Some dishes, despite their observed lack of mainstream popularity in today’s society, have endured through several decades. I found several updates to the recipes for these dishes and present them below. Based on these upgraded dishes, I’m surprised they’re not found on more menus (or homes).

Meatloaf: How often do you refer to this dish as “Mom’s Meatloaf”? Is mom even making it anymore? It seems if you’re going to take the time to mold ground beef, you may as well make meatballs or hamburgers. Following recipes will add more prep time, but hopefully the results will be worth it.

• Southwestern meatloaf – uses tortilla chips and salsa
• BBQ potato cheese meatloaf – uses baked beans and mashed potatoes
• Bacon and triple tomato meatloaf – uses sun-dried tomatoes

Casserole: Whenever I think of old TV shows like “Leave it to Beaver,” I always think of casserole. In the 1950s, favorite ingredients included beef and corn, tuna and potato chips, and chicken and vegetables. The only time I eat casserole is when it’s in the form of shepherd’s pie.

• Crunchy sweet potato casserole – uses sweet potatoes and corn flakes
• Polenta, sausage and spinach casserole – uses Italian sausage and frozen spinach
• Chicken and zucchini noodle casserole – uses Greek yogurt

Chicken a la King: Cubed chicken and cream sauce over noodles, rice or bread. That’s it. The appeal of this dish for the cook is that you usually combine leftovers to make it, and/or you mix Campbell’s cream of mushroom with Uncle Ben’s rice. Let’s improve that formula, shall we?

• Turkey a la king – uses leftover Thanksgiving turkey and  black olives
• Pecan chicken a la king – uses pecans and pimientos
• Paleo chicken a la king – uses cashews and Paleo bread or pasta

Salisbury Steak: I associate this so-called steak (it’s ground beef with gravy) with school hot lunches and TV dinners. According to Dictionary.com, the term became more prevalent in World War I when Americans wanted an alternate to the German word “hamburger.”

• Meatless Salisbury steak – uses mushrooms and oats
• Ground turkey and Italian sausage Salisbury steak – uses Newcastle Brown Ale
• Emerilized Salisbury steak – uses ground veal and ground pork