Nevada
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Maple Bacon Walnut Coffee Cake

Wake up the sleepyheads in your household with this moist, tender coffee cake that’s both sweet and savory. Bacon and nuts in the crumbly topping blend with flavors of maple, nutmeg and cinnamon. Yum! —Angela Spengler, Clovis, New Mexico
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Pineapple Ham Casserole

Living in Hawaii, I wanted to share this recipe which features pineapple. It's our most important fruit crop. —Marsha Fleming, Kula, Hawaii
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No-Turn Omelet

It's a snap to put together this colorful casserole. I like to make it a day ahead, then refrigerate and bake the next morning. With ingredients such as sausage, eggs, cheese and peppers, it tastes like a strata—except it uses crackers rather than the traditional bread cubes. —Helen Clem Creston, Iowa
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Maple Apple Baked Oatmeal

I've tried a number of different types of fruit for this recipe, but apple seems to be my family's favorite. I mix the dry and wet ingredients in separate bowls the night before and combine them the next morning when it's time to make breakfast.—Megan Brooks, Saint Lazare, Quebec.
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Baked Two-Cheese & Bacon Grits

In the South, everyone loves three things: bacon, cheese and grits! After playing around with this recipe, I took it to my first family party as a newlywed, and it was a huge hit. This recipe has become a family tradition that I'm sure will be passed down for generations. —Melissa Rogers, Tuscaloosa, Alabama
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Tillie's Ginger Crumb Cake

This recipe goes back at least as far as my grandmother, who was born in the early 1900s. Our sons and I enjoy eating it in a bowl with milk poured on it—much to the dismay of my husband, who prefers it plain! —Kathy Nienow Clark, Byron, Michigan
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Sausage and Egg Casserole

For the perfect combination of eggs, sausage, bread and cheese, this is the dish to try. My mom and I like this sausage breakfast casserole because it bakes up tender and golden, slices beautifully and goes over well whenever we serve it. —Gayle Grigg, Phoenix, Arizona
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Breakfast Quiche

I enjoy preparing hearty country breakfasts for the guests at my bed-and-breakfast. This fluffy breakfast quiche recipe with lots of cheese and bacon is a most satisfying entree.
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True Belgian Waffles

It was during a visit to my husband's relatives in Europe that I was given this Belgian waffle recipe. These homemade waffles are fantastic with any kind of topping: blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, fried apples, powdered sugar or whipped topping. —Rose Delemeester, St. Charles, Michigan