Growing up, home-cooked meals were few and far between in my household. Not because my parents were incapable ofcooking, but simply because the value of a meal made from scratch was completely lost on my brothers and I. Why spend hours chopping fresh veggies and baking extravagant casseroles if we were perfectly content eating frozen peas, boxed mashed potatoes and rolls that came from a can?Redditors have recently beendiscussingthe foods that they ategrowing upbut rarely or never have today, so we’ve gathered some of their “nostalgia meals" down below. From foods that only a kid’s palate would enjoy to things people ate solely because their parents made them, enjoy scrolling through these delicacies that might transport you back to childhood. And keep reading to find conversations with the person who started this thread and Madison ofInherited Recipes!This post may includeaffiliate links.
Growing up, home-cooked meals were few and far between in my household. Not because my parents were incapable ofcooking, but simply because the value of a meal made from scratch was completely lost on my brothers and I. Why spend hours chopping fresh veggies and baking extravagant casseroles if we were perfectly content eating frozen peas, boxed mashed potatoes and rolls that came from a can?
Redditors have recently beendiscussingthe foods that they ategrowing upbut rarely or never have today, so we’ve gathered some of their “nostalgia meals" down below. From foods that only a kid’s palate would enjoy to things people ate solely because their parents made them, enjoy scrolling through these delicacies that might transport you back to childhood. And keep reading to find conversations with the person who started this thread and Madison ofInherited Recipes!
This post may includeaffiliate links.
Sliced tomato sandwich. We ate them on white butter crust bread. Mayo, salt and pepper.
To find out how this discussion started in the first place, we reached out to Reddit userMinkSableSeven, who posed the question, “What did you grow up eating all the time but now haven’t had in years?” She shared that her inspiration for starting the thread was realizing how mundane her diet had gotten.“I eat the same few items over and over again, year after year. I knew I couldn’t be the only one experiencing this, so I headed to Reddit to ask,” she toldBored Panda.In her post, MinkSableSeven mentioned that her mother often prepared tripe, liver and kidneys while they were young, but we were curious if she actually enjoyed these meals. “I didn’t always appreciate these foods growing up, especially when I was old enough to learn what parts of the animals these foods came from,” she admitted. “However, I notice specifically that I was rarely sick growing up. We ate very little processed foods. We frequently had fresh vegetables with meals; collard greens, cabbage, turnips, beets. Foods I rarely eat today.”
To find out how this discussion started in the first place, we reached out to Reddit userMinkSableSeven, who posed the question, “What did you grow up eating all the time but now haven’t had in years?” She shared that her inspiration for starting the thread was realizing how mundane her diet had gotten.
“I eat the same few items over and over again, year after year. I knew I couldn’t be the only one experiencing this, so I headed to Reddit to ask,” she toldBored Panda.
In her post, MinkSableSeven mentioned that her mother often prepared tripe, liver and kidneys while they were young, but we were curious if she actually enjoyed these meals. “I didn’t always appreciate these foods growing up, especially when I was old enough to learn what parts of the animals these foods came from,” she admitted. “However, I notice specifically that I was rarely sick growing up. We ate very little processed foods. We frequently had fresh vegetables with meals; collard greens, cabbage, turnips, beets. Foods I rarely eat today.”
Grilled cheese sandwiches, cut diagonally.
We also asked MinkSableSeven how different her diet is from how her parents ate. “There’s definitely a generational aspect that plays into the foods I grew up on,” she shared. “For instance, growing up I always had oxtails. Almost every other week there’d be a pot simmering on the stove and I couldn’t wait for dinnertime. Back then, oxtails were considered poor folks food. Now it’s like oxtails have become gentrified. I used to purchase 10 pounds at a time (because most of it is bone) and have leftovers. Now when I purchase them, I get maybe 5 pounds at the most. They’re $12 a pound where I live.““Ironically, I saw a TikTok several months ago where someone was showing how she prepared them,” MinkSableSeven continued. “I noticed the packaging, took a screenshot and zoomed in. They were $5.99 a pound. I messaged her to ask where she was getting them so cheap, and she told me she lived in Texas near a farm where she could get them super fresh and inexpensive. I was so jealous. Still am. If I could get them that cheap, they’d make more appearances on my dinner plates.”
We also asked MinkSableSeven how different her diet is from how her parents ate. “There’s definitely a generational aspect that plays into the foods I grew up on,” she shared. “For instance, growing up I always had oxtails. Almost every other week there’d be a pot simmering on the stove and I couldn’t wait for dinnertime. Back then, oxtails were considered poor folks food. Now it’s like oxtails have become gentrified. I used to purchase 10 pounds at a time (because most of it is bone) and have leftovers. Now when I purchase them, I get maybe 5 pounds at the most. They’re $12 a pound where I live.”
“Ironically, I saw a TikTok several months ago where someone was showing how she prepared them,” MinkSableSeven continued. “I noticed the packaging, took a screenshot and zoomed in. They were $5.99 a pound. I messaged her to ask where she was getting them so cheap, and she told me she lived in Texas near a farm where she could get them super fresh and inexpensive. I was so jealous. Still am. If I could get them that cheap, they’d make more appearances on my dinner plates.”
Fish sticks used to be a lot more common. Think it was an easy no stress way to get me to eat dinner.
Meatloaf. My mom was an awful cook, and meatloaf is generally awful, but for some reason my mom’s meatloaf was amazing. I can make every other dish she actually made well (there weren’t many lol), but I have no idea how she made the amazing meatloaf. I should actually have another go at recreating it, I miss my mom and her meatloaf.
Baked beans with cut up hot dogs. I always looked forward to this meal as a kid, but my mom recently admitted that she only made it when she barely had any money.
To learn more about recipes that might cause a flood ofnostalgia, we also got in touch with Madison ofInherited Recipes. Madison started her blog as way to work through all of the recipes her grandmother gave her, including some from her personal life and others that she prepared as a professional chef. Madison was kind enough to have a chat with Bored Pandaabout these delicious recipes and how they can transport some people back to the past.
“I find many of the recipes on my blog are filled with nostalgia. Not necessarily for me, but I get many messages about how these recipes are from people’s childhood!” she explained. “Which makes sense, all of the recipes I post are those that I inherited from my grandma. She had 5 sons, and cooked and baked every day.”
Stuffed cabbage rolls; every Eastern European country has a version of this dish.
Sloppy joes.
We were also curious whichfoodsmake Madison feel nostalgic. “I ate a lot of chocolate Pop-Tarts as a kid!” she shared. “I would eat chocolate Pop-Tarts and some apple sauce. I really don’t eat them at all any more, except for when I was pregnant, and I had a mega craving for them!”
Coke float. Can of Coke in a glass, with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
“Another recipe that reminds me of my childhood aresour cream cut-out cookies,” Madison continued. “These are the cookies we would make every year for Santa, and I just remember having the best time baking them, cutting them out, and then having to wait for what felt like so long for them to cool down so we could frost them! I would use so many sprinkles and made some wild-looking cookies, but we would always eat them. I am looking forward to making them with my daughter!”
Chef Boyardee. I purchased some of the ravioli in a can recently. I tried it and was really surprised at how disgusting it was. I remember it fondly from childhood.
Shepherd’s Pie. Always my favourite thing my mum made but I’ve never bothered to make it.
Cereal. Breakfast almost every day was cereal. Now I can’t stand the stuff.Also drinking milk with everything.
Madison also shared recommendations of a few recipes that might fill you with nostalgia (as well as deliciousness). “One of my favorite recipes I have come across is my Great-Great-Grandmother’s recipe forChocolate Fudge Cake! She was born in 1900. My grandma’s sister gave me this recipe, and she said that this cake would stay moist for 2 whole weeks!”
Fried bologna. My dad made a mean fried bologna sandwich with a slice of American cheese on wonder bread with mayo. On special occasions we also got our sandwiches with a fried egg or Lays potato chips added between the layers of bologna.
Jell-O with canned fruit cocktail inside to make it “healthier”.
Poached eggs in buttered toast. It’s been 20 years or so.
“Another one of the most popular recipes is forBrown Sugar Frosting,” Madison added. “It is very simple to make and was popular back in the day. People say this is what their grandma’s used to use!““I just love how baking old recipes, and for me specifically going through the recipes from my grandma, gives a connection to the past and can help bring some nostalgia and comfort food to today!” Madison says.If you’d like to make something that might make you or your parents incredibly nostalgic, be sure to visitInherited Recipes!
“Another one of the most popular recipes is forBrown Sugar Frosting,” Madison added. “It is very simple to make and was popular back in the day. People say this is what their grandma’s used to use!”
“I just love how baking old recipes, and for me specifically going through the recipes from my grandma, gives a connection to the past and can help bring some nostalgia and comfort food to today!” Madison says.
If you’d like to make something that might make you or your parents incredibly nostalgic, be sure to visitInherited Recipes!
Spaghetti and country crock. God bless my single dad, but I’ve got tomato sauce money now.
Taco night with all the white people fixins. Crunchy shells, ground beef, shredded cheddar cheese, lettuce, diced tomato, and miiiiiiiiiild salsa.
Hamburger Helper and other box meals. I bought a box of the cheeseburger one for nostalgia’s sake years ago and it tasted like bland chemicals.
Lots of casseroles made with canned “cream of” soups.I can’t do casseroles these days. As a kid, chicken and rice casserole was the best! But now, it just doesn’t hit.
Kraft Dinner (What we call the blue box mac n cheese in Canada) Used to love it as a kid, now I cant stand it and just make my own mac from scratch.
Anything grilled. Hot dogs, hamburgers, hobo baskets (chicken, rice, bell peppers, onion). My dad loved grilling and was very proud of the food he would make. Especially his hamburgers ❤️🩹 I miss him so much. I can’t wait to buy a grill one day.
Ha, gluten. Coeliac disease sucks.
Homemade fried chicken. It was our Sunday dinner every week without fail. I make it like 1-2 times a year at most. I don’t want the grease in my kitchen.
Jello pudding pops.
Rice a Roni. Haven’t had it in at least 15 years.
My parents are Peranakan and Teochew Chinese but immigrated to the US when I was young. I grew up eating a lot of Singaporean home cooking. Pork and peanut soup, nonya chicken curry, steamed sea bass, fishball soup, tau yu bak, achar, yong tau foo. I didn’t realize how much time some of these things take to make until I moved out. My mom did her best to pass down heritage recipes to me. I miss them a lot and have been trying to cook more Singaporean for my family.
A dish my mom called oven stew. Basically it’s ground beef, veggies and potatoes layered and baked in a casserole dish. Sort of a lazy, Americanized shepherd’s pie.It’s not too difficult to make, but when I make it, it doesn’t seem to come out right, so I’ve given it up. Every once in a while I’ll have my mom make it for a birthday dinner.
Ocean fish. My dad fished for the family and we ate fish 3 times a week. Now I don’t trust the majority of supermarket fish and can’t afford the specialty seafood stores near me. I am glad I spend summers in Maine near enough to get fresh.
A can of Campbell’s soup was ‘pasta sauce’ growing up.
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Chipped beef on toast, fried bologna sandwiches and spam in any form. Ate so much of these growing up I can’t even consider it.
Cow tongue. My parents made the most delicious tomato based stew with cubes of tender and meat.Cow tongues used to be super cheap when I was a kid. I haven’t seen cow tongues for sale since I starting buying meat.
Grew up lower-middle class with parents who weren’t great cooks (at the time), so hot dogs and Kraft dinner were the staples.Also, soft boiled eggs placed in little holders with the tops broken off. Paired with toast cut into skinny strips to dip into the yolks. Not sure if there is a real name for this, but we called them Dippin’ Eggs.
McDonald’s. It was a victory as a kid, but a defeat as an adult.Bologna sandwiches. Keep that c**p away from me!Plain grilled cheese sandwiches. Just don’t think about having them now, always adding things to make them melts.
Egg rolls … but not the kind you would find in a restaurant. Hers were filled with shredded cabbage, ground beef, and cheese. They were good as hell and HUGE.
Canned corned beef hash and Dinty Moore Beef Stew. Yuck.
Beef, especially ground beef.Ground beef was cheap growing up. It was the hurried homemakers answer to everything.Now it’s something that I consider a treat. Same as lamb, high quality pork, nice offal or game/waterfowl.Steaks are a rarity.
##Entenmann’s Boston cream pieI swear it was one of my favorites. Haven’t seen that anywhere in decades. They also have a good **devil’s food cake.**And the pound cakes used to be heavy. Now they’re damn near tiny squares.
Toaster strudel, Lean CusinePeanut butter & marshmallow fluff sandwiches.
Liverwurst. Ate it on rolls all the time with my German oma, haven’t had it in years.
Salmon patties. My uncle was the cook in the house, and he and I were the only ones out of all of us that enjoyed salmon. So, when no one else was hungry he would make us a couple. They were so delicious but I haven’t had them since I moved out at 18. May have to ask him to make it again soon, for old times sake.
My mom was a fantastic cook. Really involved recipes, holidays, breads from scratch whenever she could etc. Her best dishes were Swedish meatballs, arroz con pollo, Cuban black beans that would make an abuelita cry, pastisio, and a surprisingly amazing cracked wheat bread.But she had 2 kids, worked full-time, and became a widowed single parent at one point and time was a crunch.So sometimes she would buy this frozen turkey block. It was white meat and dark meat sort of “pressed together” into a rounded mound and frozen with turkey gravy in a black tray, you could microwave or bake.G-d was it delicious. I haven’t had it in DECADES, I don’t even know what it was called. Add a box of Pasta-Roni and steam some frozen vegetables in the microwave with a dash of Cavenders Greek seasoning and I’m 14 years old again. I loved having a sliced with both the white and dark parts of the processed “block”.
My mom made these things called “porcupine meatballs”. It was her quick-fix dinner. They were regular beef meatballs but they were made with soy sauce and white rice rolled in. I never learned the recipe and I miss them so much.
Really good cheese and crackers. That was our family Sunday lunch growing up, a bunch of different really nice cheeses and some crackers to spread them on. Now that I live alone and do my own shopping I know that good cheese is really f*****g expensive.
Two things:1) Spinach omelets. My dad used to make with frozen spinach in a box. That was his entire scope of cooking for a kid. I did get iron and protein, though.2) Crockpot beef stew. My mom used to set this up in the morning (she got up at about 5) and serve dinner when we were back home. I have a crockpot now, but I can’t make a meal the way mom did.
Velveeta grilled cheese sandwiches.
Oh man, My mom would heat up a family sized pack of those cheap, frozen Salisbury steaks with gravy and serve them with instant mashed potatoes. I’d always make a messy sandwich from it all, and be super stoked when she said that’s what was cooking. Simpler times.
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Grits and cream of wheat. I haven’t made them in years but they were a common staple when I was growing up.
Kielbasa. My parents cooked it a lot for us growing up but I rarely have it now.The only thing that comes close are these tillamook zero sugar meat sticks I bought that taste exactly like it, lol.
Chef Boyardee pizza! Still would love that!
Crab and lobster. It’s a bit cheaper when you can go pluck it out of the ocean for the cost of a tank of air. The stuff, today, that’s sold… seems low-flavor and stupid expensive.
We ate skirt steak a lot as a kid because it used to be super cheap.
Kielbasa and sauerkraut. My mom would take a bag of sauerkraut and empty it into a 9x13 pan. Then she would cut up kielbasa and quarter potatoes, cover it with foil, and bake in the oven. I’m a pescatarian now. My husband doesn’t eat cabbage but I’ve found ways to remake some of the food I used to eat like shepherd’s pie, gyros, Chickenless pot pie, tator tot casserole, etc. I’m trying corned beef tomorrow.
Pinto beans and cornbread for dinner. Bologna sandwich for lunch. ALL. THE. TIME!
Kidz Cuisine frozen dinners.
Mom used to make lasagna from scratch. She didn’t make the noodles, but she’d make the sauce and meat from scratch. It was always so damned good.Then she discovered Stouffer’s lasagna, and we never had it again. Stouffer’s is fine, but I want the stuff made with love.Dad’s signature dish was Cream Chipped Beef, or as Granny lovingly called it, Shit On A Shingle. Toast, white gravy, roast beef. It was something.Not a common dinner anymore… I guess Banquet Table buffet when my folks were feeling lazy
She’d make bisquick pancakes and scrambled eggs, breakfast for dinner, but it never made sense to me that pancakes should be sweet (with syrup), so just for me she would microwave up a little bit of spaghettios to go on them. I’m 40ish now, and a professional cook, but still kind of crave this. I might make some this week
My mom’s leftovers meal mixed with hamburger which she called “goulash.” It is not goulash. I have made goulash 2x. That wasn’t it.
Creamed new potatoes with peas.
Jenni-O Turkey loaf was like a weekly thing at home when i was young…and Hamburger Helper a couple times a week too.
Stuffed Artichokes. My mom would make them for us for lunch sometimes. I don’t know how she made them and she passed recently.
Chili rice. Just like it sounds, make some rice, heat up a can of chili, and then mix together and enjoy. I would usually eat it with some sliced white bread or saltine crackers.
My mom used to make enchiladas that called for a can of cream of celery soup. I loved them. They are the blandest, whitest enchiladas, but they taste like childhood. They also contained an entire container of sour cream and a pound of cheddar cheese. I’m not sure I could stomach them now.
When I was a kid, I ate Cream of Wheat for breakfast nearly every day. I’d add a little butter and brown sugar, and sometimes, I’d add cornflakes on top for a little crunch
Beef liver. My grandma knew how to make it very well, and my mom does as well. If you don’t do it right it tastes like dirt. I’ve made a chicken liver pate that was very delicious, but also a lot of work.
Both parents worked full time and didn’t know how to cook but to their credit we always had a meal on the table. Haven’t had any of these in years but staples included:-Rice a roni with ground beef-Hamburger helper-Oncor veal parmesean patties with egg noodles on the side-shake and bake pork chops-some sort of canned Veggie (these should be illegal)-canned biscuits-impossible cheeseburger pie-sloppy Joe’s and frozen onion rings or tater tots-stereotypical white people tacos-meatloaf and boxed mashed potatoesI thought I didn’t like vegetables because all I ever had growing up was canned or, if it was fresh like a rare zucchini, nuked in the microwave or boiled until it was literally mush. Once I found out veggies can be crisp and seasoned, turns out I love them.
American “goulash” which is just like… spaghetti but with elbow pasta. My parents made it constantly because we were poor lol. That and spam with potatoes.
Shells and white cheddar pasta from a box. Used to be one of my favorites as a kid. Now I’m not even brave enough to try to sample it again, I’ll just enjoy the memory.
My mom’s Swiss steak. She kept all of her recipes in her head and only wrote a few down for me when I got married right before she died. Wish I had her recipe!
What was that salad with crunchy chow-mein noodles and canned mandarin oranges? I’m guessing that recipe dates back to the 50’s/60’s/70’s, but I remember people still making it a lot for picnics and potlucks in the 90’s. Personally I haven’t seen it since then, though.
Canned chicken chow mien Chinese food that came with a can of crispy fried noodles. I think the brand was Chung King or something like that. This served with rice and tea was exotic
Tuna Noodle Casserole - an abomination I’m thrilled to never have plonked down in front of me again. Miss you, mom, you terrible and beloved cook.
Eggo waffles with melted sharp cheddar cheese. It was such a regular breakfast in my family that I didn’t realize it wasn’t a common meal until I moved into my first apartment. I told my roommate she was welcome to the Eggos and cheese, and she was confused.
Chicken breasts baked in Italian dressing with Pasta Roni. Mom’s go-to.
Pork chops.I know how to cook them correctly now, I just…don’t.
Fried okra and fresh strawberries. Store bought strawberries are not the same as off the vine.
Rabbit everything burgers to hotdish. Rabbit was in almost all of my meals growing up..
Leftover cold roast meat (pork, chicken and beef) and raw fried potatoes (thin sliced spuds cooked in cast iron until crispy on the bottom).
My mother was a terrible cook and we were also poor, so at least 1 night a week, we had “Chicken a la King.” It was canned chicken, cream of mushroom soup and a jar of pimentos. Heat that up and serve it over toasted white bread. I don’t think I’ve had it in 25 years and I’m ok never having it again.
Margarine & Miracle Whip.
Fried breadcrumbs with noodles and ketchup. Used to love this! Oh, and bread with margarine and a little sugar sprinkled on top.Nowadays I eat a bit healthier. 😅.
My dad always used to make macaroni with canned tomatoes with some salt and pepper. Cheap, filling, and too no time to prepare. Probably not the most healthy thing, but we didn’t really have a ton of money
My mom made a semi-homemade Hamburger Helper when I was growing up using ground beef, green peppers, onions, and Manwich sauce. She’d make a pot of that with macaroni and we’d eat it topped with cheddar cheese. With a side salad. Always a side salad.
Cube steak. I like to refer to it as “meat gum” (it was just so CHEWY).Canned spinach. My mom would season it with white vinegar, and the stems (“strings”) would get caught in my throat.You couldn’t pay me enough to eat either one today.
Biscuits and molasses. Idk if it was a Maine thing but for many meals we would have biscuits as a side dish. We ate them buttered with a smear of molasses. It been at least 30 years since I’ve had it.
Creamed Corn. Ham loaf. Sphagettio’s (w/ scrambled eggs). I have a really long list.And the list of things I eat now that never even entered our kitchen as a youth is even longer.Travel really expands your taste horizons. Age reduces my ability to eat thing that are sweetened. And Ham loaf is just gross.
Kidney beans. My mother loved them. At some point I said I have eaten my last voluntary kidney bean. If some chili has them in there I won’t be that fanatical about it, but enough is enough.Weirdly, I like other types of beans. But those big mushy things are done for me.
Hamburger gravy was white gravy. My mom called it a milk gravy. Back then hamburger was the poor person’s meat.
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