Easy Retro Recipes with 5 Ingredients or Less

In the mood for a homecooked meal but don’t want long ingredient lists or complicated instructions?

We searched Newspapers.com™ to find 12 easy, time-tested recipes! From main dishes to sides to desserts, these recipes all use 5 ingredients or less!

02 Jan 1972, Sun Morning Pioneer (Mandan, North Dakota) Newspapers.com

(We’ve transcribed the newspaper recipes below to make them easier to follow. Click on any image to see the original recipe on Newspapers.com™.)

Peachy Chicken (1975)

Peachy Chicken 06 Feb 1975, Thu Chicago Tribune (Chicago, Illinois) Newspapers.com

• 1 can (16 ounces) cling peach slices
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon soy sauce
• 12 pieces chicken

1. Drain syrup from peaches and reserve. Mix with lemon juice and soy sauce.
2. Arrange chicken in single layer in 12 by 9-inch baking dish. Brush with half the sauce.
3. Bake at 400 degrees for 1 hour, brushing every 15 minutes with sauce.
4. Add peach slices, brush with pan juices, and bake 5 minutes longer, until peaches are warm and chicken is tender. (Six servings.)

Evelyn’s Easy Beef Burgandy (1974)

Evelyn’s Easy Beef Burgundy 24 Feb 1974, Sun The Courier-Journal (Louisville, Kentucky) Newspapers.com

• 1 ½ cups (or more) beef stew meat
• 1 package dry onion-soup mix
• 1 (10 ½-ounce) can cream-of-mushroom soup
• ½ cup burgundy wine
• Noodles or rice

1. Combine all ingredients in small casserole with a tight cover and bake at 300 degrees for about three hours. If cover is not very tight, better check occasionally and add water, if needed.
2. Recipe makes three servings over noodles or rice.

Pork Chop Sparkle (1959)

Pork Chop Sparkle 08 Jan 1959, Thu The Expositor (Brantford, Ontario, Canada) Newspapers.com

• 4 pork chops (about 1 pound)
• ¼ cup chopped onion
• 1 ½ cups V-8 (10 ounce can)
• ½ cup rice
• 4 rings green pepper (1/2 inch thick)

1. Brown pork chops in heavy skillet; add onion and V-8; bring to a boil.
2. Stir rice into V-8; (be sure rice is in liquid); top each chop with green pepper ring.
3. Cover and cook about 30 minutes over low heat until chops are tender and rice is done.
4. Season to taste. (Makes 4 servings.)

Ready S’ghetti Skillet (1971)

Ready S’ghetti Skillet 26 Jan 1971, Tue Transcript-Telegram (Holyoke, Massachusetts) Newspapers.com

• 1 cup (4 oz.) spaghetti, broken
• 1 lb. ground beef
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 package (1 oz.) spaghetti sauce seasoning mix
• 1 lb. can stewed tomatoes

1. Cook spaghetti as directed on package. Drain.
2. While spaghetti is cooking, brown ground beef. Sprinkle with salt and seasoning mix.
3. Add tomatoes and cooked spaghetti. Simmer gently 10 to 15 minutes, until hot and bubbly. (Makes 6 to 8 servings)
4. Tips: For a family favorite, substitute 1 cup cooked macaroni rings for the spaghetti pieces. Substitute 1 can (10 oz.) tomato soup for the stewed tomatoes.
5. To keep warm, Ready S’ghetti may be placed in a 1 ½ to 2-quart casserole and held in 325° oven for 20 to 30 minutes.

Sour Cream Biscuits (1966)

Sour Cream Biscuits 17 Apr 1966, Sun The Bradenton Herald (Bradenton, Florida) Newspapers.com

• 2 cups sifted self-rising flour
• 1 cup dairy sour cream

1. Measure flour into bowl. Add sour cream and mix thoroughly to make a soft dough.
2. Turn out on lightly floured board or pastry cloth and knead gently 30 seconds.
3. Roll out ½-inch thick. Cut with floured biscuit cutter or sharp knife.
4. Place on ungreased baking sheet. Bake in 450 F oven 10 to 12 minutes or until lightly browned. (Makes about 12 medium biscuits.)

Tiffany Chips (1972)

Tiffany Chips 02 Jan 1972, Sun Morning Pioneer (Mandan, North Dakota) Newspapers.com

• 2 small or medium-sized Idaho potatoes
• 1 cup wheat or com flake crumbs
• 3 tablespoons Parmesan cheese
• 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
• ½ cup butter, melted

1. Scrub but do not pare potatoes. Cut in half lengthwise, then cut each half lengthwise into 4 to 5 wedges.
2. Combine half cereal crumbs with Parmesan cheese and half crumbs with sesame seeds. Dip potato wedges in melted butter and coat half with each crumb mixture.
3. Place on baking sheet or jelly roll pan. Bake in a hot oven (400° F.) for 20 to 25 minutes. (Yield: 16 to 20 appetizers.)

Brandied Cheddar Spread (1977)

Brandied Cheddar Spread 05 Jan 1977, Wed The Fresno Bee (Fresno, California) Newspapers.com

• 1 cup butter or margarine, softened
• 1 pound sharp Cheddar cheese, grated
• ¼ cup brandy
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• ¼ teaspoon liquid hot pepper seasoning

1. Beat butter in large bowl of mixer until very fluffy.
2. Add grated cheese, brandy, Worcestershire sauce and pepper seasoning; beat until well blended.
3. Chill overnight or up to three weeks. Serve with crackers. Makes 5 cups.
4. Brandied Cheddar Spread takes only five ingredients, but is best when allowed to mellow in the refrigerator—up to three weeks.

Swedish Raisin Oat Cookies (1954)

Swedish Raisin Oat Cookies 22 Aug 1954, Sun The Boston Globe (Boston, Massachusetts) Newspapers.com

• ½ cup seedless raisins
• 2/3 cup butter or margarine
• 3 cups oatmeal (do not pack)
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• ½ cup milk

1. Cover raisins with boiling water and let stand about five minutes. Drain and dry thoroughly.
2. Cream butter in large bowl. Mix in oatmeal, sugar and milk. Add raisins.
3. Knead until well blended. The dough may be kneaded on a board.
4. Roll dough into small balls and place on greased baking sheets. Flatten with a fork. (The edges of the dough will break and not remain perfect circles).
5. Bake in moderately hot oven (375 degrees F.) about 15 minutes, or until light brown. (Makes about 2 ½ dozen cookies.)

Unbelievable Peanut Butter Cookies (1966)

Unbelievable Peanut Butter Cookies 29 Mar 1966, Tue The Wichita Eagle (Wichita, Kansas) Newspapers.com

• 1 cup peanut butter
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 egg, unbeaten
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

1. Mix all together.
2. Drop by teaspoonfuls or make into small balls.
3. Bake at 325 degrees for 15 to 18 minutes. They may be placed close together as they don’t spread out. (Makes 38 to 40 cookies.)

Pineapple Torte (1958)

Pineapple Torte 05 Feb 1958, Wed The Sacramento Bee (Sacramento, California) Newspapers.com

• 2 cups graham cracker crumbs (26 crackers)
• ¼ cup melted butter or margarine
• ½ cup sugar
• 1 ½ cups undrained crushed pineapple

1. Combine graham cracker crumbs with melted butter or margarine and sugar.
2. Sprinkle one-third of the crumbs in the bottom of a well-greased 10-inch round baking pan.
3. Spread ¾ cup of undrained crushed pineapple over crumbs in an even layer.
4. Sprinkle another third of the crumb mixture over pineapple.
5. Spread another ¾ cup of pineapple over this and top with the last of the crumbs.
6. Pat surface to make it firm.
7. Bake at 375 degrees for 35 minutes. Cut in pie-shaped wedges and serve with lemon sauce. (Makes 8 servings.)

Fruit Flipovers (1967)

Fruit Flipovers 26 Jan 1967, Thu Hawaii Tribune-Herald (Hilo, Hawaii) Newspapers.com

• 2 packages refrigerated flaky biscuits (or 20 biscuits)
• Strawberry, apricot or peach preserves or apple butter
• Powdered sugar

1. Separate and roll each biscuit on a floured surface into a thin circle.
2. Place a tablespoon of preserves in center of circle. Fold dough in half, pinching the edges together and sealing with a fork.
3. Place on a greased cookie sheet and bake at 450 degrees for 10 minutes.
4. Dust with powdered sugar; serve immediately. (20 Flipovers.)

Apple Blossom Ice Cream Soda (1963)

Apple Blossom Ice Cream Soda 10 Jul 1963, Wed Battle Creek Enquirer (Battle Creek, Michigan) Newspapers.com

• 2 cups apple juice
• 1 pint peach ice cream
• Dry ginger ale

1. Pour ½ cup apple juice in each of 4 tall glasses.
2. Divide ice cream equally among 4 glasses.
3. Fill glasses with ice cold ginger ale.
4. Stir gently to mix.

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