Sundays are always bittersweet for me. They feel both lazy and relaxing, but I can’t forget that Monday is just around the corner. When the Sunday scaries start to set in, one thing that helps is making something really good for dinner.
It’s the one day of the week when I can slow down, linger in the kitchen, and cook something that takes a little more time and care. Suddenly, cooking feels less like a chore and more like a calming escape.
That’s the feeling I’m hoping to capture with this collection of comforting vintage recipes. You’ll find cozy casseroles, hearty roasts, and old-school family favorites that may have been forgotten over the years, but absolutely deserve a comeback.
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01 of 18
Credit: Simply Recipes / Mihaela Kozaric Sebrek
“It’s so easy—just brown a pork loin roast in a Dutch oven, add shallots, garlic, and tart cooking apples, and pop it all in the oven to roast. What really makes it next-level cozy is the pan gravy, which practically makes itself. ” —Ivy Manning, Recipe Developer
02 of 18
Credit: Simply Recipes / Photo by Rachel Vanni / Food Styling by Tiffany Schleigh
“We put some miles on the Crock Pot with this recipe, and over the years, I’ve made the slow-cooked meal dozens of times. It’s one of my top choices for days when I know I’m going to be too busy to spend much time in the kitchen but will still want a comforting, home-cooked meal come dinnertime.” —Stephanie A Ganz, Recipe Developer
03 of 18
Credit: Simply Recipes / Ciara Kehoe
“Pork Diane is inspired by steak Diane, which was once a staple of old-school fine dining restaurants. This streamlined pork Diane drops some ingredients from a traditional Diane-style sauce, but it retains the Worcestershire and Dijon. I’d say it’s Diane-inspired but still radiantly flavorful.” —Sara Bir, Simply Recipes Editor
04 of 18
Credit: Simply Recipes / Photography by Morgan Hunt Ward / Prop Styling by Prissy Montiel / Food Styling by Julian Hensarling
“Beef Stroganoff straddles elegance and comfort. Its luxurious sauce and tender beef slices make it perfect for occasions, yet it’s never too formal for a family meal. I used to make it for dinner parties and haven’t in ages, but this casserole-friendly version has inspired me to send out some invites.” —Sara Bir, Simply Recipes Editor
05 of 18
Credit: Simply Recipes / Photography by Greg DuPree / Food Styling by Jennifer Wendorff / Prop Styling by Josh Hoggle
“This was sticky-finger chicken, the kind you pick up with your hands and eat right off the bone until your fingers, face, napkin, and the table were covered in sauce. I still love it to this day.” —Nicole Hopper, Recipe Developer
06 of 18
Credit: Simply Recipes / Mark Beahm
“Johnny Marzetti stands out in that it’s marbled and crowned with cheese (often mild orange cheddar) and baked. This makes it less suited to throwing together on the fly but very well-suited to assembling in advance en masse. The baked casserole freezes well, so you can even freeze the entire casserole to reheat later.” —Sara Bir, Simply Recipes Editor
07 of 18
Credit: Photography by Greg Dupree, Prop Styling by Josh Hoggle , Food Styling by Jennifer Wendorff
“This French onion-inspired meatloaf gets a big, savory hit from a packet of onion soup mix and a good splash of Worcestershire sauce, which brings all that oniony goodness straight into the meat.” —Theodora Kaloudis, Content Updates Editor
08 of 18
Credit: Simply Recipes / Coco Morante
“Chicken Marengo is a French-meets-Italian dish, dating back to the time of Napoleon. This modernized, simple version has a surprisingly short list of ingredients for how much flavor it delivers.” —Coco Morante, Recipe Developer
09 of 18
Credit: Simply Recipes / Photography by Greg Dupree / Prop Styling by Josh Hoggle / Food Styling by Jennifer Wendorff
“For the ultimate shortcut, refrigerated biscuits cut into quarters offer even more golden brown exteriors to make the crust. Together, it delivers all the flavors of traditional chicken pot pie with much less effort.” —Sara Bir, Simply Recipes Editor
10 of 18
Credit: Simply Recipes / Mihaela Kozaric Sebrek
“The cover shot on one particular issue was a cheesy spaghetti pie, an Americanized (so ’70s) version of a traditional frittata di pasta. The photo of this spaghetti pie, with golden cheese and waves of submerged pasta, was so appealing that I remember going to four different girls’ houses for dinner, where the same pie was served.” —Robin Asbell, Recipe Developer
11 of 18
Credit: Simply Recipes / Photo by Morgan Hunt Glaze / Food Styling by Jennifer Wendorf / Prop Styling by Lindsey Lower
“This comforting Tex-Mex casserole is super creamy and bursting with flavor. If you haven’t had the pleasure of trying King Ranch chicken casserole, consider this your invitation. The dish is a beloved Texas tradition and, while there are endless variations, this recipe is by far the easiest one yet without sacrificing flavor.” —Sheela Prakash, Recipe Developer
12 of 18
Credit: Simply Recipes / Frank Tiu
“Hands-down, mashed potatoes are the thing you must serve with pork and sauerkraut. Says who? My family. We love how they absorb the savory juice from the roasting pan. Egg noodles would be a decent alternative, as would boiled red potatoes. As for a vegetable side, come on! That wonderful kraut is all the side you need.” —Sara Bir, Simply Recipes Editor
13 of 18
Credit: Simply Recipes / Frank Tiu
“In Mastering the Art of French Cooking, first published in 1961, fricassee is described as ‘halfway between a sauté and a stew.’ The basic technique for any fricassee is to sauté some protein and vegetables in a pan, add liquid, bring to a simmer, and finish the cooking process as a braise.” —Devan Grimsrud, Recipe Developer
14 of 18
Credit: Simply Recipes / Photogrpahy by Morgan Hunt Ward / Food Styling by Tori Cox / Prop Styling by Phoebe Hausser
“Roasting a chicken in a bag is a foolproof way to get juicy, tender chicken without a greasy pan to wash up. Making it is no big deal. Serve it with basically anything, any time of the year. It’s super easy; that the chicken itself is delicious is a bonus!” —Sara Bir, Simply Recipes Editor
15 of 18
Credit: Simply Recipes / Dane Tashima
“Today, the dish may be just as well known in the US as it is in Russia—and seen as slightly retro or even pedestrian. But source a good cut of steak, don’t overcook it, and you’ll see that there’s nothing mundane about this dish. Mushrooms aren’t traditional, but I say keep them.” —Polina Chesnakova, Cookbook Author
16 of 18
Credit: Simply Recipes / Frank Tiu
“For a low-and-slow cook like this, the cut of beef matters. Chuck, from the well-exercised shoulder, is packed with collagen that melts into gelatin as it cooks, creating a luscious sauce, while fat marbling ensures the meat stays moist.” —Anne Wolf, Recipe Developer
17 of 18
Credit: Simply Recipes / Alison Bickel
“Chicken Kiev is a crispy breaded chicken stuffed with butter, which oozes when cut. It was popular in restaurants from the 1940s through the ’80s before it made the jump to a mass-market-ready meal that I remember eating in the early 2000s, straight from the microwave.” —Devan Girmsrud, Recipe Developer
18 of 18
“This recipe is a little (okay, a lot) retro, but it totally hits the spot. It’s also much more economical than actual steak, especially since we prefer to buy grass-fed beef in our house, and dinner for two can get spendy.” —Coco Morante, Recipe Developer
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