Cooking with Tammy Kelly: “What’s Old is New Again” Retro Recipes are Back!
In the 2025 Trends Report retro lives on! Home Chefs and trained Chefs alike are continuing to modernize retro ingredients and dishes. Retro dishes provide familiarity and give us comfort. One Chef quoted, “Elevated nostalgia will always be on trend. The definition of nostalgia is a sentimental longing for the past”, making the unrelatable, relatable.
Here are some Retro Recipe Favorites, I’ll bet each of you had a version of at least one or two of these tried and true recipes, try your hand at elevating your favorite!
Shake and Bake Pork Chops
4 pork chops, bone in or boneless, about ½ inch thick
Mayonnaise, enough to coat the pork chops with a thin layer
2/3 cup Panko bread crumbs
2 teaspoons paprika
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon onion powder
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
¼ teaspoon dried thyme
¼ teaspoon Italian seasoning
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper, optional
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking dish with parchment paper then set aside, I used a non-stick spray here.
Prepare the coating by combining the bread crumbs, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper, dried thyme, Italian seasoning, and cayenne pepper, if using. Add these to a large resealable bag. Seal and rotate to combine even further.
Apply the mayonnaise to the pork chops using the back of a spoon, coat each with a thin layer of mayonnaise.
Transfer each mayonnaise coated pork chop to the bag of breadcrumb mixture. Seal bag and shake and rotate until the pork chop is evenly coated.
Once coated transfer the pork chops to the prepared baking sheet. If there is any leftover seasoning you can sprinkle on top of each chop, pressing slightly so it will stick.
Bake for 15 to 25 minutes or until pork chops are fully cooked to about 165 degrees, cook a bit longer for the coating to become crispy.
Remove the pork chops from the oven and allow to rest a few minutes, then serve.
Easy Tuna Casserole Bake
For the Casserole
16 ounces wide egg noodles
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 cups whole milk, divided
¾ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
4, 5 ounce cans tuna canned in water, drained
1 cup frozen peas
For the Topping
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
½ cup panko bread crumbs
2 tablespoons butter
For the casserole, cook the egg noodles following package instructions until al dente, then drain and set aside.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Coat a 9 x 13 inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray, then set aside.
To make the sauce melt butter in a medium sized saucepan over medium heat. Stir in flour and cook for 1 minute. Gradually add 2 cups of milk, stirring constantly. Cook until thickened into a sauce, which may take up 10-15 minutes, stirring constantly. Season with salt and pepper.
In a large bowl mix together cooked noodles, drained tuna, prepared sauce, remaining 1 cup of milk, frozen peas, and shredded cheddar. Transfer to the prepared casserole dish.
To prepare the topping, begin by sprinkling the remaining shredded cheddar cheese on top of the casserole. Separately in a small bowl, microwave butter until melted, then add bread crumbs. Spoon fully coated bread crumbs evenly atop the cheese on the casserole.
Bake until the top is golden brown, about 20 minutes. Allow casserole to cool slightly before serving.
Nothing is more nostalgic than Jell-O. This recipe has been called Stained Glass Jell-O, Broken Glass Jell-O, or Broken Windows Jell-O, here is the basic recipe.
For the Colored Gelatin
4, 1.4 ounce boxes gelatin in assorted flavors and colors
Boiling and cold water, per gelatin box directions
For the Creamy Gelatin
4, .25 ounce envelopes unflavored gelatin, such as Knox
2 cups boiling water
1 ½ cups heavy cream, chilled
14 ounces sweetened condensed milk
To prepare the colored gelatin, add each packet of flavored gelatin to a separate medium heatproof bowl. Add boiling water and cold water to each bowl following the package directions and stir well until the mixtures are smooth.
Transfer each mixture to airtight rectangular containers that hold at least 2 cups each. Refrigerate until firm, at least 6 hours or overnight.
Cube the colored gelatin, once the four colored gelatins are firm, slice them into rou9ghly 1 inch cubes.
Transfer the cubes to a glass 9 x 13 inch baking dish, be sure it is glass to get the full stained glass effect. Make sure to mix up the colors. Chill in the fridge while you make the white gelatin layer.
To prepare the white gelatin, in a medium bowl, combine the unflavored gelatin with the boiling water and whisk until smooth. Let the mixture cool for about 15 to 20 minutes, until warm but no longer hot.
In a separate bowl, use a hand mixer to beat the heavy cream on medium speed until soft peaks form, about 5 minutes. Add the sweetened condensed milk and beat until combined and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
Add the whipped cream mixture to the cooled unflavored gelatin and gently fold to combine.
Gently pour the creamy gelatin mixture into the flavored gelatin cubes in the prepared dish or pan. Fold and stir to make sure the creamy white mixture is evenly distributed and coats the flavored gelatin cubes completely.
Cool the mixture until it is room temperature, 15 to 20 minutes. Cover tightly with plastic wrap. Refrigerate until fully chilled and firm, at least 8 hours and up to 2 days.
Chocolate Oatmeal No-Bake Cookies
(I used to love to stir up a pot of these, might even make some this weekend)
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon cocoa butter
2/3 cup oats
3 tablespoons peanut butter
¼ teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoons milk
1/3 cup sugar
Line a small baking sheet with parchment paper.
Add the butter, milk, cocoa powder, and sugar to a saucepan over medium heat. Whisk to combine and heat the mixture until the sugar has dissolved.
Remove the saucepan from the heat, and stir in the vanilla, peanut butter and oats until well combined.
Drop spoonful’s of the mixture on the parchment lined baking sheet, and chill until the cookies have hardened. Enjoy! I know you will!!
Southern Macaroni Salad with Ham
3 cups cooked macaroni
1 cup chopped cooked ham
1 cucumber, peeled, seeded and diced
1 tomato, seeded and diced
1 small red bell pepper, diced
1 small yellow pepper, diced
1 ¼ cups mayonnaise, only Duke’s for me, but choose your favorite
1 ½ teaspoon seasoning, this varies among families, Ranch, Italian, Cajun, or your favorite
2 teaspoon lemon juice
Salt and pepper to taste
Prepare the macaroni according to directions, drain, rinse with cold water until cooled.
Combine macaroni and next 9 ingredients until blended. Add salt and pepper to taste. Cover and chill at least 2 hours.
Chicken Divan
5 ounces fresh broccoli, cut into small florets
6 ounces cooked chicken, cut into bite sized pieces
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour, more as needed to thicken
¼ cup chicken broth
¼ cup milk
¼ cup sour cream
½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon onion powder
¼ cup cheddar cheese, shredded
¼ cup Parmesan cheese, shredded
¼ cup panko breadcrumbs
Preheat your oven to 375°F. Spray an 8 x 9 inches baking dish with cooking spray to prevent sticking.
In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Once melted, add the flour and whisk until combined. Cook for 2-3 minutes, or until the mixture becomes bubbly and golden in color.
Slowly whisk in the chicken broth, ensuring there are no lumps. Follow by adding the milk, while stirring constantly to maintain a smooth consistency. Continue cooking the sauce until it thickens and starts bubbling.
Remove the skillet from heat and stir in the sour cream Dijon mustard, salt, garlic and onion powder, combining well.
Place the broccoli in a microwave-safe bowl with 2 tablespoons of water. Cover the bowl and microwave on high for 2 minutes. Drain the broccoli to remove any excess water.
Add the partially cooked broccoli and the chicken to the skillet with the sauce. Stir everything together until well combined.
Transfer the mixture from the skillet into the prepared baking dish, spreading it out evenly.
In a small bowl, mix together the cheese and bread crumbs. Sprinkle this breadcrumb mixture evenly over the top of the chicken and broccoli.
Place the baking dish in the preheated oven and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the cheese and bread crumbs turn golden brown and crispy, and the sauce is bubbling.
Once done, remove the dish from the oven and let it cool for a few minutes before serving.
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