Step back in time with these nostalgic recipes from iVillagers all over the country

All these recipes are published as submitted by iVillage members, with small adjustments for clarity where necessary. Please note that we are unable to test recipes. If you have any questions or comments, do visit our Quick and Easy Cooking message board.

Cheese Pastries
Cheesy Pizzas
Cheese and Potato Pie
Spicy Chicken
Pot Roast Chicken
Beetroot and Lamb Casserole
Meat and Potato Pie
Skint Pie
Skillet Pie
Warming Sausage Casserole
Tagliatelle with Smoked Salmon and Spinach in a Mushroom Sauce
Apple Duffy
Bara Brith
Bread Pudding
Dreamy Chocolate Trifle
Lemon Cake

Cheese Pastries
By iVillager eiffepiffe

I have been making these for years and you will too when you have tried them. Not only will the plate be empty, everyone will ask for the recipe, too.

225g medium strength cheddar cheese
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 egg
dried or fresh chopped thyme (optional)
1 block frozen puff pastry, defrosted at room temperature

1. Grate the cheese into a large bowl. Add the onion and mix well.
2. Beat the egg, add to the bowl and mix. A good sprinkle of thyme can then be added, (optional).
3. Roll out the pastry into a square, spread the mixture over it, covering all the surface but leaving one edge to moisten with water.
4. Roll up into a long sausage and then cut into even slices about 2.5cm thick.
5. Place on a baking sheet and bake at 200C/400F/gas mark 6 until golden brown.Serve hot. ENJOY.

Cheesy Pizzas
By iVillager Lisa Marchant
This is the best recipe my mum used to make for us when we were kids.

Red Leicester cheese
mayonnaise
chopped spring onions
curry powder
muffins
salt and pepper

1. Grate the Red Leicester cheese in a bowl and mix in some mayonnaise, the chopped spring onions, curry powder, salt and pepper.
2. Split the muffins in half (like a burger bun) and spead the mixture over them.
3. Then just grill them. You can eat them hot or cold, or cut them into squares and serve them as hors d'oeuvres.
4. Bon appetit!

Cheese and Potato Pie
By iVillager sassie g

This is a really simple one, but so good I keep going back to mum's for more. The trick is to have a mixture of quite strong cheeses, my mum uses equal quantities of Canadian cheddar and Red Leicester (and her motto is you can never have enough, so don't skimp on the amount).

a couple of good-sized potatoes per person - King Edwards work best
as much grated cheese as your diet will allow
margarine for mashing
salt and pepper

1. Simply boil the potatoes in a large pan of salted water, then drain thoroughly.
2. Add the margarine, plenty of salt and pepper, and mash until quite smooth. Add the cheese (reserving some for the crust) and beat until the cheese has melted.
3. Transfer to a large greased bowl and sprinkle with the remaining cheese. Bake in the oven at 200C/375F/gas mark for about an hour, until the top of the pie is golden and bubbling.
4. You can serve this on its own, but I like it with some tinned tomatoes or a fresh green salad. Or, if you're feeling in the need of some comfort food, baked beans or tinned spaghetti go really well with it, too.

5-cs Spicy Chicken - like mama used to make!
By iVillager marielouisewatkins

500g chicken thighs (skinned and boned) and/or breast
1 tbsp each ground cardamom, cumin and coriander
vegetable oil for frying
280ml whipping cream
salt and pepper to taste

1. Wash and dry the chicken, then cut into 2.5-5cm strips.
2. Mix the ground cardamom, cumin and coriander in a large bowl. Add the chicken and mix until all is covered by the spices. Leave to rest in the fridge for 30 minutes if you can, if not use immediately.
3. Shallow-fry the chicken pieces (single layer) in the oil on a med/high heat until each side is lightly browned and all is thoroughly cooked. Remove from pan and place in a bowl. Continue frying the rest of the chicken until all pieces are cooked.
4. When all pieces are cooked, place the chicken back in the pan and add all the cream. Cook for around 15 minutes on a medium/high heat until the cream goes a darker shade and starts to thicken.
5. Add salt and pepper to taste.
6. Serve hot with plain white basmati rice.
7. Enjoy - it's absolutely delicious!

Pot-Roast Chicken
By iVillager Taraking

Hi - My mum is obsessed by any recipe that can be cooked in a pot. And I'm afraid to say I've totally inherited her passion for casseroling. And now I've a le Creusier (not sure how to spell it) I've gone into casserole overkill.

One of my favourite recipes she taught me is pot-roast chicken. This can be done with anything really. I either stuff the chicken with lemon, onion and garlic and season with salt and pepper or go for a more traditional wintery taste (my mother's choice).

1 whole chicken
rosemary
lemon
onion
chicken seasoning
potatoes, parsnips, carrots
bacon (optional)
stock
wine

1. For this one, season the chicken with the rosemary, a tiny bit of lemon juice and onion. Sprinkle the chicken seasoning spices inside and over the top.
2. Then put potatoes, parsnips, carrots, onions and anything else that's hanging around the fridge around the bird. You can also put bacon over the breast of the bird if you like it really meaty.
3. Pour some stock and a splash of wine over the top and then just pot roast. (At about 220C/425F/gas mark 7 for 25 minutes and then down to 190C/375F/gas mark 5).
4. Test it as you're cooking and you can baste it a bit. But you don't even have to do that. YUM - have to go and eat now! Have fun and if anyone has any good casserole recipes, please share. Love Tara

Beetroot and Lamb Casserole
By iVillager Zahin

1 small onion, finely diced
2 tbsp olive or vegetable oil
500g boneless lamb, diced into chunks
1 tbsp ginger and garlic paste
2 medium tomatoes, diced
500g beetroot, diced into chunks
1 tsp turmeric
2 tsp coriander powder
1/4 tsp chilli powder
1 tsp garam masala powder

1. Fry the onion in the oil. When golden, add the lamb and fry until golden. Add the ginger and garlic paste and fry for 5 minutes.
2. Add diced tomatoes and all other ingredients and fry for another 5-10 minutes until the oil separates.
3. Add 225ml water and cover dish with the lid and let it steam until the lamb is tender.
4. Add the coriander leaves and serve with naan bread or boiled rice.

Meat and Potato Pie
By iVillager tankgirl uk

This is something that my mum does really well. In fact, mine does not taste as good, so I have to keep going to my mum's. It is a frugal dish, but really filling and warming and perfect for winter. I really love it.

potatoes
1 tin casserole meat (no gravy)
shortcrust pastry
oxo or bovril stock cube

1. Boil the potatoes as you usually would. How many depends on how many you are serving to, and each person is different (say three medium sized potatoes per person).
2. Drain potatoes into a bowl and add contents of casserole tin. Mash together thoroughly and then transfer to large pie dish.
3. Cover with the uncooked pastry and bake in the oven until pastry is golden brown.
4. Place the stock cube in a cup or jug and mix it with boiling water until it is all melted. Pour over the served pie - or you can serve it with 'real' gravy.

Skint Pie
By iVillager sha.p.10

This is very cheap to make!

1 pack of sausage meat
1 onion, chopped
spoonful tomato puree or tomato sauce
herbs
225g shortcrust pastry (to cover), or suet pastry made from Atora and water
Marmite (optional)
milk, to glaze
salt and pepper

1. Mix the sausagemeat, onion, tomato, seasoning and herbs together in bowl.
2. Roll out the pastry and spread with a small amount of Marmite.
3. Transfer the filling to a baking dish or pie dish, cover with pastry, brush with milk to glaze if you're feeling posh, and bake in a medium oven for about 30 minutes.
4. Serve with beans or a salad.

Skillet Pie
By iVillager Technicalkt

2 leeks
1-2 carrots or other root vegetables
225g minced lamb
tin of tomatoes
scant 300ml stock
salt and black pepper

For the topping:
175g plain flour
75g suet
1 tsp dried mint or equivalent
water to bind

1. Wash, peel and chop the vegetables thinly.
2. Layer in a large, wide saucepan with a well-fitting lid, seasoning each layer. Top with the meat then the tomatoes including the juice. Pour over the stock.
3. Mix together the flour, suet and mint and season. Make into a firm dough using cold water. Flatten out with the hands to fit over the meat and veg without the topping touching the sides of the pan.
4. Bring the pan to the boil. Reduce the heat, cover tightly and simmer slowly for 1 hour. Serve with Worcestershire Sauce and crusty bread to mop up the juices.

Warming Sausage Casserole
By iVillager springdragon

This was one of my favourites as a little girl. Just the smell of it round the house makes your mouth water. Now I use veggie sausages and korma soup, but this is the original winter warmer recipe.

Serves 4 - 6
25g margarine

450g potatoes
2 large carrots
2 large onions
1 large can baked beans
1 large can mulligatawny soup
8 sausages

1. Grease a large casserole dish with the margarine.
2. Thinly slice potatoes, carrots and onions.
3. Arrange half the potatoes in a layer in the greased dish.
4. Cover with half the onions, all the carrots, the rest of the potatoes, then the rest of the onions.
5. Pour the can of beans over the layers. Arrange the sausages on top, then pour the soup over them.
6. Put a lid on the casserole (or greased foil) and bake on 180C/350F/gas mark 4 for 2 1/2 hours until the veg is tender and the sausages are cooked.
7. Needs nothing with it, but works rather well with chunks of crusty bread.

Tagliatelle with Smoked Salmon and Spinach in a Mushroom Sauce
By iVillager Flobasko

Serves 4

1 tbsp olive oil
2 garlic cloves, chopped or crushed
150g mushrooms, chopped
100g fresh spinach, chopped
2 tsp chopped tarragon (fresh or dried)
100g smoked salmon, chopped
1 x 295g can Campbell’s Condensed Mushroom Soup
juice of 1/2 lemon
tagliatelle (to serve 4)
parmesan cheese (optional)

1. Gently heat the olive oil, then add garlic and mushrooms. Sauté for 2-3 minutes, then add spinach and tarragon. Heat until soft.
2. Add the smoked salmon and Campbell's soup and mix in thoroughly.
3. Meanwhile cook the pasta as per packet instructions.
4. Once pasta is almost ready, add the lemon juice to the salmon and mushroom mixture and season to taste.
5. Drain pasta, mix in with the sauce and serve sprinkled with parmesan cheese.