14 Diner Classics From Meatloaf to Milkshakes That Taste Like the Good Old Days
Remember sliding into a vinyl booth, a waitress calling you hon, and a plate so big it hung over the edges? Those old school diners are getting harder to find, but the food does not have to disappear. These diner classics bring the blue plate special home, from glazed meatloaf to a thick vanilla milkshake. Morning person? Do not miss our classic diner breakfasts we still crave. Grab a seat at the counter..
Diner Classics Start With Glazed Meatloaf and Mashed Potatoes
No list of diner classics is complete without meatloaf. A thick, tender slice with a shiny sweet ketchup glaze, a scoop of mashed potatoes swimming in brown gravy and buttery green beans on the side. It is the blue plate special that built America. The secret to a moist loaf is soaking the bread in milk and not packing the meat too tight. Quick poll: A) Ketchup glaze B) Brown gravy C) Both D) Meatloaf sandwich the next day.
You will need: 2 pounds ground beef (80/20), 1 cup breadcrumbs, 2/3 cup milk, 2 eggs, 1 small onion grated, 2 cloves garlic, 1 tablespoon Worcestershire, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Glaze: 2/3 cup ketchup, 3 tablespoons brown sugar, 1 tablespoon cider vinegar.
How to make it: 1. Soak breadcrumbs in milk for 5 minutes. 2. Gently mix in beef, eggs, onion, garlic, Worcestershire, salt and pepper. 3. Shape into a loaf on a lined sheet pan. 4. Stir together the glaze and spread half on top. 5. Bake at 350 F for 50 minutes, add the rest of the glaze and bake 15 minutes more until 160 F, then rest 10 minutes.
Diner Classics From Texas: Chicken Fried Steak
In Texas, chicken fried steak is practically the state dish. A thin cube steak is breaded like fried chicken, fried until crunchy, and covered in peppery white gravy. It sounds heavy because it is, and that is the point. Serve it with fries or mashed potatoes and a big glass of sweet tea. Have you ever finished a whole one by yourself?
You will need: 4 cube steaks, 1 1/2 cups flour, 1 teaspoon each salt, pepper, garlic powder and paprika, 2 eggs, 1 cup buttermilk, oil for frying. Gravy: 1/4 cup pan drippings, 1/4 cup flour, 2 1/2 cups milk, salt, lots of black pepper.
How to make it: 1. Season the flour. 2. Dredge the steaks in flour, dip in egg and buttermilk, then flour again. 3. Fry in 1/2 inch of hot oil 3 to 4 minutes per side. 4. Keep 1/4 cup of oil, whisk in flour, then milk until thick. 5. Season the gravy with plenty of pepper and pour over the steaks.
Triple Decker Club Sandwich
Among lunch counter diner classics, the club sandwich is a legend. Three slices of toast stacked with turkey, ham, crispy bacon, lettuce, tomato and mayo, cut into four triangles and held together with frilly toothpicks. Served with a pile of fries and a pickle spear, it is a lunch that makes you feel fancy. Do you eat the fries first or the sandwich?
You will need: 3 slices white bread toasted, 3 slices turkey, 2 slices ham, 3 strips cooked bacon, 2 slices tomato, 2 lettuce leaves, 1 slice cheddar, 2 tablespoons mayonnaise, toothpicks.
How to make it: 1. Spread mayo on all three slices of toast. 2. Layer turkey, cheese, lettuce and tomato on the first slice. 3. Add the second slice, then ham and bacon. 4. Top with the last slice, mayo side down. 5. Push in 4 toothpicks and cut into 4 triangles.
Grilled Cheese and Tomato Soup
Is there a more comforting combo in the world? A buttery, golden grilled cheese dunked into a mug of creamy tomato soup tastes like a rainy day at Grandma’s house. The diner trick is to spread mayo on the outside of the bread instead of butter, which makes it extra crispy and evenly golden. Have you ever tried the mayo trick?
You will need: Sandwich: 2 slices sourdough, 2 slices American cheese, 2 slices cheddar, 1 tablespoon mayonnaise. Soup: 1 can (28 ounces) crushed tomatoes, 1 onion, 2 cloves garlic, 2 cups broth, 1/2 cup cream, 2 tablespoons butter, 1 teaspoon sugar, salt.
How to make it: 1. Cook onion and garlic in butter for 5 minutes. 2. Add tomatoes, broth and sugar and simmer 15 minutes. 3. Blend smooth and stir in the cream. 4. Spread mayo on the outside of the bread and fill with cheese. 5. Cook in a skillet over medium low heat 3 to 4 minutes per side until golden and melty.
Crispy Buttermilk Fried Chicken
Of all the diner classics, fried chicken is the plate that never goes out of style. Soaking the chicken in seasoned buttermilk overnight makes it juicy and tender, and a double dip in spiced flour creates that craggy, extra crunchy crust. Serve it with mashed potatoes, biscuits and coleslaw. Quick poll: A) Drumstick B) Thigh C) Breast D) Wing.
You will need: 3 pounds chicken pieces, 2 cups buttermilk, 1 tablespoon hot sauce, 2 teaspoons salt. Flour: 2 cups flour, 1 tablespoon paprika, 2 teaspoons garlic powder, 1 teaspoon onion powder, 1 teaspoon cayenne, 2 teaspoons salt, 1 teaspoon pepper. Oil for frying.
How to make it: 1. Soak chicken in buttermilk, hot sauce and salt overnight. 2. Mix the seasoned flour. 3. Dredge chicken, dip back in buttermilk and dredge again. 4. Fry at 325 F for 12 to 15 minutes, turning, until 165 F inside. 5. Drain on a rack and sprinkle with a pinch of salt.
Diner Classics Done Right: The Smash Burger Basket
The real diner burger is not a fat pub patty. It is a thin smash burger with lacy, crispy edges, melted American cheese and a soft toasted bun, served in a paper lined basket with fries. Smashing the beef on a screaming hot griddle gives you all that flavor. It is fast, cheap and better than any drive thru. Double or single?
You will need: 1 pound ground beef (80/20) in 4 balls, salt, pepper, 4 slices American cheese, 4 potato buns, 2 tablespoons butter, pickles, diced onion. Sauce: 1/4 cup mayo, 2 tablespoons ketchup, 1 tablespoon pickle relish.
How to make it: 1. Toast the buttered buns on the griddle. 2. Heat a cast iron pan very hot. 3. Smash a beef ball flat with a spatula and season. 4. Cook 2 minutes until the edges are crispy, flip and add cheese for 1 minute. 5. Build on the bun with sauce, pickles and onion.
Beer Battered Onion Rings
A side of onion rings is a diner treat everyone pretends to share but secretly wants all for themselves. Thick sweet onion slices in a light, puffy batter fry up golden and crunchy. Use cold sparkling water if you skip the beer. Serve with ketchup or a tangy dipping sauce. Fries or onion rings, what is your forever side?
You will need: 2 large sweet onions cut in thick rings, 1 cup flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon paprika, 1 cup cold beer or sparkling water, 1 egg, oil for frying, extra flour for dusting.
How to make it: 1. Separate the onion rings and dust them with flour. 2. Whisk flour, baking powder, salt, paprika, cold beer and egg. 3. Heat oil to 375 F. 4. Dip each ring in batter and fry 2 to 3 minutes until golden. 5. Drain and salt right away.
Golden Tuna Melt on Rye
The tuna melt is the unsung hero of the diner classics menu. Creamy tuna salad, a slice of tomato and melted cheese grilled between rye bread until crispy. It is cheap, filling and somehow way better than it sounds. Pair it with a cup of soup and you have a classic lunch counter combo. Be honest, are you a tuna melt fan?
You will need: 2 cans tuna drained, 1/3 cup mayonnaise, 1 celery stalk diced, 1 tablespoon pickle relish, 1 teaspoon lemon juice, 4 slices rye bread, 4 slices Swiss or cheddar, 1 tomato sliced, 2 tablespoons butter.
How to make it: 1. Mix tuna, mayo, celery, relish and lemon. 2. Butter the outside of the bread. 3. Layer cheese, tuna salad, tomato and more cheese. 4. Cook in a skillet over medium heat 3 to 4 minutes per side. 5. Press lightly with a spatula and cut in half.
Thick Cut BLT Sandwich
Sometimes the simplest sandwiches are the best. A good BLT needs only three things: thick crispy bacon, cold crunchy lettuce and the juiciest tomato you can find, all on toasted bread with plenty of mayo. The secret is lots of bacon, at least four strips per sandwich. How many strips do you put on yours?
You will need: 2 slices thick bread toasted, 4 to 6 strips thick cut bacon, 2 leaves crisp lettuce, 1 large ripe tomato sliced, 2 tablespoons mayonnaise, salt, pepper.
How to make it: 1. Bake the bacon at 400 F for 15 to 18 minutes until crispy. 2. Toast the bread. 3. Spread mayo on both slices. 4. Season the tomato slices with salt and pepper. 5. Stack lettuce, tomato and bacon and cut in half.
Diner Classics for Cozy Nights: Salisbury Steak
Salisbury steak is basically a fancy hamburger patty swimming in mushroom onion gravy, and it is pure comfort. Many of us remember it from TV dinners, but homemade is so much better. It cooks in one pan in about 30 minutes and is perfect over mashed potatoes or egg noodles. Did you eat the TV dinner version as a kid?
You will need: 1 1/2 pounds ground beef, 1/2 cup breadcrumbs, 1 egg, 1 tablespoon Worcestershire, 1 teaspoon onion powder, salt, pepper, 1 tablespoon oil, 8 ounces mushrooms, 1 onion sliced, 2 tablespoons butter, 2 tablespoons flour, 2 cups beef broth.
How to make it: 1. Mix beef, breadcrumbs, egg, Worcestershire, onion powder, salt and pepper and form 4 oval patties. 2. Brown in oil 3 minutes per side and remove. 3. Cook mushrooms and onion in butter until soft. 4. Stir in flour, then broth until thick. 5. Return the patties and simmer 10 to 15 minutes.
Loco Moco, the Hawaiian Diner Favorite
Loco moco comes from Hawaii, and it is a diner dream. White rice topped with a juicy hamburger patty, a fried egg with a runny yolk and lots of brown gravy. It is breakfast, lunch and dinner all on one plate. Break the yolk and let it run into the gravy. Would you eat this for breakfast or dinner?
You will need: 1 pound ground beef in 4 patties, salt, pepper, 4 eggs, 4 cups cooked white rice, 2 green onions. Gravy: 2 tablespoons butter, 2 tablespoons flour, 2 cups beef broth, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 1 teaspoon Worcestershire.
How to make it: 1. Season and cook the patties 4 minutes per side. 2. In the same pan, melt butter and whisk in flour. 3. Add broth, soy and Worcestershire and simmer until thick. 4. Fry the eggs sunny side up. 5. Layer rice, patty, gravy and egg and top with green onions.
Diner Classics With a Crust: Chicken Pot Pie
A golden, flaky crust breaking open to reveal creamy chicken and vegetables underneath is one of life’s great comforts. Chicken pot pie was a daily special at diners all over the country. Use store bought crust and a rotisserie chicken and it comes together fast. Top crust only or top and bottom? This is a serious question!
You will need: 2 pie crusts, 3 cups shredded cooked chicken, 1/3 cup butter, 1 onion, 2 carrots, 2 celery stalks, 1/3 cup flour, 1 3/4 cups chicken broth, 2/3 cup milk, 1 cup frozen peas, 1 teaspoon thyme, salt, pepper, 1 egg.
How to make it: 1. Cook onion, carrots and celery in butter for 8 minutes. 2. Stir in flour, then broth and milk until thick. 3. Add chicken, peas, thyme, salt and pepper. 4. Pour into a crust lined dish, cover with the second crust and cut vents. 5. Brush with egg and bake at 400 F for 30 to 35 minutes.
Old Fashioned Apple Pie a la Mode
Every diner has a glass case of pies spinning by the register, and apple is always the bestseller. A buttery double crust, cinnamon spiced apples and a scoop of vanilla ice cream melting on top. Some diners even serve it with a slice of cheddar cheese, an old New England tradition. Ice cream or cheddar on your apple pie?
You will need: 2 pie crusts, 7 cups sliced apples (mix of tart and sweet), 3/4 cup sugar, 2 tablespoons flour, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 2 tablespoons butter, 1 egg, vanilla ice cream.
How to make it: 1. Toss apples with sugar, flour, spices and lemon juice. 2. Pour into a crust lined pie dish and dot with butter. 3. Cover with the top crust, seal and cut vents. 4. Brush with egg and bake at 425 F for 15 minutes, then 350 F for 40 to 45 minutes. 5. Cool 2 hours and serve with ice cream.
Diner Classics Finish: The Thick Vanilla Milkshake
We had to end with a shake. A real diner milkshake is so thick the straw stands up on its own, served in a tall glass with the extra in the metal cup on the side. Use good ice cream and very little milk. Top with whipped cream and a cherry. Which flavor would you order: A) Vanilla B) Chocolate C) Strawberry D) Black and white?
You will need: 3 big scoops vanilla ice cream, 1/3 cup cold whole milk, 1 teaspoon vanilla, whipped cream, 1 maraschino cherry.
How to make it: 1. Chill the glass in the freezer for 10 minutes. 2. Add ice cream, milk and vanilla to a blender. 3. Blend just until smooth; do not overblend or it gets thin. 4. Pour into the cold glass. 5. Top with whipped cream and a cherry and serve with a straw and a spoon.
