Vintage Recipes You May Have Forgotten About–But Shouldn’t Have

By Mary Shannon Wells
Updated November 04, 2020

Food traditions in the South tend to stick. Cookbooks are passed down, recipes are exchanged by word of mouth, techniques are taught by hand, and Southern food endures. Although we love creating new recipes in keeping with today's tastes and trends, there’s something sweet about a vintage recipe that can still hold its own. Get ready for a trip down memory lane with these old-fashioned recipes we love. From a traditional relish tray appetizer and a classic turkey tetrazzini dinner to divinity candy or shoofly pie for dessert, these vintage recipes are worth holding onto. Ready for some nostalgia and satisfied smiles at your table? Give these retro recipes a try. 

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Crispy Cheese Wafers

Recipe: Crispy Cheese Wafers

Southern hostesses have long served cheese wafers to keep arriving guests held-over until the main event, and we think they should always be homemade.

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Ham Salad

Credit: Alison Miksch; Prop Styling: Buffy Hargett Miller; Food Styling: Torie Cox

Recipe: Ham Salad

With the rise of establishments like beloved Chicken Salad Chick, Southern “salads” are staying mainstream, but do you remember Ham Salad? If not, it’s time to resurrect this retro luncheon favorite.

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Traditional Relish Tray

Credit: Greg Dupree

Recipe: Stuffed Celery with Cream Cheese and Walnuts
Recipe: Pickled Beets
Recipe: Spicy Pickled Carrots

Although beautiful cheese and charcuterie boards are all the rage right now, we love a nostalgic savory relish tray for a cocktail party.

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Cocktail Meatballs

Credit: Hector Manuel Sanchez

Recipe: Cocktail Meatballs

There was a time when Southern dinner and cocktail parties practically required a batch of cocktail meatballs, and this recipe makes us want to bring the tradition back.

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Dainty Cucumber Sandwiches

Credit: Southern Living

Recipe: Dainty Cucumber Sandwiches

Tea sandwiches are a hallmark of Southern luncheons, and while you might see pimiento cheese or chicken salad versions around, we miss these perfectly pretty cucumber sandwiches.

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Bacon Bow Tie Crackers

Credit: Hector Manuel Sanchez; Prop Styling: Lydia Pursell; Food Styling: Tami Hardeman

Recipe: Bacon Bow Tie Crackers

If you recognize this old-school snack, you’re not alone. These salty bites keep coming back because they’re just that good.

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Cheddar-Horseradish-Walnut Cheese Ball

Credit: Hector Manuel Sanchez

Recipe: Cheddar-Horseradish-Walnut Cheese Ball

It’s not a Southern party without a cheese ball, and we should be sure to keep it that way.

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Diane’s Southwestern Cornbread Salad

Recipe: Diane’s Southwestern Cornbread Salad

Southerners love a cold layered salad, and this one is the perfect excuse to bring them back.

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Classic Okra and Tomatoes

Credit: Southern Living

Recipe: Classic Okra and Tomatoes

Okra and tomatoes are a Southern combination as well-loved as peanuts and Coca-Cola or chicken and dumplings.

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Home-Style Butterbeans

Credit: William Dickey

Recipe: Home-Style Butterbeans

Southern-style butterbeans are a budget-friendly, easy side dish that’s most delicious when cooked with bacon, of course.

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Classic Candied Yams

Credit: Photo: Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Ginny Branch Stelling; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall

Recipe: Classic Candied Yams

Sweet potato casseroles have remained a constant on Thanksgiving sideboards in the South, but candied yams have fallen to the wayside for many. This delicious recipe is all the convincing you need to bring them back.

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Classic Fresh Field Peas

Credit: Iain Bagwell

Recipe: Classic Fresh Field Peas

Delicate Southern field peas pair perfectly with smoky ham hocks for an old-school veggie side.

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Three-Bean Pasta Salad

Credit: Photo: Hector Manuel Sanchez; Prop Styling: Lydia Pursell; Food Styling: Toni Brogan

Recipe: Three-Bean Pasta Salad

If you remember three-bean salad from your childhood, you’ll love this pasta-salad remake we cooked up.

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Classic Macaroni Salad with Ham

Credit: Jen Causey

Recipe: Classic Macaroni Salad with Ham

This cold pasta salad is reminiscent of another Southern classic, layered salads.

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Tomato Aspic

Credit: Southern Living

Recipe: Tomato Aspic

There was a time when you couldn’t find a ladies’ luncheon that didn’t have tomato aspic on the menu, and we think it’s high-time to give this retro dish another spin.

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Poppy Seed Chicken

Credit: Southern Living

Recipe: Poppy Seed Chicken

Poppy seed chicken casserole has been a staple on Southern dinner tables as long as we can remember, and we’re bringing it back for its one-dish ease and comfort-food taste.

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Fresh Corn Spoonbread

Credit: Photo: Iain Bagwell

Recipe: Fresh Corn Spoonbread

You might still make corn pudding and cornbread, but do you remember fluffy spoonbread?

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Turkey Tetrazzini

Credit: Tina Cornett

Recipe: Turkey Tetrazzini

There aren’t many dishes more nostalgic than casseroles with a “cream-of” soup on the ingredient list, and turkey tetrazzini is reminiscent of Thanksgiving leftovers at many homes

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New Tuna Casserole

Credit: Greg Dupree

Recipe: New Tuna Casserole

Tuna noodle casserole is the budget-friendly best friend of busy cooks in the South.

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Pineapple Casserole

Credit: Southern Living

Recipe: Pineapple Casserole

To some, pineapple casserole might sound crazy. To others, it’s been a fixture at Easter lunches forever. Whichever side you’re on, this is a truly Southern recipe you should try.

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Chicken-and-Wild Rice Casserole

Credit: Becky Luigart-Stayner

Recipe: Chicken-and-Wild Rice Casserole

Remember this one? Chicken-and-wild rice casserole has been a weeknight wonder in Southern homes for years, and it will never stop tasting so comforting.

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Quiche Lorraine

Credit: Hector Manuel Sanchez

Recipe: Quiche Lorraine

Once the queen of Southern luncheons and brunches, Quiche Lorraine stood atop its pedestal in the ’70s, but we still love this classic egg dish for breakfast, lunch, or dinner.

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Chicken-Fried Steak

Credit: Southern Living

Recipe: Chicken-Fried Steak

Chicken-fried steak, served with peppery, creamy gravy, is an old-school Southern dish that’s bad for your waistline but good for your soul.

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Chicken-and-Collards Pilau

Credit: Greg Dupree

Recipe: Chicken-and-Collards Pilau

Rice is the base for many old-fashioned Southern dishes, including this one-pot Lowcountry dinner.

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Chicken Spaghetti Casserole

Credit: Hector Sanchez

Recipe: Chicken Spaghetti Casserole

This cheesy, hearty casserole has been a mainstay on weeknight dinner tables for decades, and kids will never stop eating it up.

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Classic Peanut Brittle

Credit: Charles Walton

Recipe: Classic Peanut Brittle

Peanut brittle is a simple, iconic Southern sweet treat that was supposedly created by accident.

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Coca-Cola Cake

Credit: Southern Living

Recipe: Coca-Cola Cake

Coca-Cola cake is one of the trustiest sheet cake recipes of all time.

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Cherry-Nectarine Pandowdy

Credit: Victor Protasio; Food Styling: Chelsea Zimmer; Prop Styling: Mary Clayton Carl Jones

Recipe: Cherry-Nectarine Pandowdy

You might assume this is just another cobbler recipe, but pandowdies, popular as early as the 1800s, are different in that the cook uses a fork to break, or “dowdy” the crust. It might be messy, but it’s so worth it.

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Classic Southern Buttermilk Pie

Credit: Iain Bagwell

Recipe: Classic Southern Buttermilk Pie

This simple, creamy pie came to be during the Depression and World War II, when “desperation pies” were made with whatever ingredients Southern cooks had on hand.

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Cassandra’s “Light” Fruitcake

Credit: Caitlin Bensel; Prop Styling: Mary Clayton Carl; Food Styling: Anna Hampton

Recipe: Cassandra’s “Light” Fruitcake

Fruitcakes are a permanent fixture on plenty of Southern holiday tables, whether some generations enjoy them or not.

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Blueberry-Cornmeal Cake

Credit: Alison Miksch; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Torie Cox

Recipe: Blueberry-Cornmeal Cake

Use blueberries fresh from the farmers’ market for this timeless and simple cornmeal cake.

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