19 Forgotten Recipes Everyone Recognizes but Almost No One Makes Anymore

Many dishes feel instantly familiar the moment you hear their names, even if you haven’t cooked them in years. These are the recipes that showed up in old cookbooks, holiday spreads, and weeknight dinners, then slowly slipped out of regular rotation. This collection of 19 forgotten recipes brings back meals and desserts everyone recognizes but almost no one makes anymore. Each one revisits the flavors and ingredients that made these classics worth remembering in the first place.

Homemade Matzo Ball Soup

Homemade Matzo Ball Soup is a classic broth-based soup featuring matzo meal dumplings, eggs, onions, and chicken stock. It takes about 90 minutes to prepare and yields soft, pillowy matzo balls floating in savory broth. The taste is rich, gently oniony, and deeply comforting. It’s widely recognized but often skipped in favor of shortcuts or store-bought versions.
Get the Recipe: Homemade Matzo Ball Soup

Morning Glory Muffins

Morning Glory Muffins are hearty baked muffins made with whole grains, carrots, apples, nuts, and warm spices. They take about 45 minutes to bake and cool and are filling without being heavy. The flavor is lightly sweet with a mix of fruit and nutty notes. They’re familiar to many from older cookbooks but rarely baked at home anymore.
Get the Recipe: Morning Glory Muffins

Green Bean Casserole

Green Bean Casserole is a baked side made with green beans, mushrooms, creamy sauce, and a crisp topping. It takes about 40 minutes to assemble and bake. The taste is savory, creamy, and lightly crunchy on top. This is a dish everyone recognizes, even if it now appears mostly at holidays.
Get the Recipe: Green Bean Casserole

Argentinian Flan (Bread Pudding) With Caramel Sauce

Argentinian Flan (Bread Pudding) With Caramel Sauce is a baked dessert made with day-old bread, milk, eggs, sugar, and a silky caramel topping. It takes about 90 minutes from start to finish and delivers a soft, custardy texture throughout. The flavor is gently sweet with deep caramel notes that soak into every bite. It tastes familiar and comforting, like a dessert many remember but rarely prepare anymore.
Get the Recipe: Argentinian Flan (Bread Pudding) With Caramel Sauce

Southern Peach Cobbler Recipe with Fresh Peaches

Southern Peach Cobbler Recipe with Fresh Peaches is a baked dessert made with ripe peaches, sugar, butter, and a simple batter topping. It takes just over an hour to bake until bubbly and golden. The flavor is sweet, buttery, and fruit-forward with a soft, spoonable texture. This is a dessert people instantly recognize but don’t often make outside of special occasions.
Get the Recipe: Southern Peach Cobbler Recipe with Fresh Peaches

Buckwheat Kasha With Caramelized Mushrooms And Onions

Buckwheat Kasha With Caramelized Mushrooms And Onions is a stovetop grain dish made with buckwheat groats, mushrooms, onions, and oil. It takes about 45 minutes to cook until nutty and tender. The flavor is earthy, savory, and deeply satisfying. This is a staple many know by name but rarely cook anymore.
Get the Recipe: Buckwheat Kasha With Caramelized Mushrooms And Onions

Ukrainian Bell Pepper Lecho, Or The Tried And True

Ukrainian Bell Pepper Lecho is a stovetop stew made with bell peppers, tomatoes, onions, and garlic. It takes about 45 minutes to cook and develops a thick, spoonable texture. The taste is tangy, slightly sweet, and deeply tomato-forward. This is a dish many recognize from family cooking but rarely prepare today.
Get the Recipe: Ukrainian Bell Pepper Lecho, Or The Tried And True

Vintage Tuna Rice Casserole (No Canned Soup!)

Vintage Tuna Rice Casserole is a baked dish made with tuna, rice, vegetables, broth, and a crisp topping. It takes about 60 minutes to prepare and bake until creamy and cohesive. The taste is mild, savory, and familiar with a soft interior and crunchy top. It’s a classic casserole many remember eating but rarely cook today.
Get the Recipe: Vintage Tuna Rice Casserole (No Canned Soup!)

Traditional Russian Blintzes

Traditional Russian Blintzes are thin pancakes filled with cheese, then pan-fried until lightly crisp. They take about 45 minutes to prepare and cook. The taste is mildly sweet with a soft interior and golden exterior. This dish is well known but often replaced by quicker modern breakfasts.
Get the Recipe: Traditional Russian Blintzes

Russian Potato Salad (Olivier Salad)

Russian Potato Salad, also known as Olivier Salad, is a chilled salad made with potatoes, peas, carrots, pickles, and a creamy dressing. It takes about 40 minutes to assemble and chill. The flavor is savory, tangy, and rich without being overpowering. It’s a recognizable classic that shows up more in memory than on everyday tables.
Get the Recipe: Russian Potato Salad (Olivier Salad)

Belgian Endive Soup

Belgian Endive Soup is a simple vegetable-based soup made with endives, onions, potatoes, butter, and broth. It comes together in about 45 minutes and finishes smooth and creamy without being heavy. The taste is mildly bitter and savory with a clean, old-world depth. It feels like a recipe people recognize from European kitchens but almost never cook today.
Get the Recipe: Belgian Endive Soup

Easy Beef Pot Pie

Easy Beef Pot Pie is a baked main dish filled with beef, vegetables, and gravy under a flaky crust. It takes about 75 minutes to cook and rest before serving. The flavor is savory and hearty with tender meat and rich sauce. This is a recognizable comfort meal that’s often remembered more than made.
Get the Recipe: Easy Beef Pot Pie

Sweet Potato Casserole With Marshmallows and Pecans

Sweet Potato Casserole With Marshmallows and Pecans is a baked side dish made with mashed sweet potatoes, sugar, butter, pecans, and marshmallows. It takes about 50 minutes to bake until warm and set. The flavor is sweet and creamy with crunchy and gooey layers. It’s a familiar dish that feels tied to memory more than everyday cooking.
Get the Recipe: Sweet Potato Casserole With Marshmallows and Pecans

Pumpkin Pecan Pie

Pumpkin Pecan Pie is a baked dessert that combines pumpkin purée, pecans, eggs, sugar, and warm spices in a single crust. It takes about 70 minutes to bake and set properly. The taste blends creamy pumpkin filling with crunchy pecans and balanced sweetness. This pie feels instantly recognizable yet far less common than its single-flavor counterparts.
Get the Recipe: Pumpkin Pecan Pie

Aruk, Iraqi Style Latkes

Aruk, Iraqi Style Latkes are pan-fried patties made with herbs, vegetables, eggs, and warm spices. They take about 30 minutes to cook and are served hot. The flavor is savory and aromatic with crisp edges and a soft center. This traditional dish is well known in name but rarely prepared outside of holidays.
Get the Recipe: Aruk, Iraqi Style Latkes

My Grandmother’s Recipe for Carrot Casserole

My Grandmother’s Recipe for Carrot Casserole is a baked side dish made with tender carrots, eggs, sugar, butter, and warm spices. It takes about 45 minutes to prepare and bake until softly set. The taste is lightly sweet with a smooth, almost custard-like texture. It’s a dish many recall from holiday tables but rarely revisit.
Get the Recipe: My Grandmother’s Recipe for Carrot Casserole

Russian Cottage Cheese Pancakes

Russian Cottage Cheese Pancakes are small pan-fried cakes made with farmer cheese, eggs, flour, and often raisins. They take about 30 minutes to cook and serve warm. The flavor is lightly sweet and creamy with crisp edges. Many people recognize them as a traditional breakfast but rarely make them at home now.
Get the Recipe: Russian Cottage Cheese Pancakes

Classic Jewish Chicken Soup Recipe

Classic Jewish Chicken Soup Recipe is a slow-simmered soup made with chicken, carrots, onions, celery, and herbs. It takes about 2 hours to develop a rich, golden broth. The flavor is deeply savory with gentle sweetness from the vegetables. This is a soup nearly everyone recognizes, even if they no longer make it from scratch.
Get the Recipe: Classic Jewish Chicken Soup Recipe

Beatrice’s Icelandic Pickled Beets

Beatrice’s Icelandic Pickled Beets are refrigerator pickles made with cooked beets, vinegar, sugar, and simple spices. They take about 30 minutes of prep plus chilling time and keep well for days. The flavor is bright, sweet-tart, and intensely beet-forward. This is the kind of side dish many remember seeing on tables but rarely make from scratch anymore.
Get the Recipe: Beatrice’s Icelandic Pickled Beets