15 Comforting Fall Recipes Just Like Grandma Used To Make

Grandma’s Vegetable Soup

Layering together both canned ingredients and fresh vegetables makes this soup taste like it was made from scratch, but it takes a fraction of the time. Serve with a slice of crusty bread for soaking up the extra broth.

Grandma Jeanette’s Amazing German Red Cabbage

In-season red cabbage and crisp green apples combine in this colorful autumnal side dish. A dash of apple cider vinegar and a sprinkling of sugar make for a balanced sweet and sour flavor.

Grandma’s Hash Brown Casserole

Whether you’re bringing it to a holiday gathering or just to the dinner table, this hash brown casserole is the epitome of comfort food. Besides cutting up the onion, all you need to do is mix everything together and bake it.

Grandma’s Slow Cooker Vegetarian Chili

No meat? No problem. This vegetarian chili has a variety of flavors and textures thanks to the bounty of beans, including black beans, kidney beans, garbanzo beans, and vegetarian baked beans.

Grandma’s Green Bean Casserole

You’ll never settle for the casserole that uses canned soups again after eating a scoop of this grandma-approved dish. Sour cream helps create the rich sauce, while buttery crackers make a crunchy topping.

Nana’s Mashed Turnip

Get a double dose of root vegetables in this hearty mash recipe, which uses both turnips and potatoes. DARIA K says, “This was my grandmother’s famous dish that my whole family just loved. She never wrote it down for me, so after she passed away I recreated it perfectly. This one’s for you, Bubby!”

Grandma’s Chicken Noodle Soup

With just a handful of ingredients and less than an hour of cooking time, it’s no wonder that this chicken noodle soup has over 1,300 five-star reviews.

Grandma’s Meat and Tater Hotdish

With layers of crispy tots, gooey cheese, seasoned ground beef, and creamy mushroom soup, this casserole is an all-in-one meal. Since it mostly relies on pantry staples, you can throw it together at a moment’s notice.

Grandma’s Sweet Potato Casserole

Skip the marshmallows and top your sweet potato casserole with a buttery blend of brown sugar, pecans, and coconut instead. “Thanksgiving wouldn’t be the same without this recipe! We could do without the turkey, but not Grandma’s sweet potato casserole,” exclaims pcmomofsix. But it’s not just for Thanksgiving. “Believe me, you will love this! It’s like eating a dessert. Everywhere I take it, I’m asked for the recipe.”

Mamaw’s Chicken and Rice Casserole

Using a trio of canned cream soups, this rich casserole is stick-to-your-ribs good. Creator katiefbenham shares, “I grew up on this recipe, my Grandmother got it from a lady from church at a potluck a long time ago! She passed it down to my mom and it’s always been a family favorite.”

Grandma’s Polish Perogies

“This recipe for perogies has been in the family for generations, with a few alterations of course! My grandfather is Polish, and his mother taught my grandmother how to make these delicious dumplings. Serve plain, or with butter, sour cream, bacon, etc. Perfecting the pierogi technique takes time, and after a while, you will develop your own system,” explains STEPH577. And hundreds of five-star reviews seem to agree.

Grandma’s Cornbread Dressing

An excellent dinner side or staple of your holiday meals, this cornbread dressing balances sweet and savory flavors beautifully. Use your favorite cornbread mix, then follow the recipe to dress it up with sage, celery, and onions.

Grandma’s Southern Mac and Cheese

Nobody makes macaroni and cheese quite like your grandma. This baked version mixes the pasta with plenty of Cheddar, seasonings, and milk, before whisking in eggs as a decadent binder.

Grandma B’s Bean Soup

Veggies and beans are amped up with diced ham in this classic soup recipe. By cooking it for hours in the slow cooker, each bite is infused with rich ham flavor. As creator RENEE R notes, “My grandma’s ham and bean soup is an ancient family recipe. It’s best cooked in a slow cooker. The longer it cooks, the better it tastes.”

Grandma’s Hungarian Stuffed Cabbage, Slow Cooker Variation

Home cook and community member Locally Grown shares this gem: “This is a recipe passed down from my great-grandmother, with a few shortcuts she approved of.” Reviewers call it “a keeper.”

More Grandma-Inspired Dishes