Home Recipes Meal Types Dinner
Katie BandurskiUpdated: Mar. 01, 2024
Step back in time with these retro dinner recipes. They're hearty, delicious and ready to eat in just 30 minutes!
Grandma’s Swedish Meatballs
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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
School-Night Sausage Stroganoff
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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Making this ham cobb 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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
Originally Published: February 06, 2020
Katie Bandurski
As Senior Shopping Editor, Katie connects Taste of Home readers with the best gifts, deals and home products on the market. An avid foodie and a holiday enthusiast, Katie is an expert at cultivating meaningful moments.When she’s out of the office, you’ll find her exploring Wisconsin, trying out new vegetarian recipes and watching Christmas movies.