Here’s the thing about casseroles from the 1970s. They were practical, comforting, and honestly, a little bit weird. Think canned soup mixed with Jello molds, or marshmallows topping sweet potato dishes that straddled the line between side and dessert. Yet somehow, these relics are creeping back into kitchens across America. In 2025, these recipes are showing up on social media channels with updated ingredients, and viral hashtags like #RetroCooking and #GrandmasRecipes are introducing these dishes to younger generations.
Food blogger Heidi Bruaw says casseroles are going viral because they are cheap to make and many people are looking for ways to save money on groceries. Rising food costs make these resourceful meals particularly appealing as they maximize flavor while minimizing expense. So let’s dive in.
Tuna Noodle Casserole
This was the workhorse of 70s dinners. Born in the lean postwar years, by the 1970s it barely needed an introduction, relying on ingredients that could survive in a suburban cabinet for months including egg noodles, cream of mushroom soup, and canned tuna. The retro comfort food of canned tuna dotted with peas and mushrooms could feed a household on a dime and required little culinary technique, coming together in around half an hour.
The beauty of tuna casserole was its simplicity. You literally just opened cans, boiled noodles, and baked. A classic tuna noodle casserole symbolizes resilience and familial connection, which is probably why it still feels so damn satisfying when you pull it from the oven today. Let’s be real, sometimes you don’t want fancy ingredients or complicated techniques.
Beef Stroganoff Casserole
When General Mills launched Hamburger Helper in 1971, it was pitched as a stovetop solution, but by the mid-70s families were turning stroganoff versions into full-blown casseroles baked in a dish and topped with extra cheese. The original stroganoff was elegant, but the casserole version made it accessible to everyday cooks.
I honestly think this dish deserves more credit than it gets. The creamy sauce paired with tender beef and egg noodles creates something luscious and filling. It’s perfect for cold nights when you need serious comfort without the fuss. The casserole format also meant leftovers heated up beautifully the next day, making it a practical weeknight choice that stretched budgets and time.
Green Bean Casserole
Invented in a Campbell’s test kitchen in 1955, by the 70s green bean casserole had broken free from its Thanksgiving-only reputation, becoming a year-round fixture at potlucks and buffet lines. The combination of green beans, cream of mushroom soup, and those crispy fried onions on top became iconic.
What made this casserole special was its texture contrast. Soft, creamy beans underneath, crunchy onions on top. Simple but effective. According to research firm Datassential, green bean casserole remains a comfort food staple on menus, alongside meatloaf and chicken and dumplings. It’s the kind of dish that sparks nostalgia while still tasting genuinely delicious.
Chicken Divan
Chicken Divan was allegedly first created in a New York City restaurant in the 1930s or 40s, and it’s a casserole with a more sophisticated air, essentially comprising chicken and broccoli cooked in a creamy booze-spiked sauce and topped with cheese or breadcrumbs. This wasn’t your typical dump-and-bake casserole.
The sauce often included a splash of sherry, which gave it an elegant touch that made it perfect for dinner parties. Honestly, it’s hard to say for sure, but I suspect this dish appealed to 70s hosts who wanted to seem fancy without too much effort. The sauce combined chicken broth, half and half, and sherry, with shredded cheddar melting down to make it even more luscious. Today’s versions sometimes add curry powder for a modern twist.
Sweet Potato Casserole with Marshmallows
Here’s where things get controversial. Sweet potato casserole topped with marshmallows is either a beloved tradition or a culinary crime, depending on who you ask. By the 1960s, casseroles dominated family dinners and were celebrated for their ability to feed a crowd economically, and their versatility still makes them a good choice for busy families.
The marshmallow topping turns golden and gooey in the oven, creating something that blurs the line between side dish and dessert. It’s sweet, it’s indulgent, and it’s completely unapologetic. Some modern versions swap marshmallows for pecan streusel, but the classic sticky-topped version remains a holiday favorite that people either crave or avoid entirely.
Hamburger Helper Casserole
General Mills launched Hamburger Helper in 1971 as a stovetop solution for stretching a single pound of ground beef, but home cooks quickly realized the mix worked just as well in the oven, turning it into casseroles baked in a dish and topped with extra cheese. This was peak convenience cooking.
The genius was in its simplicity and economy. One box, one pound of meat, and suddenly you had dinner for a family of four. Casseroles offer more than just nostalgia, they’re incredibly practical, budget friendly and versatile, which is exactly what today’s home cooks are looking for amid inflation. Whether you made the stroganoff, cheeseburger, or beef noodle version, the result was the same: hot, filling, and satisfying comfort food that required minimal skill and maximum value.
