Every now and again, we get the craving for our mother’s and grandmother’s cooking. Their old fashion and classic homemade recipes make for perfect comfort food on a gloomy day and can bring any family together for dinner that is full of conversations and memories. With the weather getting colder, we here at Duluth Pack thought it was a perfect time to open our family cookbooks and help you find classic, comforting dishes because we all need some of grandma’s cooking at times.

Today, we are highlighting three old-fashioned recipes that will have memories rushing back. From a cheesy goulash recipe to a creamy scalloped potatoes recipe and a delicious chicken pot pie concept, we have found it all. We hope you enjoy these comfort foods as much as we do.

Grandma’s Old-Fashioned Goulash

This dish is an easy, one-pot goulash recipe that takes minimal clean-up and will have you reminiscing over good times. Grandma’s Old-Fashioned Goulash recipe is found on The Real Food Guide website, has a short preparation time, and makes enough to serve the whole family. 

Ingredients:

• 2 pounds lean ground beef
• 2 large yellow onions, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, chopped
• 2 cups of water
• 1 cup beef broth
• Two 15-ounce cans tomato sauce
• Two 15-ounce cans diced tomatoes
• 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
• 1 tablespoon oregano
• 3 bay leaves
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• ½ teaspoon pepper
• 2 cups elbow macaroni, uncooked
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Instructions:

1. In a Dutch oven, sauté the ground beef over medium-high heat until no pink remains. Break up meat while sauteing; spoon off any grease.
2. Add the onions to the pot and sauté until they are tender (about 5 minutes). Add 2 cups water and one cup of beef broth, along with the tomato sauce, tomatoes, garlic, bay leaves, Worcestershire sauce, and seasonings. Stir well. Place lid on the pot and allow this to cook for 20 to 25 minutes.
3. Add the elbow macaroni, stir well, return the lid to the pot and simmer until pasta is al dente, about 4-5 minutes. Pasta will cook a bit more when you remove it from heat. (Important: be careful not to cook your pasta too long!)
4. Remove from heat, remove the bay leaves. Serve warm and top with shredded cheddar cheese.

Homemade Scalloped Potatoes

This creamy and delicious scalloped potatoes recipe makes for the perfect North American side dish. We found this recipe on the website Julia’s Cuisine. On her platform she makes from-scratch cooking easy and for everyone. The prep time for this dish is 15 minutes, with a cook time of about 1 hour and 40 minutes and serves eight. 

Ingredients

• 6 potatoes large, peeled and cut into thin slices
• 1 medium onion, halved and thinly sliced
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• ¼ cup butter
• ¼ cup flour
• 2 garlic cloves crushed
• 2 ½ cups milk
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• Salt and pepper to season
• Small bunch of fresh chopped parsley and chives.

Instructions:

1. Grease a deep-sided 8-inch square baking dish or equivalent size. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a medium saucepan, over high heat, melt the butter. Add the garlic once the butter has melted and is sizzling. Give a good stir and add all the flour at once. Quickly whisk for about a minute until it forms a paste.
3. Gradually start pouring in the milk, about ½ cup at a time. Continue to whisk and add milk as you go. This process will take anywhere between 5-8 minutes. You are looking for a smooth, thick sauce. Once the sauce has reached the desired texture, remove from heat, season with salt and pepper, oregano, and add chopped parsley.
4. Add about 1/3 of your potatoes to your baking dish and top with about ½ of the onions. Repeat two more layers of potatoes and onions. Evenly pour over the sauce.
5. Cover and bake for about 1 hour. Remove from oven after an hour, then remove the cover and return to oven to continue baking for another ½ hour or so. When done, potatoes should be golden on the top and tender inside. Leave about 5 – 10 minutes to cool before serving.

Classic Chicken Pot Pie with Biscuits

Here is a traditional chicken pot pie recipe with a twist. It starts with a base of a flavorful chicken mixture, with vegetables, and topped with soft biscuits, instead of a traditional crust. This recipe is budget-friendly, easy to make, and perfect for a family night-in. This recipe, created by Rosie Mayes, can be found on her blog I Heart Recipes. It takes a total of 35 minutes to make and makes six servings. 

Ingredients:

• 3 cups cooked shredded chicken
• Two 10.5-ounce cream of chicken soup
• 3 cups of frozen vegetables
• 2 tsp minced garlic
• ½ tsp ground black pepper
• 1 cup shredded mild cheddar cheese
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• 16 canned biscuits
• 2 tbsp butter melted

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 375°F.
2. Spray a 13×9-inch baking dish with nonstick spray.
3. In a large bowl, combine the chicken, cream of chicken soup, frozen vegetables, and shredded cheeses.
4. Mix until combined.
5. Pour the mixture into the baking dish.
6. Now grab the can of biscuits.
7. Cut each biscuit into quarters, then place in a large bowl.
8. Drizzle with the melted butter and toss.
9. Top the chicken mixture with the biscuits.
10. Bake, uncovered, for 20 to 25 minutes.
11. Let cool until it is safe to eat.
12. Serve and enjoy!

We hope you enjoyed these classic, old-fashioned recipes! Next time you are whipping up your favorite family recipes in the kitchen, stay clean with Duluth Pack’s durable Canvas Apron. You can find more cooking accessories, like our canvas apron, at DuluthPack.com! Give us a shout at [email protected] for more recipe ideas or questions that you may have.

Happy cooking, friends!