What's your favorite nostalgic meal? Here is mine.

That looks fantastic.  When I was a child, my mother would let the children pick the meal on their birthday.  

I always picked the same thing - king crab legs, corn on the cob and cake (white cake with chocolate icing) 

This was usually outside on the patio with a bunch of friends and family.

great memories- circa late 60's, early 70's.

Thanks for starting this this thread - I haven't thought of those great meals in ages.

That is a great day brother and a great story.  Nostalgic for me is whole crabs, which was a serious treat and rare event.  We'd sit around a newspaper covered table and hammer and crack em.  Lived on the Atlantic coast.  

Country fried Steak, no gravy, fried okra, rolls and a slice of Grandmas chocolate pie. If Im ever on death row, this will be my last meal.

mom was not much of a cook, sloppy joes from the manwich can might be her best cook. i cant duplicate that from scratch and ive tried many times, the can wins.  favorite meal from the past was the neighbors, polish galumkies, i do these every year now with tyler florences recipe, he nailed it. aka stuffed cabbage rolls

Alder smoked salmon - My dad grew up in Seattle where salmon and alder are easily available. We didn't have anything like BGE when I was growing up. He'd carry alder back in his luggage when he visited Seattle and cook on a Sears charcoal grill akin to a Weber.  He'd brine the salmon for 24 hours w/ garlic and brown sugar, hack off a few chunks of alder and throw them on the charcoal, and hot smoke a full salmon filet or two for 30-45 minutes. 

I've continued the tradition using the BGE, and have to say, I think his version was still better!

Fascinating hearing others' childhood favorites!  To me, many of those dishes are exotic things I never tasted till I was an adult, special occasion stuff, not old time comfort food.

I think my favorite meal when I was a boy was meatballs and grits.  The meatballs were from the Good Housekeeping magazine, I think, pretty standard meatballs, a little bigger than golf balls, browned in a skillet and then simmered in a saucepan in undiluted Campbell's onion soup.  I was DELIGHTED when I made that for my local grandsons and they all loved it, too!  Not all of them like grits, though...  

Another favorite was "paprika schnitzel" that I think was from the Joy of Cooking.  Very simple, veal cutlets not breaded but sautéed, and then simmered with onions and paprika, sour cream added at the end.  She didn't make it often, and it seemed more "fancy stuff" than comfort food.

When I'm sick or something, though, and want a simple meal that feels nostalgic and comforting, it's creamed chicken, usually on toast.  Either that or homemade chicken noodle soup, but I don't recall my Mom making that when I was a boy -- somehow it just tastes really good when I don't feel well.

Lentils, rice, and eggplant fried in mustard oil. This is still the first thing I want to eat after getting home from a long trip. 

I would sit with my mom every afternoon,  during the first summer after starting college. Wrote down all of her recipes, but she rarely measured anything, I think she made some stuff up for me to write down. My siblings and I make some of the same recipes from mom, and each version is a little different

Best compliment i get is from my Pops every once in a while. When he quietly says " this tastes just like the way your mom used to make it."

one of my favorite meals was the cafeteria mystery meat over the mashed powdered taters, what was that stuff and why do i still want a plate, never knew what that ever was but remember begging for seconds and thirds. compared to home that was like homemade gourmet. oh, and hungryman tv dinners, always wanted the salisbury steak.  american chopped soy, new england diner style, ate that alot

moussaka and pilaf

Roast beef, potatoes, carrots, fried squash,  homemade biscuits all smothered in gravy. Finished off with homemade blackberry cobbler and vanilla ice-cream. 

Great Thread! As much as I did not like our Clockwork Breakfast Lunch and Dinner, I really miss it now, and I think the simple things like this missing from society is part of what is ruining society .

Breakfast on the table Every Day...Even during Vacation Had to be home @ Noon for Lunch, and I could NOT LEAVE until As The World Turns was over...Better be Back @ 5 for Dinner.............I really am grateful for my Mom and Dad for doing that

My paternal grandmother made the absolute best cornbread on the planet. It was just an iron skillet of awesome. She's long gone now and so is her cornbread.  Many folks have tried to duplicate it but no one has been successful.

My mom makes the best fried okra, fried squash, and cream corn there ever was. 

Dad makes a zucchini bread that will make you beg for more.

When my dad was in the service for a time he and my mom were stationed in Key West. Mom learned from their neighbor how to make authentic Cuban Picadillo. Man that stuff is awesome. I was quite hurt to find out she made it last week but I didn't get the opportunity to stop by for a bite....just blessed they're still around and healthy.
My grandmother always made cinnamon rolls from scratch which we had at all family meals no matter what the menu. Mom and aunts still carry the torch with these and they accompany every gathering.

I've fortunately been able to make time to learn all these family recipies so they don't die out.