15 Old-School Casseroles That Somehow Became Cool Again

These old-school casseroles are vintage family recipes making a comeback on Pinterest and TikTok, from classic chicken spaghetti and tamale pie to Swiss chicken bake and Southern pineapple casserole.

Grandma’s casseroles are back. These retro recipes from old church cookbooks and family recipe boxes are trending again because they’re cheap, cozy and feed a crowd.

If you loved our old-fashioned casseroles from the 60s and 70s, here are 15 more.

There are pasta bakes, Tex-Mex classics, chicken comfort food and a few famous sides.

For another vintage favorite, try these Jiffy corn casserole recipes.

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OLD-SCHOOL CASSEROLES

🍝 Retro Pasta Bakes

Spaghetti, noodles and macaroni the old-fashioned way.

1. Classic Chicken Spaghetti (30g Protein)

Spaghetti, chicken, Rotel and a creamy cheese sauce baked until bubbly. A Southern potluck staple that’s popular all over again.

Break the spaghetti in half before cooking so it’s easier to serve.

Ingredients:

• 12 oz spaghetti
• 3 cups shredded cooked chicken
• 1 can cream of chicken soup
• 1 can (10 oz) diced tomatoes with green chiles
• 8 oz Velveeta, cubed
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1 cup shredded cheddar

Instructions:

1. Heat the oven to 350°F and cook the spaghetti.
2. Melt the Velveeta with soup, tomatoes and broth.
3. Stir in chicken and spaghetti and pour into a dish.
4. Top with cheddar and bake 25 minutes.

2. Baked Spaghetti with Sour Cream

Spaghetti mixed with sour cream and cream cheese, layered with meat sauce and baked. Grandma’s twist on spaghetti night.

Let it rest 10 minutes so it slices like lasagna.

Ingredients:

• 1 lb spaghetti
• 1 lb ground beef
• 1 jar (24 oz) marinara
• 1 cup sour cream
• 4 oz cream cheese
• 2 cups mozzarella

Instructions:

1. Heat the oven to 350°F and cook the spaghetti.
2. Brown the beef and add marinara.
3. Toss spaghetti with sour cream and cream cheese.
4. Layer with meat sauce, top with mozzarella and bake 30 minutes.

3. Lazy Lasagna Casserole

All the lasagna flavor using short pasta instead of layering noodles. A busy-mom classic from the 70s and 80s.

Use mini penne or rigatoni so the sauce fills the tubes.

Ingredients:

• 1 lb rigatoni
• 1 lb ground beef
• 1 jar (24 oz) marinara
• 1 cup ricotta
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup parmesan
• 2 cups mozzarella

Instructions:

1. Heat the oven to 375°F and cook the pasta.
2. Brown the beef and add marinara.
3. Mix ricotta, egg and parmesan.
4. Layer pasta, ricotta and sauce, top with mozzarella and bake 25 minutes.

4. Old School Chicken Noodle Casserole (28g Protein)

Egg noodles, chicken and peas in a creamy sauce under a buttery cracker topping. Pure comfort food.

Crushed Ritz crackers make the best crunchy top.

Ingredients:

• 12 oz egg noodles
• 3 cups cooked chicken
• 1 can cream of chicken soup
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1 cup frozen peas
• 1 cup crushed crackers
• 3 tbsp butter, melted

Instructions:

1. Heat the oven to 350°F and cook the noodles.
2. Mix noodles, chicken, soup, sour cream, broth and peas.
3. Spread in a dish and top with crackers and butter.
4. Bake 30 minutes.

5. Grandma’s Baked Macaroni and Cheese

Creamy, cheesy macaroni baked with a golden top. The kind every grandma made for Sunday dinner.

Use sharp cheddar and a little mustard powder for the best flavor.

Ingredients:

• 1 lb elbow macaroni
• 4 tbsp butter
• 1/4 cup flour
• 3 cups milk
• 4 cups sharp cheddar
• 1/2 tsp mustard powder
• 1/2 cup breadcrumbs

Instructions:

1. Heat the oven to 350°F and cook the macaroni.
2. Make a sauce with butter, flour and milk.
3. Stir in cheese and mustard and mix with the pasta.
4. Top with breadcrumbs and bake 25 minutes.

6. Old Fashioned Macaroni, Cheese and Tomatoes

Macaroni baked with stewed tomatoes and cheddar. A Depression-era favorite that’s back on dinner tables.

Use canned stewed tomatoes for a sweeter, classic flavor.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups elbow macaroni
• 1 can (28 oz) stewed tomatoes
• 2 tbsp butter
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar
• Salt and pepper

Instructions:

1. Heat the oven to 350°F and cook the macaroni.
2. Mix with tomatoes, butter, sugar, salt and pepper.
3. Pour into a dish and top with cheese.
4. Bake 30 minutes.

🌮 Vintage Tex-Mex Casseroles

Cornbread and tortilla bakes from the 70s and 80s.

7. Tamale Pie

Seasoned ground beef and beans topped with fluffy cornbread. Tamale pie has been an American casserole since the early 1900s.

Use a box of corn muffin mix for the topping.

Ingredients:

• 1 lb ground beef
• 1 onion
• 1 can (15 oz) black beans
• 1 can (15 oz) tomato sauce
• 1 cup corn
• 1 tbsp chili powder
• 1 cup shredded cheddar
• 1 box (8.5 oz) corn muffin mix
• 1 egg
• 1/3 cup milk

Instructions:

1. Heat the oven to 400°F.
2. Brown beef and onion and add beans, sauce, corn and chili powder.
3. Pour into a dish and top with cheese.
4. Mix the cornbread batter, spread on top and bake 25 minutes.

8. Mexican Cornbread Casserole

Ground beef, cheese and green chiles layered between cornbread. Hearty, cheesy and great with salsa.

Add a can of creamed corn to the batter for extra-moist cornbread.

Ingredients:

• 1 lb ground beef
• 1 packet taco seasoning
• 2 boxes corn muffin mix
• 2 eggs
• 2/3 cup milk
• 1 can creamed corn
• 1 can (4 oz) green chiles
• 2 cups shredded cheddar

Instructions:

1. Heat the oven to 375°F.
2. Brown the beef with taco seasoning.
3. Mix the cornbread batter with creamed corn.
4. Layer half the batter, beef, chiles and cheese, then remaining batter, and bake 35 minutes.

9. Sour Cream Chicken Enchilada Casserole (30g Protein)

Layers of tortillas, chicken and a creamy sour cream sauce. A family favorite since the 1970s.

Use corn tortillas for a classic flavor.

Ingredients:

• 3 cups shredded cooked chicken
• 8 corn tortillas
• 1 can cream of chicken soup
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 can (4 oz) green chiles
• 1/2 cup chicken broth
• 2 cups Monterey Jack

Instructions:

1. Heat the oven to 350°F.
2. Mix soup, sour cream, chiles and broth.
3. Layer tortillas, chicken, sauce and cheese twice.
4. Bake 30 minutes.

🐔 Grandma’s Chicken Comfort Casseroles

Creamy chicken bakes with stuffing, biscuits and dumplings.

10. Swiss Chicken Stuffing Bake (40g Protein)

Chicken breasts topped with Swiss cheese, creamy sauce and buttery stuffing. A 1980s church supper classic.

Use boxed stuffing mix for the easiest topping.

Ingredients:

• 4 chicken breasts
• 6 slices Swiss cheese
• 1 can cream of chicken soup
• 1/4 cup milk
• 2 cups stuffing mix
• 1/4 cup butter, melted

Instructions:

1. Heat the oven to 350°F.
2. Lay chicken in a dish and top with Swiss.
3. Mix soup and milk and pour over.
4. Top with stuffing and butter and bake 50 minutes.

11. Chicken and Biscuit Casserole (30g Protein)

Creamy chicken and veggies baked under golden buttermilk biscuits. It tastes like Sunday at grandma’s.

Bake the filling until bubbling before adding the biscuits.

Ingredients:

• 3 cups cooked chicken
• 2 cups frozen mixed veggies
• 1 can cream of chicken soup
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 tsp thyme
• 1 tube refrigerated biscuits

Instructions:

1. Heat the oven to 375°F.
2. Mix chicken, veggies, soup, broth, milk and thyme in a dish.
3. Bake 15 minutes until bubbling.
4. Top with biscuits and bake 15 to 20 more.

12. Chicken and Dumpling Casserole (28g Protein)

All the comfort of chicken and dumplings, baked in one dish with a fluffy topping.

Don’t stir after pouring the batter. It rises into dumplings.

Ingredients:

• 3 cups shredded cooked chicken
• 1/2 cup butter, melted
• 2 cups self-rising flour
• 2 cups milk
• 1 can cream of chicken soup
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 1 tsp poultry seasoning

Instructions:

1. Heat the oven to 350°F.
2. Pour butter into a 9×13 dish and add chicken.
3. Whisk flour and milk and pour over without stirring.
4. Whisk soup, broth and seasoning, pour over and bake 45 minutes.

🥔 Potato and Potluck Classics

Famous side dishes and hearty potato bakes.

13. Scalloped Potato and Ground Beef Casserole

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/318418636126440604

Thin potatoes and seasoned beef baked in a creamy cheese sauce. A hearty dinner from mid-century kitchens.

Slice the potatoes thin and even with a mandoline.

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 lb ground beef
• 1 onion
• 5 potatoes, thinly sliced
• 1 can cream of mushroom soup
• 1 cup milk
• 2 cups shredded cheddar
• Salt and pepper

Instructions:

1. Heat the oven to 350°F.
2. Brown the beef and onion.
3. Layer potatoes, beef, soup mixed with milk and cheese.
4. Cover and bake 1 hour, uncover and bake 15 more.

14. Cracker Barrel Hash Brown Casserole

Cheesy, creamy hash brown casserole just like the restaurant favorite. A breakfast or side dish classic.

Thaw the hash browns so they bake evenly.

Ingredients:

• 1 bag (30 oz) frozen shredded hash browns, thawed
• 1 can cream of chicken soup
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1/2 cup butter, melted
• 1 small onion, diced
• 2 cups shredded cheddar

Instructions:

1. Heat the oven to 350°F.
2. Mix everything in a large bowl.
3. Spread in a 9×13 dish.
4. Bake 45 minutes until golden.

15. Southern Pineapple Casserole

Sweet pineapple and cheddar baked under a buttery cracker crust. It sounds strange, but it’s a Southern church potluck legend.

Serve it with roast turkey or chicken for the perfect sweet and salty side.

Ingredients:

• 2 cans (20 oz) pineapple chunks, drained
• 1 cup sugar
• 6 tbsp flour
• 2 cups shredded sharp cheddar
• 1 sleeve Ritz crackers, crushed
• 1/2 cup butter, melted

Instructions:

1. Heat the oven to 350°F.
2. Mix pineapple, sugar, flour and cheese.
3. Spread in a dish and top with crackers and butter.
4. Bake 25 to 30 minutes.

Dust off grandma’s casserole dish and bring one of these old favorites back to your table.