Every family has its “secret recipes” that have been passed down from generation to generation. And you might be surprised to learn that often, those coveted favorites originally came right from the back of a box of brownies or a can of soup. Well, Redditor RiversRubin asked, “What’s a recipe you love that was printed on the packaging?” Here’s what people said.
1.
“A few years ago, my dad was making his mother’s famed lemon meringue pie. Everyone always talked about it like it was passed down through the generations. I asked if he could write down the recipe for me, and he handed me the can of Eagle condensed milk. 😆”
2.
“King Arthur Flour has the best recipes in general. I’ve made pies, cakes and scones from their recipes countless times and they never fail.”
3.
“My father passed away when I was 18. A few years later, I was visiting my aunt in North Carolina, and she told me she was going to make my dad’s famous buttermilk biscuits. She offered to teach me the recipe. I was so excited. It had been almost a decade at that point since I’d had them, and I thought I might never taste them again. She started off by telling me that the first and most important step was to use Gold Medal flour. My dad always told her it had to be Gold Medal flour. It couldn’t be anything else. I didn’t know anything about cooking or baking at that point, so I asked why Gold Medal flour was so important. She said exactly what he’s told her so many years ago: because the recipe is printed on the bag of flour. It’s my favorite recipe, and it’s always good.”
4.
“Eagle brand magic cookie bars. My mom made them frequently when I was a kid, and they’re a staple in our dessert rotation now, too.”
5.
“The pumpkin pie recipe from the Libby’s canned pumpkin. I have an old can label in my recipe box file, just in case they stop printing it! I’ve been using it since the ’70s.”
6.
“My friend has a fried chicken restaurant, and people rave about her biscuits. They’re actually just Pillsbury Grands! She drives half an hour away to a different grocery store in the middle of the night so no one finds out.”
—Ben Lehrer
7.
“My grandma made the best strawberry freezer jam. Only in recent years (20 years after her death) have I realized it’s the recipe on the box of gelatin.”
8.
“The fudge recipe on the marshmallow fluff jars. I used to make tins every year, and people raved about it. I used peanut butter chips for peanut butter and other flavorings, but the base recipe was from the Kraft marshmallow fluff.”
9.
“I once asked my mom for her chocolate chip cookie recipe, and she said that she just always uses the recipe on the back of the Tollhouse bag.”
10.
“My mother’s friend made the best pound cake. She gave me her secret family recipe when I was moving out of state to take a new job. It is the Betty Crocker Pound Cake mix, and you add 1 tablespoon of Watkins almond extract to the mix. I still laugh every time I make it.”
—barbarajdailey
11.
“The Quaker Oats oatmeal cookies are the best! I use chocolate chips instead of raisins. I have a lid with the recipe on it in my box. It was my mom’s in the 80s. 😂”
12.
“Years ago, my sister-in-law made a pie that she treated as an old family secret recipe, which was shrouded in mystery. She’s not a great cook, so I think she wanted at least something that was hers, and she refused to ever share the recipe with me for my boys. Turns out, it’s on the back of the graham cracker box. It’s old southern icebox pie. I’ve now been making it for years for my kids.”
—peashootbiscuit
13.
“Kraft peanut butter cookies. A cup of Kraft peanut butter, half a cup of white sugar, and one egg. Mix well, form into small balls on a baking sheet, and bake at 350°F for about ten minutes. Everyone is obsessed with ‘my’ peanut butter cookies.”
14.
“Hershey’s Black Magic Cake. You know, the one on the back of the cocoa container? Yes, it’s fast, easy, and very chocolaty. Plus, it freezes very well. I have four slices wrapped up in my freezer right now.”
15.
“The Buffalo Chicken Dip recipe you get on the Frank’s Red Hot sauce bottle. It’s absolute garbage food, but I love it. I’ve tried to change the recipe to make it ‘nicer’ and it didn’t improve it. Some things are better kinda junky.”
16.
“Rice Krispies Treats from the side of the cereal box. I think most people in the US have had these at one time in their lives.”
17.
“The pecan pie recipe from the bottle of Karo syrup. My secret? Double the amount of pecans and use a deep dish pie crust.”
18.
“The original banana pudding recipe on the back of a box of Nilla Wafers before they changed the recipe was perfect.”
19.
“Slap Ya Mama Cajun seasoning had a recipe for ‘lazy potatoes’ that was so good. It called for diced potatoes, sliced sausage, peppers, onions, and a can of ‘cream of’ soup mixed with the Cajun seasoning. You put all of that into a casserole dish to bake. It’s a lot more chopping than anything I’d call lazy, but it’s delicious.”
20.
“Best Foods mayonnaise and Parmesan crusted chicken. This recipe is one of the most beautiful things my mom (who does not like to cook) ever showed me.”
21.
“Hurst’s Beans 15 Bean Soup. It’s delicious, easy, and the recipe comes straight off the little bag the beans come in.”
22.
“The Corn Casserole on the box of Jiffy cornbread mix. I triple the recipe for Thanksgiving, and people go nuts for it! Sometimes I get fancy and add chives or diced jalapeños. You could doctor it up in a hundred ways.”
23.
“Hellman’s Original Potato Salad. It’s my go-to potato salad recipe. I don’t change a thing. It’s bangin’.”
Do you have something to add? What’s a delicious back-of-the-box recipe that you swear by? Tell us in the comments or in this anonymous form.