Here are 6 of our favorite back-of-the-box recipes

In the age of food blogs and Pinterecipes, finding something to cook for a potluck or a bake sale or just a weeknight dinner can be hit or miss. But once upon a time, foods came in packages with recipes on the back. In fact, one of my earliest memories is making chocolate chip cookies from the back of the yellow Toll House package. It’s still the best cookie recipe in the world (I will not budge on this and if you disagree you’re wrong) and I only had to go into our pantry to find it. Here are some of our favorite back-of-the-box recipes we rely on when the internet is just too scary.

1. Vanishing Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

On the top of the Quaker Oats container, there is a recipe for the softest, chewiest oatmeal raisin cookie you’ll ever eat. This is my go-to oatmeal cookie recipe, although I usually tweak it by adding some flaky sea salt and dark chocolate chunks. A cookie without chocolate is just wrong to me, sorry.

2. French’s Green Bean Casserole

Ah yes, that Thanksgiving standby. There is no better recipe than the one that comes on the back of the French’s Fried Onions can. Just five ingredients, one baking dish and 35 minutes to make that classic green bean soup covered in fried onion strips. It’s certainly not health food, but darn if it doesn’t taste good.

3. Classic Onion Dip

Is it really a recipe if all it calls for is a container of sour cream and a package of Lipton Onion Soup mix? Does anyone really care? There is no better place to dip a potato chip than into some Lipton onion dip. Check the package of Lipton Recipe Secrets Onion Soup Mix if you really need instructions, but that would be impressive.

4. Karo Corn Syrup Pecan Pie

There are nearly 40 different variations of classic pecan pie on the Karo syrup website (okay, this is technically cheating, but you get it), but the original is just too good to be replaced. Instant cavities? Maybe. But I swear to you, this is the best pecan pie you’ll ever eat.

5. Jiffy Corn Muffins

Not only is the packaging adorable, it’s the best corn muffin recipe ever. For picnics and chili night, nothing else will do. Plus, the recipe is just so darn fast. Jiffy Cornmeal is the only kind I ever have in my cabinet.

6. Rice Krispies Treats

Rice Krispies. Butter. Marshmallows. Disgusting when you think about it, but so darn good when they’re all mashed together. One pan of these salty-sweet beauties is worth scraping bits of puffed rice out of your stock pot for the next three days.