Taste of a Simpler Time: 25 Recipes from the ’70s To Try Now

Remember those recipes from the 70s that always showed up at family dinners and potlucks? We’re talking cheesy casseroles, jiggly desserts, and dishes that somehow made canned soup a star. They might seem retro now, but a lot of them seriously hold up. Let’s take a little trip back and revisit the flavorful, funky magic of ’70s cooking.

Strawberry Pretzel Salad Recipe

A serving of strawberry pretzel salad with topped with whipped cream — Strawberry Pretzel Salad Recipe. Photo credit: Butter and Baggage.

Start with a pretzel crust, add a cream cheese layer and top it with a concentrated strawberry jello, a throw back to the 70’s. Great for holiday gatherings or potlucks.
Get the Recipe: Strawberry Pretzel Salad Recipe

Broccoli Casserole With Homemade Cheese Sauce

A spoon full of cheesy broccoli casserole in a baking dish. — Broccoli Casserole With Homemade Cheese Sauce. Photo credit: Butter and Baggage.

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This baked, bubbling broccoli and cheddar cheese sauce casserole is a quick and simple side dish made with fresh broccoli — and without soup or rice!
Get the Recipe: Broccoli Casserole With Homemade Cheese Sauce

Cheesy Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole With Ham

A spoon full of chicken cordon bleu casserole. — Cheesy Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole With Ham. Photo credit: Butter and Baggage.

This cheesy Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole is a mouth-watering twist on the classic. Creamy Swiss, tender chicken, and ham create the perfect comfort meal.
Get the Recipe: Cheesy Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole With Ham

Easy Taco Casserole With Fritos

A spoon removing a scoop of cheesy taco casserole. — Easy Taco Casserole With Fritos. Photo credit: Butter and Baggage.

Loaded with ground beef, refried beans, cheese, and crunchy Fritos, this easy taco casserole is the perfect blend of bold flavors and crave-worthy textures.
Get the Recipe: Easy Taco Casserole With Fritos

Cheesy Spaghetti Casserole With Ground Beef

Cheese being pulled from a pot of spaghetti with two spoons. — Cheesy Spaghetti Casserole With Ground Beef. Photo credit: Butter and Baggage.

This no-bake spaghetti casserole with ground beef is comfort food at its finest! The secret to this homestyle pasta dinner is a can of mushroom soup!
Get the Recipe: Cheesy Spaghetti Casserole With Ground Beef

Southern 7 Layer Salad With Peas And Mayo

A bowl of 7 layer salad next to a serving spoon. — Southern 7 Layer Salad With Peas And Mayo. Photo credit: Butter and Baggage.

This seven-layer salad gets even more delicious after sitting overnight! It’s stacked with layers of peas, bacon, mayo, romaine lettuce, and cheddar cheese.
Get the Recipe: Southern 7 Layer Salad With Peas And Mayo

Spicy Fruit Salad With Star Anise

A bowl of spicy fruit salad with wooden spoon. — Spicy Fruit Salad With Star Anise. Photo credit: Butter and Baggage.

You can never go wrong with a bowl of fresh fruit. Spicy Fruit Salad adds just a hint of spice and seasoning to improve even the best fruit at the market.
Get the Recipe: Spicy Fruit Salad With Star Anise

Ambrosia Fruit Salad With Marshmallows

A glass bowl filled with creamy fruit salad, inspired by vintage recipes, is topped with a red maraschino cherry; the salad contains marshmallows, fruit pieces, and whipped cream. Silver spoons rest beside the bowl on a gray surface. — Ambrosia Fruit Salad With Marshmallows. Photo credit: Butter and Baggage.

A nostalgic Ambrosia salad with mandarin oranges, pineapple, marshmallows, and coconut, topped with creamy whipped cream and a touch of sour cream.
Get the Recipe: Ambrosia Fruit Salad With Marshmallows

Million Dollar Chicken Casserole With Cream Cheese

A serving spoon in a casserole dish of million dollar chicken. — Million Dollar Chicken Casserole With Cream Cheese. Photo credit: Butter and Baggage.

This easy million dollar chicken casserole recipe is a from-scratch dinner that is made even better with a buttery, crumbly Ritz cracker crust!
Get the Recipe: Million Dollar Chicken Casserole With Cream Cheese

Baked Ham And Spaghetti Dinner Casserole

A serving of ham and cheese casserole in a spoon. — Baked Ham And Spaghetti Dinner Casserole. Photo credit: Butter and Baggage.

Made with simple ingredients, this Ham and Cheese Casserole recipe is a great way to use up leftover ham for an easy weeknight dinner.
Get the Recipe: Baked Ham And Spaghetti Dinner Casserole

Buffalo Chicken Casserole With Tater Tots

A serving being taken from a chicken casserole. — Buffalo Chicken Casserole With Tater Tots. Photo credit: Butter and Baggage.

Satisfy your comfort food craving with this buffalo chicken casserole (or hot dish).It’s made with ground chicken, ranch dressing, hot sauce, and frozen tater tots.
Get the Recipe: Buffalo Chicken Casserole With Tater Tots

Southern Poppy Seed Chicken Casserole (No Rice)

A plate of rice covered with poppy seed chicken. — Southern Poppy Seed Chicken Casserole (No Rice). Photo credit: Butter and Baggage.

Chicken poppy seed casserole made with a homemade creamy filling and a crispy poppy seed cracker topping is great for a potluck or weeknight dinner.
Get the Recipe: Southern Poppy Seed Chicken Casserole (No Rice)

Hashbrown Casserole With Cornflakes (No Egg, No Meat)

A spoon full of hashbrown casserole. — Hashbrown Casserole With Cornflakes (No Egg, No Meat). Photo credit: Butter and Baggage.

An old fashioned casserole with cheesy potatoes and a crunchy cornflake topping. Frozen hashbrowns make this a breeze to make for breakfast or brunch.
Get the Recipe: Hashbrown Casserole With Cornflakes (No Egg, No Meat)

Bread Salad

Easy Panzanella Bread Salad is loaded with crusty bread, cherry tomatoes, green olives, capers, fresh basil, then lightly tossed with olive oil dressing.
Get the Recipe: Bread Salad

Tuna & Noodle Casserole Without Canned Soup

A serving spoon of tuna casserole. — Tuna & Noodle Casserole Without Canned Soup. Photo credit: Butter and Baggage.

This easy, nostalgic tuna noodle casserole recipe skips the canned soup and includes a crunchy potato chip topping for a dinner everyone will love.
Get the Recipe: Tuna & Noodle Casserole Without Canned Soup

Cheesy Corn Casserole With Cream Cheese And Ham

A serving spoon in a corn casserole. — Cheesy Corn Casserole With Cream Cheese And Ham. Photo credit: Butter and Baggage.

This ultra cheesy corn casserole with cream cheese and ham will be your new favorite side dish! Creamy, cheesy, and so much flavor!
Get the Recipe: Cheesy Corn Casserole With Cream Cheese And Ham

Baked Ham Cheese & Potato Casserole (No Canned Soup)

A spoon full of ham casserole. — Baked Ham Cheese & Potato Casserole (No Canned Soup). Photo credit: Butter and Baggage.

This cheesy ham and potato casserole combines diced ham with diced russetpotatoes, sweet onion, butter, and colby cheese. Made without canned soup!
Get the Recipe: Baked Ham Cheese & Potato Casserole (No Canned Soup)

Tex Mex Summer Squash Casserole With A Kick!

A serving spoon scooping out squash casserole. — Tex Mex Summer Squash Casserole With A Kick!. Photo credit: Butter and Baggage.

Tex Mex casserole uses fresh summer squash and Rotel tomatoes over a base of crunchy tortilla chips, all topped with cheese!
Get the Recipe: Tex Mex Summer Squash Casserole With A Kick!

Cranberry Pretzel Salad

A slice of layered dessert with a pretzel crust, white creamy middle, red gelatin top, topped with whipped cream, two cherries, and a small pretzel. A bowl of cherries is visible in the background. — Cranberry Pretzel Salad. Photo credit: Semi Homemade Kitchen.

Cranberry Pretzel Salad is a holiday favorite with a salty pretzel crust, creamy filling, and cranberry jello. A perfect make-ahead desserts.
Get the Recipe: Cranberry Pretzel Salad

Creamy Broccoli Rice Casserole Without Canned Soup

A broccoli rice casserole in a skillet. — Creamy Broccoli Rice Casserole Without Canned Soup. Photo credit: Butter and Baggage.

This broccoli rice casserole without canned soup features steamed broccoli florets, fluffy rice, and a creamy, cheesy sauce.
Get the Recipe: Creamy Broccoli Rice Casserole Without Canned Soup

Cheesy Chicken And Wild Rice Casserole Topped With Toasted Almonds

A skillet of baked chicken and wild rice casserole. — Cheesy Chicken And Wild Rice Casserole Topped With Toasted Almonds. Photo credit: Butter and Baggage.

Ultra creamy, this chicken and wild rice casserole is always a favorite. Chicken, rice, & cheese topped with almonds and no canned soup.
Get the Recipe: Cheesy Chicken And Wild Rice Casserole Topped With Toasted Almonds

Apple Snickers Salad Recipe

Apple Snickers Salad is a sweet and creamy salad dessert that combines crisp apples, crunchy Snickers bars, and a dreamy whipped topping.
Get the Recipe: Apple Snickers Salad Recipe

Easiest Cheeseburger Casserole

This Cheeseburger Casserole is a great family-friendly meal that will fill tummies and make your kitchen smell great. Great for weekdays!
Get the Recipe: Easiest Cheeseburger Casserole

Chicken And Rice Casserole Recipe

A casserole dish filled with baked chicken and yellow rice, inspired by classic chicken casserole recipes, topped with white sauce and fresh herbs. The dish sits on a wooden tray next to a bunch of fresh basil. — Chicken And Rice Casserole Recipe. Photo credit: Intentional Hospitality.

Creamy chicken and rice casserole with coconut milk, jasmine rice, and savory herbs. Juicy chicken and creamy rice will become a favorite.
Get the Recipe: Chicken And Rice Casserole Recipe

Pear Salad With Cheese

Glass platter with pear halves topped with dollops of mayonnaise and shredded cheddar cheese, garnished with lettuce leaves underneath—an unexpected yet classic addition to your Easter dishes. — Pear Salad With Cheese. Photo credit: Southern Food and Fun.

Pear Salad made with grated cheese and mayonnaise is an old-fashioned Southern favorite.
Get the Recipe: Pear Salad With Cheese

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