12 Retro Back-of-the-Box Recipes We Still Love

Recipes from brand name companies often get a bad rap. But many people learned to cook from the backs of boxes, bottles, and jars, especially in the 1950s, 60s, and 70s when packaged convenience foods and shortcut dinners really took off. If you grew up in America during those years, you probably ate a lot of these easy and delicious back-of-the-box vintage meals. We've compiled the best recipes from big brand names that deserve a comeback — or in some cases, never went out of style. 

It's impossible to resist sticking your hand into a bowl of Chex party mix over and over again. If you were a mom in the 80s, you definitely made this savory mix for parties. The stuff you can buy in a bag just isn't the same, plus when you make it yourself you can customize it to your family's tastes. Don't skimp on the Worcestershire sauce. 

Recipe: Chex

Chocolate chip cookies were created by Ruth Wakefield at the Toll House restaurant in 1939. They've been a classic ever since, and many people start their journey in baking with the original Toll House chocolate chip cookie recipe printed on the back of every bag of Nestle chocolate chips. Sure, fancier cookies with brown butter and expensive chocolate exist, but nothing hits quite like this one.

Recipe: Nestle

Related: 10 Gooey Dessert Recipes That Start With Nestle Toll House Cookie Dough

Bisquick baking mix has been a kitchen shortcut since the 1930s. Since at least the 1970s, the company has been printing the recipe for Impossibly Easy Cheeseburger Pie on the back of the box. It's made with ground beef, onions, cheese, and a pourable Bisquick batter. The recipe became so popular that there's a whole collection of similar "impossible pie" recipes, including taco and coconut versions.

Recipe: Betty Crocker

Related: 25 Betty Crocker-Era Holiday Recipes That We Secretly Love

Remember when mounds of creamy spinach dip were served in a bread bowl? That's a food trend that shouldn't have ever gone away. It's made with Knorr vegetable soup mix, which — let's be real — no one eats as a soup. Instead, it's mixed with sour cream, spinach, and those unmistakably crunchy water chestnuts into the best party dip ever.

Recipe: Knorr

Fantasy fudge is a recipe that has appeared on jars of Kraft Marshmallow Creme since at least the 1970s. Making fudge the old fashioned way is normally a long process, but with marshmallow fluff, it's foolproof and only needs five minutes of cooking. You can add anything you want to this fudge, including mint candies, Oreos, or even peanut butter.

Recipe: AllRecipes

Related: 14 Cheap and Delicious '70s Recipes Due for a Comeback

There's been a number of oatmeal cookie recipes on the back (or lid) of Quaker Oats containers, but the one that gets talked about most has a delightful name. Vanishing oatmeal raisin cookies are a chewy, cinnamon-filled cookie jar classic. If you're one of those anti-raisin people, feel free to use nuts, chocolate chips, or butterscotch chips instead.

Recipe: Quaker Oats

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Campbell's green bean casserole might just be one of the most beloved recipes in American history. It was created by Dorcas Reilly in 1955 when she was a Campbell's test kitchen employee, but it didn't appear on cans until the 1960s. It's been gracing an estimated 20 million Thanksgiving tables each year ever since. It's only got five ingredients, so even inexperienced cooks can whip it up in no time. 

Recipe: Campbell's

Related: These Are the Most Popular Thanksgiving Casseroles in Every State

Another Thanksgiving classic, Libby's pumpkin pie recipe has been gracing its cans since 1950. All you do is pour, mix, and bake thanks to a frozen pie crust and simple recipe. Cinnamon, ginger, and cloves give it that classic, spiced fall flavor.

Recipe: Libby's

Related: 22 Classic Pie Recipes

Karo corn syrup started being used to make gooey pecan pies in the 1930s, and the recipe has been printed on the product's labels for almost as long. It's only got seven ingredients (and one's the crust), so you can whip up a decadent pie in no time. There's all kinds of variations on the original recipe as well, including Rumchata and German chocolate pecan pies.

Recipe: Karo

Related: 25 Simple Depression-Era Desserts That Actually Are Indulgent

Lipton onion soup mix is another of those seasoning packets that people don't really seem to eat as soup. It makes a fantastic two-ingredient onion dip for potato chips, but the more innovative back-of-the-box recipe is for meatloaf. All you do is mix a packet into ground beef with eggs, breadcrumbs, and ketchup, and it's a perfectly seasoned dinner that families have been enjoying for decades.

Recipe: Lipton

Related: 20 Unique Meatloaf Recipes for a Cozy Weeknight Dinner

A version of Rice Krispies treats was created way back in the 1930s, but it didn't get the marshmallow treatment until 1940. Still, who would have guessed that Rice Krispies treats were that old? Moms nowadays still love it because it's allergy-friendly for schools, and kids love it because it's gooey, sticky, and fun to eat. Sure, you can add or change all kinds of things about this recipe to customize it, but the classic is a classic for a reason.

Recipe: Kellogg's

Related: Which Iconic Food Was Launched the Year You Were Born?

Sure, you can buy canned cranberry sauce for Thanksgiving. But the real cooks know that to get the best stuff, you just follow the simple recipe on the back of the Ocean Spray fresh cranberries bag. It's only got three ingredients (two if you don't count the water!) and it couldn't be simpler. If you really want to impress people, use orange juice in place of water.

Recipe: Ocean Spray

Related: Creative Cranberry Recipes for Thanksgiving and Beyond