Hey, my mom used to make that!

Retro Dinner: 7-Layer Casserole

Pretty much the only work involved in making this one-dish meal is chopping onion and pepper, and opening some cans. It does require a total of one and a half hours of baking time, so it's probably not a good option for dinner after a long workday.

This recipe is from the 1950s.

Preheat oven to 350˚F. Then layer these ingredients in a 2-qt. baking dish with a tight-fitting lid:

• 1 cup rice, uncooked
• 1 cup canned whole kernel corn, drained
• Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Pour 1 8-oz. can Hunt's Tomato Sauce and 1/2 can water over first two layers.
• 1/2 cup each finely chopped onion and green pepper
• 3/4 lb. uncooked ground beef, seasoned with salt and pepper
• Pour second can of Hunt's Tomato Sauce and 1/4 can of water over everything
• Cover with four strips of bacon that have been cut in half

Cover the dish and bake at 350˚F for 1 hour. Uncover and bake about 30 more minutes. Makes 4 to 6 servings.

Click here for another one-dish meal recipe from the 1950s.

Via Kitchen Historic

Retro Recipe: Creamed Chicken on Waffles

Here's a great way to use up leftover chicken. 

This recipe is from the 1950s.

Creamed Chicken

6 tbsp. chicken fat or butter
1 tbsp. cornstarch
5 tbsp. flour
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. celery salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
1 1/2 cups chicken broth or consomme, heated
1 cup milk, heated
1 1/2 cups diced, cooked chicken
1/4 cup sliced, stuffed olives (optional)

Melt fat or butter. Blend in cornstarch, flour, salt, celery salt and pepper. Remove from heat; add broth and milk slowly, stirring constantly. Return to heat, bring to a boil; cook one minute while stirring. Blend in chicken and olives. Heat thoroughly. Serve over corn meal waffles.

Corn Meal Waffles

1 cup sifted all-purpose flour
1 cup yellow corn meal
2 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1 tbsp. sugar
2 eggs, separated
1 1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup melted shortening

Sift together flour, corn meal, baking powder, salt and sugar. Beat egg yolks; combine with milk and shortening. Add liquid ingredients to dry ingredients; beat until smooth. Beat egg whites until stiff but not dry; fold into batter. Bake in a hot waffle baker until golden brown.

Click here for a classi retro recipe that's also economical.

Via Chronically Vintage

Two retro soup-er suppers

You can't beat Campbell's Soup recipes. They're easy, fast, economical and they taste good.

Chicken Noodle Casserole

In a 1 1/2-quart casserole, blend 1 can Campbell's Cream of Chicken Soup with 1/2 cup milk. Add 1 cup cooked cubed chicken (or 5-oz. can of Swanson's Boned Chicken), 1 cup each cooked medium noodles and cooked green beans, 1 tsp. minced onion, top with buttered bread crumbs. Bake at 400˚ F about 25 min. Makes 4 servings. If desired, cover casserole with a tomato slive before baking.

Souper Mushroom Scramble

Stir one can of Campbell's Cream of Mushroom Soup until smooth; blend with 8 slightly beaten eggs, dask black pepper. Melt 2 tbsp. shortening in skillet; pour in egg mixture. Cook slowly until eggs are set, stirring now and then. Makes 4 servings. Garnish top with sprinkle of shredded cheese or chopped parsley.

 Click here to see another retro soupe-er supper recipe.

                                                                            Via Chronically Vintage

Retro Shock and Awe: Frankfurter Crown Casserole

You know you want to make it.

2 slices of bacon
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 can Campbell's Cream of Mushroom Soup
1/2 cup water
1/2 tsp. salt
dash of pepper
3 cups sliced cooked potatoes
1 cup cooked green beans
1/2 pound frankfurters, split and cut in half

1. In skillet, cook bacon. Remove and crumble. 2. Cook onion in drippings. 3. Stir in soup, water, salt, pepper. 4. Add potatoes, beans. 5. Pour into 1 1/2-qt. casserole. 6. Stand up franks around edge. Bake at 350˚F 30 minutes. 7. Top with bacon. Makes 4 servings.

For German-style seasonings: just add 1 to 2 tbsp. vinegar to soup.

 Click here for another soup-er supper recipe.

Via Shelf Life Taste Test

Retro-atrocious Super Salad Loaf

Have a look at this recipe. It's hysterical. (Unless you're the poor sap who has to eat it.)

To make it, one starts by carving a hole out of an unsliced loaf of bologna. Then one fills the hole with a mashed peas and gelatin combination.

And this is a recipe you serve to company. Yikes.

Here's the World War II-era recipe for Super Salad Loaf:

Scoop out center of a 1 1/2-pound piece of bologna, leaving a shell.* Soak 1 tbsp. plain gelatin in 2 tbsp. cold water and dissolve over hot water. Mix 1 1/4 cups cooked mashed peas with 1 tbsp. Real Mayonnaise, 2 tsp. minced onion, 1/2 tsp. salt, 1/4 tsp. pepper. Add dissolved gelatin and pack into bologna shell. Chill thoroughly. Place on platter on salad greens. Heap with Real Mayonnaise. Garnish with radish roses, parsley and onion rings, as illustrated.

*NOTE: Use left-over bologna in sandwich fillings for next day's lunches.

Click here to see another thifty loaf recipe, this one from 1949.

Via genibee

Fish Loaf recipe from 1949

Here's the 1949 thrifty recipe for fish loaf:

2 cups flaked cooked fish
1 1/2 cups tiny cubes dry bread
1/4 cup chopped Heinz Sweet Mixed Pickles
1/2 cup finely-diced celery
1/4 cup finely-chopped onion
3 eggs, beaten
1 can (10 oz.) Heinz Condensed Vegetable Soup, undiluted

Combine fish, bread cubes, pickle, celery and onion. Combine beaten eggs and soup; add to fish mixture and mix lightly. Line greased loaf pan (4 1/2" x 8 1/2") with greased paper; fill with fish mixture. Bake in a moderate oven (350˚), until set — about 1 1/2 hours. Let stand in warm place 10 minutes, then turn out and garnish attractively. Cut into thinck slices and serve with suitable sauce; or loaf may be served cold. Yield — 6 servings.

If you don't feel like chopping pickles, use pickle relish. If you can't find Heinz soup (it's more popular in the UK than the USA), you can use Campbell's.

Click here for a couple of salmon recipes.

Via jbcurio

Chicken Tetrazzini recipe from 1979

Here's a close-up of the recipe for Chicken Tetrazzini. To enlarge the recipe even more, just click the image.

Click here for another thrifty tetrazzini recipe.

Via jbcurio/flickr

Retro recipe for Thrifty Tetrazzini

Here's a close-up of this Thrifty Tetrazzin recipe from the above 1965 ad for Heinz canned spaghetti — click the image to enlarge it even more:

Click here for an economical pot roast recipe from the 1940s.

Via jbcurio

Economical retro recipe for Chicken Lasagna

Here's a close-up of the economical Chicken Lasagna recipe from the above 1979 ad for Catelli spaghetti.

Via jbcurio

1943 recipe for Brer Rabbit Baked Beans

During World War II, food-related advertising was all about saving money and making the most of ration coupons.

Fast-forward to 2011. Given our poor economy, wartime recipes like this one are especially appealing.

If you've never made baked beans from scratch, have a look at this recipe. They take a long time to cook but they require surprisingly little work. And, not least important, they taste great.

I found this ad for Brer Rabbit molasses in a women's magazine from 1943.