Gather the family around the table and serve a comforting, nostalgic recipe. These are our readers' best main dishes, sides, desserts and more—all passed down from the women they love.
12 Contest-Winning Recipes from Mom and Grandma
Updated on Jan. 31, 2022
1/11
Grand Prize: Russian Potato Salad
Total Time
40 min
Servings
16 servings
From the Recipe Creator:
This Russian potato salad recipe comes from my grandmother, who had written it down in Russian before she translated it for me when I was a teen. We made this every Easter, or for any event where family and friends gathered together. —Gala McGaughey, Berryville, Virginia
Nutrition Facts:
3/4 cup: 269 calories, 14g fat (2g saturated fat), 1mg cholesterol, 455mg sodium, 35g carbohydrate (15g sugars, 3g fiber), 2g protein.
2/11
1st Place: Mom’s Pickled Carrots
Total Time
35 min
Servings
6 cups
From the Recipe Creator:
My mother is the only other person I've known to make this recipe. In fact, when I take it to a potluck or picnic, no one has ever heard of pickled carrots. But once they try them, they are hooked. —Robin Koble, Fairview, Pennsylvania
Nutrition Facts:
1/4 cup: 30 calories, 0 fat (0 saturated fat), 0 cholesterol, 170mg sodium, 7g carbohydrate (6g sugars, 1g fiber), 1g protein.
3/11
2nd Place: Comforting Tuna Patties
Total Time
30 min
Servings
6 servings
From the Recipe Creator:
My grandmother and mother made these tuna patties on Fridays during Lent. I'm not the biggest fan of tuna, but it's perfect in this dish. These patties are even good cold the next day, if there are any leftovers. —Ann Marie Eberhart, Gig Harbor, Washington
Nutrition Facts:
1 tuna patty: 255 calories, 17g fat (5g saturated fat), 34mg cholesterol, 419mg sodium, 15g carbohydrate (5g sugars, 1g fiber), 10g protein.
4/11
3rd Place: Mom-Mom Bessie’s Coconut Molasses Pie
Total Time
55 min
Servings
8 servings
From the Recipe Creator:
I'm the keeper of my husband's grandmother's handwritten recipe book. Mom-Mom Bessie was one of the best cooks I knew, and we think of her every time we make this pie. The flavor combination of coconut and molasses is a family favorite. —Susan Bickta, Kutztown, Pennsylvania
Nutrition Facts:
1 piece: 486 calories, 19g fat (10g saturated fat), 54mg cholesterol, 243mg sodium, 80g carbohydrate (66g sugars, 1g fiber), 5g protein.
5/11
Runner Up: Grandma’s Onion Squares
Total Time
1 hour 15 min
Servings
9 servings
From the Recipe Creator:
My grandma brought this recipe with her when she emigrated from Italy as a young wife and mother. It is still a family favorite. —Janet Eddy, Stockton, California
Nutrition Facts:
1 piece: 256 calories, 15g fat (5g saturated fat), 27mg cholesterol, 447mg sodium, 25g carbohydrate (3g sugars, 1g fiber), 5g protein.
6/11
Runner Up: Turkey Crepes
Total Time
1 hour 20 min
Servings
6 servings
From the Recipe Creator:
This savory crepe recipe has been passed down through many generations in my family. You can also use any leftover turkey filling for turkey pot pie. —Andrea Price, Grafton, Wisconsin
Nutrition Facts:
2 filled crepes: 434 calories, 14g fat (7g saturated fat), 170mg cholesterol, 1063mg sodium, 47g carbohydrate (9g sugars, 2g fiber), 28g protein.
7/11
Runner Up: Apricot Mud Hen Cake Bars
Total Time
50 min
Servings
24 servings
From the Recipe Creator:
These mud hen bars have been in my family for generations. My maternal grandmother gave this recipe to my mother, who shared it with me. I’ve been told the name comes from the speckled meringue topping that resembles the coloring of hens. —Kristine Chayes, Smithtown, New York
Nutrition Facts:
1 piece: 163 calories, 9g fat (4g saturated fat), 31mg cholesterol, 69mg sodium, 21g carbohydrate (12g sugars, 1g fiber), 2g protein.
8/11
Runner Up: Apricot Ice Cream Soda
Total Time
20 min
Servings
4 servings
From the Recipe Creator:
This recipe came from my husband’s aunt, who was born in the early 1900s. It's a delightful drink for hot Texas summers. —Joan Hallford, North Richland Hills, Texas
Nutrition Facts:
1 ice cream soda: 554 calories, 22g fat (14g saturated fat), 68mg cholesterol, 34mg sodium, 92g carbohydrate (88g sugars, 3g fiber), 3g protein.
9/11
Runner Up: Bread Pudding Pie
Total Time
1 hour 10 min
Servings
8 servings
From the Recipe Creator:
This unique dessert, a combination of pie and bread pudding, was created by my paternal grandmother's family. They had a farm and made their own bread, which made this a low-cost dessert. — Kelly Barnes, Lexington, Indiana
Nutrition Facts:
1 piece: 314 calories, 15g fat (9g saturated fat), 84mg cholesterol, 230mg sodium, 39g carbohydrate (22g sugars, 1g fiber), 6g protein.
10/11
Runner Up: Cornish Pasties
Total Time
1 hour 20 min
Servings
8 servings
From the Recipe Creator:
My great-aunt Gladys was from a small mining town in England where pasties were popular. I loved to watch her craft each Cornish pasty, as she made them in different sizes depending on who was eating. —Verna Hainer, Pueblo, Colorado
Nutrition Facts:
1/2 pasty: 556 calories, 32g fat (10g saturated fat), 47mg cholesterol, 864mg sodium, 46g carbohydrate (3g sugars, 3g fiber), 19g protein.
11/11
Runner Up: Strawberry Buttermilk Skillet Shortcake
Total Time
1 hour 15 min
Servings
10 servings
From the Recipe Creator:
This scratch-made strawberry buttermilk cake is a family favorite. The recipe is over 100 years old, and I remember my grandma making it. We still carry on the family tradition by making this old-fashioned recipe each summer. —Claudia Lamascolo, Melbourne, Florida
Nutrition Facts:
1 piece: 526 calories, 27g fat (12g saturated fat), 74mg cholesterol, 418mg sodium, 64g carbohydrate (33g sugars, 2g fiber), 6g protein.
