14 Old-School Potluck Dishes That Deserve A Comeback

Although our tastes are always evolving, and food trends continue to dominate our ever-fleeting attention, it can sometimes be worth looking backwards to find cooking inspiration. A lot of old-school dishes tend to get a bad rap for various reasons, and we may look back at them with a certain amount of disdain. Perhaps they were on the less glamorous side, or maybe nowadays there are new and improved versions of them. However, not all of them need to be forgotten, and you may find that some are worth a second chance.

For those of us who grew up in the '80s or '90s, it's possible that we enjoyed these dishes in our childhoods, and now they probably strike deep nostalgia in us. I remember that potlucks, especially, are where many ugly/delicious meals from different households were enjoyed. Older generations were the ones making these comforting classics, and maybe they still do, and younger generations who have never tried them are surely missing out on some yummy food. One thing is for sure: Potlucks remain a great and economical way to come together and enjoy a meal. So, if you're looking for some vintage inspo for your next get-together, here are some old-school potluck dishes that deserve a comeback.

First on this list is one of the potluck hard-hitters of the past. Tuna casserole is something we don't see as much anymore, but it used to be a potluck favorite back in the day. Even though my family didn't make it growing up, I remember having it at gatherings and even learned to make it at my school's cooking club. It was a marvel to me that a can of cream of mushroom soup could be mixed with tuna at all, let alone be turned into something so different from a brown, mushy soup. You can recreate this classic along with pasta, cheese, a can of tuna, peas, and whatever other toppings you might like. It's so easy to prepare, and it's a dish that's filling, comforting, and can feed many. 

There are also so many ways to riff on it according to your taste and what you have in your fridge and pantry. A little fresh dill totally freshens up this dilly tuna casserole recipe, or you can give it a refined touch with some Dijon mustard and Gruyère in this cheesy deluxe tuna casserole recipe. Add an umami addition like miso paste to really bring it into the modern era.

Potatoes au gratin is a dish that some might call "old-fashioned" but deserves to stay on the potluck menu forever. I'm sure any type of potato dish would be a crowd-pleaser at any gathering, but add a creamy sauce, melted cheese, and crispy breadcrumb topping, and people will be begging you to bring potatoes au gratin everywhere. 

This dish straddles two worlds of being homey and rustic while also having French elegance. The potatoes are thick enough to retain their shape while still being thin enough to cook through in the cream sauce, creating a delicate mouthfeel. The addition of béchamel or cream and cheese makes this dish super rich and velvety.

If the name intimidates you, don't let it; it's really achievable for any home cook, especially with some helpful tips. It makes for a delicious side for Thanksgiving, a special occasion, or any big meal shared with loved ones.

This classic French dessert was all the rage for a while, but now it's considered retro. Still, a jiggly, baked custard with caramel syrup is timeless and always a good idea. Growing up, creme caramel was one of my mom's signature desserts. She was always tasked to bring it to church gatherings and dinner parties. It was beloved by kids and adults alike, and I'm pretty sure that would still be the same today.

While eating one is already so much fun, making one is even more thrilling. From the attempts to caramelize the sugar without burning it, hoping it's set through, and the moment of truth, the final flip onto the serving dish, this dessert brings so much drama that it's almost food theater. All that fun shouldn't be relegated to the past. Creme caramel, in all its glory, deserves a comeback in a major way. Give it a try if you've never had it before; you'll see what I mean.

Cake trends aren't a new thing by any means, and it seems there's always been an appetite for a new way or shortcut to make a delicious one. Long before we had TikTok, we had 7Up cakes. 7Up was actually used in the recipe, and it was a potluck hit in its time. It was actually a genius way to make a cake with no chemical leavening needed, since the carbonation in the soda took care of that.

7Up also has a good amount of sweetness and a lemon-lime flavor, so it just makes sense in a pound cake. Top it with a lemon glaze, and you've got yourself a delicious, citrusy pound cake with a smooth crumb. What's not to love?

Potato salad is pretty much a staple at many barbecues, cookouts, and potlucks. It's often the subject of much light-hearted controversy as to what does and doesn't belong in it. But before we had the mayonnaise-based one, the more old-school version, which was warm, had no mayo, and consisted of potatoes, vinegar, and bacon, among other things (like mustard and onions, was the norm. This dish, brought to America by German immigrants, was often referred to as "German potato salad."

It's not as common to find people making warm potato salad these days, but it deserves a comeback, especially for winter gatherings when you want to eat warm food. Plus, not everybody is a mayonnaise fan, and the idea of a mayo-free potato salad with a tangy, vinegary dressing sounds good to me, especially if you don't want that greasy, heavy feeling after.

Another salad we celebrated for being mayo-free was old-fashioned icebox coleslaw. The slaw was made with cabbage, onions, carrots, and a vinegar-based dressing, could stay in the fridge for several days and still keep well. That's where it got the "icebox" part of its name, since that was what the fridge's predecessor was called. Cabbage is quite a hardy vegetable, and it doesn't go soggy when already dressed, unlike most salads, meaning that it can be the gift that keeps on giving. If you make a whole batch for the week, it'll stay fresh. In fact, it might even get better each day as more of the dressing is absorbed.

While I love a mayo-based coleslaw, a zingy vinegar dressing is a different experience, but no less delicious. It's also perfect for taking to a barbecue, cookout, or any potluck because it's a side dish that can go with basically anything and can freshen up a table where most of the food is beige (which can tend to happen at potlucks). The fact that it has no mayo means it will keep well outdoors for hours. All in all, we need more icebox coleslaws at get-togethers.

The young people of today might not be familiar with artichoke dip, and that's a shame. It might not sound very appetizing, but that couldn't be further from the truth. An old-school warm artichoke dip used to be a staple at gatherings, and I truly question why we don't see them as much anymore. Tangy, creamy, cheesy artichoke dip is one of the best ways to enjoy the vegetable, and it's a crowd-pleaser no matter the occasion. It's been absolutely devoured at every potluck I've ever been at with one, so why not bring it back?

If you're feeling curious and want to give it a try, this three-ingredient artichoke dip couldn't be easier to make. All you need is canned artichokes, mayonnaise, and Parmesan cheese. Once you've got the basics down, you can begin to add other yummy things like spinach, jalapeños, peppers, other types of cheese, breadcrumbs, and more. You just may give hummus a rest and serve artichoke dip at your next potluck instead.

Many retro recipes might not have been designed for the age of Instagram, but that didn't mean they weren't packed full of flavor and a joy to eat. This very much applies to old-fashioned baked bean casserole, which brings together various types of beans, like kidney beans, green beans, butter beans, onions, and seasonings like sugar, ketchup, and mustard. Add some bacon to the mix, and you've got a winner. It's a great way to feed many with something that tastes so much better than it sounds.

In this economy, most of us are looking for a way to save money where we can. This is an example of a frugal-yet-hearty dish that has a lot of character and flavor. Plus, in today's world, wouldn't all the beans in this dish arguably count as either fibermaxxing and/or proteinmaxxing?

Jell-O was a big part of entertaining in the past, and there is a rich history of Jell-O salads – some of which should be locked up in the past. However, that doesn't mean everything Jell-O was bad. In fact, Jell-O desserts were mostly a thing of beauty, and up until the late '90s, you could still find gelatin desserts gracing potluck tables. Jell-O fruit salads were part of that, and the mixture of fruit, Jell-O, Cool Whip, and other ingredients made a cool, fruity, and creamy dessert. All those things together sound like a pretty satisfying dessert, especially on warmer weather days, and they're also usually pretty easy to make. These are all reasons why the desserts deserve a comeback.

Eating Jell-O is always fun, no matter how old you are, so Jell-O desserts like a jelly fruit salad would be a dream potluck dish in my eyes. There are plenty of ways to go about it, including making a three-ingredient dessert with cottage cheese and whipped topping. You can play around with fruit and flavors, using Jell-O flavors like strawberry, citrus, grape, or mango, and topping it with real fruit to give it a fresher feel. Give it some distinct layers or use shaped molds to make it look even prettier. 

One of the stars of the potluck tables of my childhood was spicy, creamy, imitation crab salads. My parents always made it the day before, knowing that it would hold up well for the gathering the next day, and I would sneakily pick at it whenever I could before it was time to serve it. I see it less and less nowadays, and it's even gone out of fashion in my family. I think perhaps we all need a reminder of how tasty it was so that we can bring it back.

Imitation crab salad can be made various ways, as long as you have a creamy component (mayonnaise or Thousand Island dressing work well), a crunchy contrast like onions or celery, and the imitation crab sticks or surimi flakes, you're good to go. Of course, you can use real crab instead of imitation. Have it as is or make crab salad sandwiches with it. You may find your new favorite potluck-worthy dish.

Another Jell-O dessert that's all but gone from the dessert table is trifle. Trifle may be a little polarizing, but for those who loved it, it used to be such a treat at holiday potlucks. Trifles are mostly made of layers of sponge cake, fruity Jell-O, whipped cream, custard, and other additions.

The best part of making a trifle though, is that it's customizable, meaning you can give it a chocolate twist or a boozy layer if you prefer. You can make everything from scratch or keep it simple and buy ready-made sponge cake or custard and just make the Jell-O yourself. There are so many options; go for a traditional British recipe or take your pick of any one of these show-stopping trifles to wow your guests at the next potluck. You can also make one big one or smaller individual servings.

If you're from the South, you might already know about cucumbers in vinegar (aka cucumber salad). It may have been one of your grandmother's recipes that you took for granted, but now, you may reflect back and realize how enjoyable it was. There are so many endless salad recipes online, and the number of ingredients you can add to yours can be overwhelming. Thankfully, this cucumber salad recipe keeps things simple but is still crunchy and flavorful. 

This salad is refreshing and zingy, and is made of a few ingredients like cucumbers, onions, vinegar, water, salt, and sugar. Just because it's simple doesn't mean there's not an art to getting everything just right, from delicately and thinly slicing the cucumbers to achieving the perfect ratio of vinegar to water, salt, and sugar so that it tastes sharp but not overpowering. 

Some old-school dishes are polarizing and inspire arguments about whether to bring them back or leave them in the past. Ambrosia salad is one such dish, and it usually generates a lot of discussion online. It's usually a mixture of various canned fruits, like pineapple and fruit cocktail, along with maraschino cherries, marshmallows, sour cream, and more. Don't knock it until you've tried it.

I think it should be kept on the barbecue table because of its cooling effect and because old-fashioned ambrosia salad is the perfect sweet dish to put together for a potluck, especially if you're limited on time. There's no cooking or heavy prep needed, just opening cans, containers, and packets and mixing everything together.

Southern pineapple casserole is less well-known than ambrosia salad but comes with similar controversy. This fruity dish is something between a side dish and a dessert. It includes cheddar cheese, which is usually the ingredient that folks raise their eyebrows at, as well as canned pineapple, Ritz crackers, cheddar cheese, and butter, flour, and sugar. The cheese is what makes it a thing of beauty. The play between sweet and savory makes it really moreish, and it's a creamy and crunchy casserole that is beloved for a reason.

It has a rich feel, but the slight acidity from the pineapples keeps it light and makes you want to go back for more. It's old-school in the best way: simple, frugal, and super satisfying. If you're far from the South, you likely won't come across one unless you make it yourself. Here's a cheesy, pineapple casserole recipe you can try before you make up your own opinion.