21 Old-Fashioned Dinners That Lived on 1970s Kitchen Tables

Weeknight cooking in the 1970s followed a rhythm, reliable recipes, shared tables, and meals that didn’t require much explanation. Dinners were planned around familiar flavors, modest ingredients, and cooking times families could count on. From baked casseroles to slow cooker staples, these dishes made feeding a household feel manageable. These 21 old-fashioned dinners capture the food that shaped everyday evenings.

Pillsbury Chicken Pot Pie Casserole

Pillsbury Chicken Pot Pie Casserole is an oven-baked dinner that comes together in about 50 minutes using familiar shortcuts. It includes rotisserie chicken, mixed vegetables, creamy sauce, and flaky refrigerated dough. The flavor is rich and savory with a soft interior and golden top. It mirrors the convenience-focused dinners families relied on when time was short.
Get the Recipe: Pillsbury Chicken Pot Pie Casserole

Cheesy Turkey Burrito Casserole

Cheesy Turkey Burrito Casserole is a baked dish ready in about 45 minutes that layers familiar ingredients into a hearty meal. It uses ground turkey, tortillas, beans, sauce, and cheese to create a structured casserole. The taste is savory with mild spice and a creamy finish. It shows how casseroles adapted to changing flavors while staying practical.
Get the Recipe: Cheesy Turkey Burrito Casserole

Sheet Pan Mini Meatloaf and Veggies

Sheet Pan Mini Meatloaf and Veggies is a complete oven dinner ready in about 50 minutes with everything cooked together. It features seasoned ground beef paired with sweet potatoes and broccoli for a balanced plate. The flavor is savory and straightforward with roasted vegetables adding mild sweetness. It reflects the practicality of meat-and-vegetable dinners families relied on.
Get the Recipe: Sheet Pan Mini Meatloaf and Veggies

Slow Cooker Cranberry Chicken

Slow Cooker Cranberry Chicken is a hands-off dinner that takes about 4 hours to cook and was ideal for busy days. It features chicken breasts simmered with cranberry sauce, onion soup mix, and simple seasonings. The flavor is sweet and tangy with a savory backbone that stays mild and familiar. It worked well for family dinners when the slow cooker handled most of the work.
Get the Recipe: Slow Cooker Cranberry Chicken

Chicken Hash Brown Casserole

Chicken Hash Brown Casserole is a creamy baked dinner that comes together in about 50 minutes and was the kind of dependable meal families leaned on during busy weeks. It combines cooked chicken, frozen hash browns, shredded cheese, and a seasoned cream sauce that holds everything together. The flavor is savory and mild, with a soft interior and a lightly crisp top. It delivers a filling, familiar dinner that felt practical and reassuring on weeknights.
Get the Recipe: Chicken Hash Brown Casserole

Cheesy Zucchini Casserole

Cheesy Zucchini Casserole is a baked vegetable dish that takes about 40 minutes and balances comfort with simplicity. It combines sliced zucchini, cheese, garlic, and a creamy base for a soft interior. The flavor is savory and mild with subtle vegetable sweetness. It made vegetables feel filling enough to stand alongside classic mains.
Get the Recipe: Cheesy Zucchini Casserole

Easy Weeknight Slow Cooker Chicken Marinara

Easy Weeknight Slow Cooker Chicken Marinara is a slow cooker dinner that takes about 4 hours and keeps prep minimal. It uses chicken breasts simmered in tomato sauce with simple seasoning. The flavor is savory and tomato-forward with tender meat. It worked well for nights when dinner needed to take care of itself.
Get the Recipe: Easy Weeknight Slow Cooker Chicken Marinara

Buckwheat Kasha With Camarelized Mushrooms And Onions

Buckwheat Kasha With Caramelized Mushrooms And Onions is a stovetop dinner ready in about 45 minutes and rooted in traditional home cooking. It combines toasted buckwheat groats, mushrooms, onions, and butter for a hearty base. The taste is earthy, nutty, and deeply savory without being heavy. It reflects the kind of grain-based meals that quietly supported family tables.
Get the Recipe: Buckwheat Kasha With Camarelized Mushrooms And Onions

Easy 5-ingredient Crockpot Chicken and Rice

Easy 5-ingredient Crockpot Chicken and Rice is a slow cooker dinner that cooks in about 4 hours and keeps things straightforward. It uses chicken thighs, seasoned rice, broth, and a short list of pantry staples. The taste is savory and mild with tender chicken and soft rice. It fit perfectly into routines where simplicity mattered most.
Get the Recipe: Easy 5-ingredient Crockpot Chicken and Rice

Chicken and Rice Casserole with Minute Rice

Chicken and Rice Casserole with Minute Rice is a retro oven-baked dinner ready in about 45 minutes with minimal prep. It combines chicken, Minute Rice, cheese, and a creamy sauce for a structured casserole. The taste is mild, savory, and comforting. It reflects the kind of shortcut meals families relied on during the 1970s.
Get the Recipe: Chicken and Rice Casserole with Minute Rice

Ground Turkey Stuffed Peppers

Ground Turkey Stuffed Peppers is a baked dinner ready in about 50 minutes that balances protein and vegetables. It features bell peppers filled with ground turkey, grains, herbs, and seasoning. The taste is savory and lightly seasoned with tender peppers. It shows how stuffed vegetables became a dependable weeknight option.
Get the Recipe: Ground Turkey Stuffed Peppers

Slow Cooker Chicken Spaghetti

Slow Cooker Chicken Spaghetti is a comfort-focused dinner that takes about 4 hours and feeds a crowd easily. It combines chicken, pasta, cheese, and a creamy sauce cooked together in one pot. The flavor is rich, cheesy, and familiar with a soft texture. It reflects the kind of pasta dinners families returned to often.
Get the Recipe: Slow Cooker Chicken Spaghetti

Brown Sugar Veggies and Ham Steak Sheet Pan

Brown Sugar Veggies and Ham Steak Sheet Pan is an oven-roasted dinner ready in about 45 minutes with minimal prep. It includes ham steaks, sweet potatoes, green beans, and a brown sugar glaze. The taste is sweet and savory with caramelized edges and tender vegetables. It reflects the balance of protein and sides many families expected in one pan.
Get the Recipe: Brown Sugar Veggies and Ham Steak Sheet Pan

Vintage Tuna Rice Casserole (No Canned Soup!)

Vintage Tuna Rice Casserole is a baked dinner that takes about 55 minutes and focuses on simple, economical ingredients. It combines tuna, rice, vegetables, broth, and a crisp topping for a creamy yet structured texture. The flavor is mild, savory, and steady without feeling heavy. It echoes the kind of casseroles that appeared often on family tables.
Get the Recipe: Vintage Tuna Rice Casserole (No Canned Soup!)

Crock Pot Pork Roast with Potatoes and Carrots

Crock Pot Pork Roast with Potatoes and Carrots is a slow-cooked dinner that takes about 6 hours and fills the table with ease. It uses pork roast, carrots, potatoes, broth, and herbs for a complete meal. The taste is savory and mild with tender meat and vegetables. It suited days when dinner needed to be ready without extra attention.
Get the Recipe: Crock Pot Pork Roast with Potatoes and Carrots

Easy Beef Pot Pie

Easy Beef Pot Pie is a hearty oven-baked dinner ready in about one hour and built around filling staples. It includes tender beef, mixed vegetables, a thick savory gravy, and a flaky pie crust. The flavor is deeply savory with a soft interior and crisp crust. It mirrors the kind of warming meals families expected after long days.
Get the Recipe: Easy Beef Pot Pie

Easy Chilli Con Carne

Easy Chilli Con Carne is a stovetop dinner that comes together in about 45 minutes and delivers bold flavor without complication. It combines ground beef, tomatoes, beans, onion, and spices into a thick, spoonable dish. The taste is savory with mild heat and a rich tomato base. It suited nights when dinner needed to be filling and uncomplicated.
Get the Recipe: Easy Chilli Con Carne

Cheesy Chicken and Potato Bake

Cheesy Chicken and Potato Bake is an oven dinner ready in about 55 minutes and built for simplicity. It combines chicken, sliced potatoes, cheese, and a creamy sauce into a single dish. The flavor is rich and comforting with soft textures throughout. It reflects the kind of all-in-one meals families trusted to feed everyone well.
Get the Recipe: Cheesy Chicken and Potato Bake

Easy Four Cheese Mac and Cheese

Easy Four Cheese Mac and Cheese is a baked pasta dinner that takes about 40 minutes and centers on comfort and consistency. It features macaroni combined with Colby Jack, cheddar, mozzarella, and smoked gouda for a smooth, rich base. The taste is creamy and balanced with a lightly browned surface. It works as a filling main that felt reliable on family dinner tables.
Get the Recipe: Easy Four Cheese Mac and Cheese

Easy Chicken and Dumplings Skillet

Easy Chicken and Dumplings Skillet is a one-pan dinner ready in about 40 minutes and built around comfort. It includes chicken, vegetables, soft dumplings, and a creamy seasoned sauce. The taste is savory and gentle with a stew-like consistency. It fits the pattern of meals families trusted to feel filling without much fuss.
Get the Recipe: Easy Chicken and Dumplings Skillet

Tuna Noodle Casserole Recipe With Ripples Chips

Tuna Noodle Casserole Recipe With Ripples Chips is a pantry-based baked meal ready in roughly 45 minutes and rooted in straightforward cooking. It uses canned tuna, egg noodles, a creamy sauce, and crushed potato chips for a salty crunch. The taste is creamy and savory with a gentle briny note and crisp contrast on top. It reflects the kind of affordable dinners families counted on to stretch ingredients.
Get the Recipe: Tuna Noodle Casserole Recipe With Ripples Chips