Travel back in time to department store lunch counters and restaurants with our most delicious vintage recipes.
Vintage Recipes Inspired by Department Store Lunch Menus
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![NEW YORK CITY - DEC 2: Sign at entrance of Macy's department store in Herald Square, NYC on Dec 2, 2011. This building was added to the National Register of Historic Places as a landmark in 1978](https://www.tasteofhome.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/shutterstock_120240577.jpg?fit=696%2C696)
Feel like you’re lunching with the ladies with recipes inspired by restaurants in Marshall Fields, Saks, Bergdorf Goodman and more. Dine on wedge salads, chicken salad and chocolate cake from retro department store menus. No reservations necessary!
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Wedge Salad with Blue Cheese Dressing
A wedge salad gets the creamy treatment when topped with blue cheese dressing. Keep the dressing as a topper, or make it a dip for Buffalo wings. —Jenn Smith, East Providence, Rhode Island
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Roasted Tomato Soup
Turn fresh tomatoes, garlic and onion into a roasted tomato soup that explodes with flavor.
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Mushroom Asparagus Quiche
Loads of asparagus pieces add color and flavor to this hearty, creamy quiche. And its easy crescent roll crust means you'll have dinner ready in a snap! —Sharon A. Fujita, Fontana, California
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Classic Cobb Salad
Making this salad is a lot like putting in a garden. I plant everything in nice, neat sections, just as I do with seedlings. —Patricia Kile, Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania
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Curried Egg Salad
A curry kick gives this egg salad big appeal. We love it when the weather gets warm. —Joyce McDowell, West Union, Ohio
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Hash Brown Pancakes with Smoked Salmon & Dill Cream
On weekends when I was growing up, pancakees, salmon and bagels were our brunch staples. Now, I combine the concepts and use whipped cream instead of cream cheese. —Arlene Erlbach, Morton Grove, Illinois
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Chicken Croissant Sandwiches
These sandwiches are easy to pull together when you need something fun and taste-worthy in a flash. I make them often for occasions like brunches, church youth meetings and impromptu family gatherings. —Cheryl Sigler, Louisville, Ohio
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Grilled Chicken Chopped Salad
Layered desserts always grab my family’s attention, but salads? Not so much. I wondered if I could get everyone on board by presenting a healthy salad in an eye-catching way. I’m happy to say that it worked. —Christine Hadden, Whitman, Massachusetts
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Aunt Betty's Blueberry Muffins
My Aunt Betty is quite a baker, but I look forward to these mouthwatering blueberry muffin recipe the most. She gives me enough so that I can freeze and enjoy them for weeks. —Sheila Raleigh, Kechi, Kansas
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Grilled Ham Burgers
My family loves my ham loaf, so I decided to make the ham loaf mixture into patties and grill them—it was an instant hit. Adding the arugula gives these burgers a peppery bite and honey mustard dressing adds just the right sweet and sour flavor. —Susan Bickta, Kutztown, Pennsylvania
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Mint-Cucumber Tomato Sandwiches
I jazzed up the quintessential teatime cucumber sandwich to suit my family's tastes. This was my absolute go-to sandwich last summer when I was pregnant. It hit all the right spots! —Namrata Telugu, Terre Haute, Indiana
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Spring Green Risotto
Once a week I create a new recipe for my blog, An Officer and a Vegan. I first made this risotto when I needed something cheerful and comforting. It would be fantastic with asparagus, zucchini or summer squash, but use whatever veggies are in season. —Deanna McDonald, Grand Rapids, Michigan
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BLT with Peppered Balsamic Mayo
Here’s my twist on the classic BLT. Creamy avocado, balsamic mayo and crisp salad greens make this version legendary in my book. For a lighter take, I often use turkey bacon. —Ami Boyer, San Francisco, California
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Salmon with Spinach & White Beans
My husband, Oscar, is a Southerner at heart. This salmon with garlicky beans and spinach won him over at first bite. —Mary Ellen Hofstetter, Brentwood, Tennessee
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Cucumber Sandwiches
I was introduced to a similar cucumber sandwich by a friend many years ago. I sometimes add thinly sliced onions for a change of pace. Along with fruit salad, it makes a light summer lunch. —Karen Schriefer, Stevensville, Maryland
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Quick Crab Melts
Two types of cheese on top of a savory crab mixture make these open-faced sandwiches ooey-gooey good! I usually serve them for dinner, but they also make a great app when cut in half. —Donna Bennett, Bramalea, Ontario
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Seafood Bisque
We live on the Gulf Coast, where fresh seafood is plentiful. I adapted several recipes to come up with this rich bisque. It's great as a first course or an entree, and it can be made with just shrimp or crabmeat. —Pat Edwards, Dauphin Island, Alabama
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Juicy Watermelon Salad
This fruit salad has such a surprising yet fabulous mix of flavors that friends often ask for the recipe. Combine seedless watermelon varieties in yellow, red and pink for a colorful twist. —Heidi Haight, Macomb, Michigan
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French Onion Soup
This rich and comforting French onion soup recipe is surprisingly simple to make at home. And it rivals the soup you’ll find at any restaurant.
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Pretzel-Crusted Chicken with Mixed Greens
The secret to crunchy success for this pretzel-crusted chicken recipe is grinding up the sourdough pretzel nuggets until they're finely crushed. You can change up the pretzel flavor by using hot buffalo wing or buttermilk ranch nuggets. —Kerri Balliet, Mequon, Wisconsin
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Turkey Cranberry Sandwich
This cranberry turkey sandwich isn't the usual half-hearted combination of leftovers. It's a delicious riff on the classic club sandwich, but made on foccaccia with a tangy cranberry mayo.
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Easy Crab Cakes
Just a few ingredients, including already-cleaned fresh or frozen crabmeat, make these easy crab cakes something you can throw together any day of the week.
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Frittata Florentine
My family is all about brunchy meals like this gorgeous Italian omelet. Lucky for us, it’s loaded with ingredients we tend to have at the ready. —Jenny Flake, Newport Beach, California
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Veggie Nicoise Salad
More and more people in my workplace are becoming vegetarians. When we cook or eat together, the focus is on fresh produce. This salad combines some of our favorite ingredients in one dish—and with the hard-boiled eggs and kidney beans, it delivers enough protein to satisfy those who are skeptical of vegetarian fare. —Elizabeth Kelley, Chicago, Illinois
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Brown Butter Sauce for Ravioli
One dinner hack you absolutely want to master is brown butter sauce for ravioli. It takes less than 30 minutes to make but delivers rich, aromatic and downright comforting flavors in that short time.
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The Ultimate Grilled Cheese
These gooey grilled cheese sandwiches taste great for lunch with sliced apples. And they're really fast to whip up, too. Here's how to make grilled cheese the right way. —Kathy Norris, Streator, Illinois
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Shrimp Salad with Cilantro Dressing
This pretty salad has such authentic flavor, you'll think you're sitting at a beachside cantina in Acapulco. —Heidi Hall, North St. Paul, Minnesota
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Passover Popovers
Enjoy these easy Passover popovers with your traditional holiday dinner, or simply any time you want a delicious, fluffy popover.
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Elegant Seafood Bisque
Creamy bisque is elegant enough for sit-down dinners yet hearty enough for casual gatherings.—Mike Payne, Hixson, Tennessee
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German Chocolate Cake
German chocolate cake is a towering chocolate-coconut-pecan cake, perfect for your next baking affair.
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Tomato-Poached Halibut
My halibut with a burst of lemon comes together in one pan and stays super moist. Try it with polenta, angel hair pasta or crusty bread. —Danna Rogers, Westport, Connecticut
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Blackened Pork Caesar Salad
When I cook, the goal is to have enough leftovers for lunch the next day. This Caesar with pork has fantastic flavor even when the meat is chilled. —Penny Hedges, Dewdney, British Columbia
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Spicy Crab Salad
My creamy crab salad gets a boost of heat from Sriracha and a tangy touch from lime. It’s ready fast, leaving me more time with guests. —Patti Lavell, Islamorada, Florida
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Ham & Mandarin Salad
I created this salad at the request of all the men in our house. They asked for something tangy, sweet, spicy and manly. This fit the bill. —Patricia Swart, Galloway, New Jersey
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Turkey Dijon Melts
I make this when I crave comfort food but don’t have the time or energy for a big meal. It works well with deli or leftover turkey. —Sarah Marshall, Creedmoor, North Carolina
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Tuna Ciabatta Melts
Use any good crusty bread when compiling this tuna spread sandwich. Top with slices of crunchy cucumber or luscious tomato for extra freshness. —Barb Templin, Norwood, Minnesota
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Grilled Beef & Blue Cheese Sandwiches
Roast beef, red onion and blue cheese really amp up this deluxe grilled sandwich. If you like a little heat, mix some horseradish into the spread. —Bonnie Hawkins, Elkhorn, Wisconsin
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