23 Old-School Recipes You Should’ve Learned From Grandma

There are some things in life you should’ve learned from grandma — and cooking is one of them. These 23 old-school recipes bring back the kind of meals that were made from scratch, passed down without needing a recipe card, and served with a sense of tradition. Whether it’s comfort, simplicity, or the way these dishes always seem to work, they remind us why grandma’s kitchen mattered. Each one is a small taste of the kind of cooking that shouldn’t be forgotten.

Pork Chops with Mustard Shallot Gravy

Pork chops with mustard shallot gravy combine pan-seared pork with a tangy gravy that simmers in under an hour. It’s the kind of stick-to-your-ribs dish that once turned everyday ingredients into something special. With a short ingredient list and strong, simple flavors, this meal speaks the same language Grandma used in the kitchen. It’s the plate that called everyone in from the porch without needing to say a word.
Get the Recipe: Pork Chops with Mustard Shallot Gravy

Honey Garlic Carrots

Honey garlic carrots are a balance of sweet and savory, cooked until tender and glazed in a sticky mix of honey and garlic. Ready in just 25 minutes, it’s a side dish that fits perfectly next to roast meats and mashed potatoes. Recipes like this were often used to stretch meals and make veggies more appealing to everyone at the table. It’s a small dish with lasting influence.
Get the Recipe: Honey Garlic Carrots

Bangers and Mash with Guinness Gravy

Bangers and mash with Guinness gravy brings together pan-seared sausages and creamy mashed potatoes, all smothered in a rich Guinness-based sauce. It takes just about 30 minutes to prepare, making it a practical pick for weeknights or special occasions. This recipe represents the kind of hearty, no-nonsense food that once anchored family meals. You can almost hear the stovetop bubbling as it used to in Grandma’s kitchen.
Get the Recipe: Bangers and Mash with Guinness Gravy

Roasted Honey Glazed Carrots

Roasted honey glazed carrots combine sweet and herbal flavors into a 25-minute dish that’s easy enough for weeknights and reliable enough for bigger meals. The glaze brings out the natural richness of the carrots while thyme adds just a little extra depth. Grandma’s meals often centered around simple ingredients like this that didn’t waste time or flavor. A dish like this shows that cooking from memory never really goes out of style.
Get the Recipe: Roasted Honey Glazed Carrots

Brown Butter Garlic Mashed Potatoes

Brown butter garlic mashed potatoes turn simple potatoes into something layered and comforting using just a few ingredients and one saucepan. Ready in about 45 minutes, this dish builds flavor with garlic, sage, and nutty brown butter—techniques older cooks used without even thinking twice. It’s a side dish that always had a place next to a roast or stew. The flavor is familiar, but the method shows how much care went into getting it just right.
Get the Recipe: Brown Butter Garlic Mashed Potatoes

Worcestershire Green Beans

Worcestershire green beans take just 20 minutes and add a punch of savory flavor using shallots and a splash of Worcestershire sauce. This kind of quick stovetop side reflects the kind of no-nonsense recipes many grandmas relied on for getting dinner on the table fast. It’s practical, tasty, and doesn’t ask for much beyond what’s already in your pantry. These green beans get the job done without needing any fanfare.
Get the Recipe: Worcestershire Green Beans

Buttermilk Brined Turkey

Buttermilk brined turkey is the kind of slow-prepped bird that reminds you big meals used to be about patience and flavor. After soaking overnight, it roasts in the oven until golden and tender, with herbs steeped into every bite. This is the kind of recipe passed down when gatherings were about bringing people to the table. It’s the turkey you remember from long tables and linen napkins, not boxed stuffing.
Get the Recipe: Buttermilk Brined Turkey

Basic Polenta

Basic polenta is one of those humble staples that’s taken on many names—grits, mush, or cornmeal porridge—depending on where you learned it. It’s made with just water, salt, and cornmeal, and comes together in about 30 minutes of steady stirring. Grandma always knew how to make the most of pantry ingredients like this, turning them into meals that filled everyone up. This one proves that simplicity was never a weakness in the kitchen.
Get the Recipe: Basic Polenta

Sweet Potato Fritters with Sweet & Spicy Sauce

Sweet potato fritters are crispy, golden rounds that turn basic pantry staples into a snack or side with serious staying power. Pan-fried and served with a sweet-spicy dipping sauce, they take cues from the kind of resourceful cooking handed down in many families. Grandma knew how to stretch root vegetables into something that worked at any meal. These fritters prove that simple frying techniques never go out of date.
Get the Recipe: Sweet Potato Fritters with Sweet & Spicy Sauce

Shaved Brussels Sprouts Salad

Shaved Brussels sprouts salad may look modern, but it’s built from the kind of raw veggie prep that’s been around for ages. Brussels sprouts are thinly sliced and tossed with tangy mustard balsamic dressing, topped with extras like bacon and nuts to make it hearty enough for any season. It’s a smart way to serve greens without cooking them, just as older generations did when stretching ingredients. This one brings crisp texture and bold flavor.
Get the Recipe: Shaved Brussels Sprouts Salad

Roasted Chicken and Vegetables

Roasted chicken and vegetables is the kind of all-in-one meal Grandma might’ve started in the afternoon and served as the sun went down. With garlic, herbs, and hearty root vegetables, it comes together in just under 90 minutes and feeds the whole family. These are the types of meals that brought everyone together without making a fuss. It’s a straightforward dish that’s been doing the heavy lifting for decades.
Get the Recipe: Roasted Chicken and Vegetables

Easy Oven Asparagus

Easy oven asparagus is a reminder that even the simplest vegetables can hold their own on a well-set table. This dish takes less than 20 minutes and uses just a baking sheet, salt, and oil to highlight asparagus’s natural flavor. It’s the kind of vegetable side dish that’s been quietly doing its job for generations. Clean, crisp, and no nonsense—just how Grandma made it.
Get the Recipe: Easy Oven Asparagus

Brioche Rolls

Brioche rolls take a bit more time, but the result is a pillowy-soft roll with a buttery, slightly sweet bite. With a few hours of rising time, they’re perfect for holiday dinners or when something a little extra was called for. These are the kinds of bread recipes grandmas kept close for those big family gatherings. There’s something special about tearing into a soft roll you know was made by hand.
Get the Recipe: Brioche Rolls

Chicken Pot Pie with Tarragon Gravy

Chicken pot pie with tarragon gravy channels everything comforting about family dinners from decades ago. In just over an hour, tender chicken and vegetables are tucked into a golden crust with a fragrant, creamy sauce. It’s a timeless dish that never tried to impress—only to nourish and satisfy. One slice takes you back to when seconds were served without asking.
Get the Recipe: Chicken Pot Pie with Tarragon Gravy

Easy Butternut Squash Soup with Homemade Dumplings

Easy butternut squash soup with homemade dumplings is the kind of one-pot wonder your grandma might’ve made when cold weather rolled in. With about an hour of simmering and mixing, this soup blends sweet squash with soft, pillowy dumplings. It’s not flashy, but it’s exactly the kind of comfort food that earned a regular spot at the table. The kind of meal that warmed the house and the people in it.
Get the Recipe: Easy Butternut Squash Soup with Homemade Dumplings

Lamb Shepherd’s Pie

Lamb shepherd’s pie is a comforting, oven-baked meal layered with tender lamb, peas, and carrots under a creamy mashed potato topping. It takes just over an hour and brings together humble ingredients that were once used to stretch meals through the week. This kind of recipe is rooted in practical, old-school cooking—where nothing went to waste and everything had purpose. It’s the sort of meal that quietly did the job and brought people back for more.
Get the Recipe: Lamb Shepherd’s Pie

Spinach Lasagna Rolls

Spinach lasagna rolls are individually portioned rolls of pasta layered with ricotta, spinach, and tomato sauce, then baked until tender. Ready in just over an hour, this dish makes comfort food feel neat and approachable. Recipes like this became family favorites for their balance of flavor, ease, and practicality. They were always the first to disappear from the dinner table.
Get the Recipe: Spinach Lasagna Rolls

Hazelnut Crusted Turkey Breast

Hazelnut crusted turkey breast is the kind of dish that might’ve made a special appearance on Grandma’s holiday table. It bakes in just under two hours, combining a juicy turkey breast with a toasted nut topping for texture and depth. While the ingredients are simple, the end result feels like it was made with care. It’s proof that even a modest main course could feel like something to look forward to.
Get the Recipe: Hazelnut Crusted Turkey Breast

Pork Chops and Applesauce with Blackberries

Pork chops and applesauce with blackberries takes a familiar pairing and gives it a slightly more seasonal twist. The juicy pork and rich applesauce come together in about an hour, using basic ingredients with a gentle nod to fall flavors. Meals like this go back generations—simple meats, preserved fruit, and balance on the plate. It’s the kind of comfort you can picture being passed around a farmhouse table.
Get the Recipe: Pork Chops and Applesauce with Blackberries

Creamy Mashed Potatoes

Creamy mashed potatoes are one of those must-have recipes that just about every grandma had in her back pocket. Made with cream cheese and butter, this version takes about 30 minutes and turns plain potatoes into something soft and whipped. Dishes like this are often found front and center at big meals, standing strong beside meats and gravy. It’s the type of side you learn early and make forever.
Get the Recipe: Creamy Mashed Potatoes

Garlic Herb Pork and Potatoes

Garlic herb pork and potatoes is a no-fuss meal that cooks in about an hour and tastes like it’s been around for generations. Pork is roasted alongside seasoned potatoes until both are golden and flavorful. It’s a dependable dinner that feels like something your grandma would’ve made after a long day. The kind of food that fills you up without saying much.
Get the Recipe: Garlic Herb Pork and Potatoes

Oven Roasted Root Vegetables

Oven roasted root vegetables take about 35 minutes and rely on staples like carrots, sweet potatoes, and parsnips for earthy, roasted flavor. With just oil and herbs, this dish shows how past generations made the most of what they had through the seasons. It’s no-frills and all function, yet it hits all the right notes on the plate. These are the kind of side dishes that stuck around for good reason.
Get the Recipe: Oven Roasted Root Vegetables

Stuffed Shells with Spinach and Ricotta

Stuffed shells with spinach and ricotta bake up bubbly and golden, packed with creamy cheese and leafy greens. They go from prep to plate in about an hour, making them perfect for a hearty sit-down meal. Recipes like this have long been passed between generations for good reason—they’re dependable and feed a crowd with little fuss. This is the kind of dish that filled casserole pans and warmed kitchens on Sunday afternoons.
Get the Recipe: Stuffed Shells with Spinach and Ricotta