Like fashion, food falls in and out of style. Back when kids of the '50s and '60s were growing up, family dinners meant these dishes were front and center at every family get-together, holiday meal, or co*cktail party your parents threw. Many of these recipes evolved from the appeal of new "convenience" foods ranging from canned soups to boxed cake mixes. Whether you hated them (or you still secretly crave them!), here’s the iconic fare kids from the '50s and '60s remember.
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1
Gelatin Molds
No special occasion was complete without something served in a gelatin mold. According to the Jell-O Gallery, the lime flavor was introduced in 1930. It became the basis for many molds in the '50s and '60s, showcasing a cook’s creativity. These might include cottage cheese, crushed pineapple, oranges, nuts, celery, and/or sour cream, or even vinegar, grated cucumber, and onion, topped with shrimp. Um, we don’t want seconds.
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2
Fondue
According to the BBC, one of the earliest mentions of dipping food into melted cheese dates to a recipe from the late 17th century. The dish was featured at the Switzerland exhibit at the 1964 New York World’s Fair, and its fame soon spread to dinner parties everywhere. If your parents threw a party during the late '60s, cheese fondue was on the menu! Fondue is still a fun way to host, so dig around in your parents’ or grandparents’ houses to see if they kept their fondue pots.
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3
Swedish Meatballs
Maybe you remember your parents serving this super-hip dish at 1960s co*cktail parties. Many different versions exist, but they usually contain beef or pork with a rich gravy, cream sauce, or a side of lingonberry jam. Guess what? You still can purchase Swedish meatballs at IKEA and other specialty food stores. Or make them yourself from this recipe off Sweden’s official website.
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4
Tuna Noodle Casserole
Much-maligned because it doesn’t take much skill (other than using a can opener), this dish was a staple of the 1950s and 1960s dinner table. It contains canned tuna, canned mushroom soup, and various seasonings that ranged from curry powder to grated American cheese. The 1962 standard Favorite Recipes of American Home Economics Teachers: Meats lists page after page of this casserole including versions with potato chips, whole slices of stale bread, or cashews.
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5
Pineapple Upside Down Cake
This sunny cake with its slices of pineapple dotted with cherries has been around a long, long time. In fact, a pineapple upside down cake won the first Dole recipe contest in 1926. By the 1950s and 1960s, the cake was at the peak of its popularity perhaps because of the ease of using boxed cake mixes, which were increasingly available in the post WWII years, says Bon Appetit. It’s not as famous as it once was, but this cake still deserves a place on the table.
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6
Baked Alaska
According to the History Channel, this meringue-topped ice cream-covered cake dates back to the creativity of a chef at Delmonico’s in New York City in the 1860s (supposedly, the chef borrowed the recipe from the French but named it after the recent Alaska purchase by the U.S.). The meringue was torched table side or in the oven. In the era of elaborate at-home entertaining, this dessert became a way for hostesses to present a truly show-stopping finish.
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7
Chicken a la King
This dish contained chunks of chicken and veggies in a cream sauce (often canned cream of mushroom soup, naturally!) served over biscuits, rice or pilaf. It was first served in the early 20th century, but it reached its heyday in the '50s and '60s. The New York Public Library’s menu archive shows it was on the menu at many of the city’s most elegant restaurants — as well as on the famed ship, Queen Elizabeth! It’s since nearly disappeared, though it’s still possible to buy a canned or freeze-dried version.
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8
Ambrosia
What kid from the '50s or '60s doesn’t remember this “salad” that includes oranges and coconut, and sometimes maraschino cherries, bananas, pineapple, and/or marshmallows? Gelatin and whipped toppings were often added, too. Ambrosia’s origins are hazy (though it’s mentioned in this 19th century cookbook) and the versions are endless, but it’s a dish still beloved in the South and many other parts of the country.
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9
Meatloaf
Everybody’s mom had a different recipe, but chances are, it was on your table at least once a week. According to Bon Appetit, meatloaf became a staple during the Great Depression when meat was pricey. But growing up in the '50s and '60s, it was a simple, cheap way to feed the family, then have leftovers for sandwiches the next day. Whether you like yours slathered with ketchup or not, meatloaf retains its status as an American classic, even if you haven’t made it in years.
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10
Rumaki
Tiki culture and luau-themed parties were big in the '60s, partly due to the popularity of restaurants like Trader Vic’s, the Hawaiian Room in New York City, and Hawaii’s admission to U.S. statehood in 1959. Many different small bites with a Polynesian feel were served on what was called a “pupu platter,” including this popular appetizer consisting of chicken liver and water chestnuts wrapped in bacon.
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11
Tunnel of Fudge Cake
This recipe, which won the 1966 Pillsbury Bake-off, was an instant hit across the country. And why wouldn’t it be? The cake develops a fudge-y center as it bakes, somewhat reminiscent of today’s chocolate lava cakes. The recipe used a Bundt pan, popularized by the Nordic Ware company — and sales of this pan went through the roof after the cake won the contest, according to Food & Wine.
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12
Frozen Dinners
What do you do with 260 extra tons of leftover turkey? Flash-freeze it and stick it in tiny aluminum trays. According to Smithsonian Magazine, when the Swanson company had an overage of turkey after Thanksgiving in 1953, they came up with the idea to package it as part of a re-heatable meal. Coupled with the country’s new fascination with television, these dinners — aka “TV dinners” — quickly became a hit for busy families (though siblings everywhere bickered over who was getting the Salisbury steak).
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13
Party Mixes
Who would have guessed that tossing together a bunch of cereal, nuts, and seasoning would create such a snacking sensation? The first recipe of this type of party mix was printed on boxes of Chex in 1952, and legend has it that it became popular during holidays after a cereal executive’s wife served it at a function. Regardless of its back story, kids from the '50s and '60s grew up making it and scarfing down batches. Thankfully, it’s one of those retro foods that’s not forgotten with new versions popping up every year.
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14
Beef Stroganoff
Beef Stroganoff was a classic French recipe with its earliest reference to an 1891 food article, according to food historian Sylvia Lovegren in Fashionable Food: Seven Decades of Food Fads. By the 1950s, it was found in almost every cookbook that included a section on “gourmet” cookery. The recipes varied greatly, some using mushrooms, some adding tomato paste, some using canned cream soup. Hamburger sometimes stood in for the beef filet, and the whole concoction was served over buttered noodles or rice.
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15
Tomato Aspic
This dish, included in many early 20th century cookbooks, was popular for ladies’ luncheons, says Lovegren’s Fashionable Food: Seven Decades of Food Fads. Like all things gelatinous in the '50s and '60s, this typically was presented in an elaborately-shaped mold. Canned soup or tomato juice was the base with onions, celery and Tabasco for some kick. It’s now nearly forgotten (most of us are sighing with relief).
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16
Fruit co*cktail Cake
Fruit co*cktail was created to use up tiny pieces of fruit chunks left over from processing, but it quickly became a mealtime convenience and staple for families. Sometime in the mid-50s, it was added to a basic cake recipe, according to Anne Byrn’s American Cake. The result was an easy-peasy cake that home cooks could toss together in a few minutes with ingredients always in the pantry. Because it’s moist and fast to bake from scratch, it’s worth another look.
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17
Clam Dip
According to Lovegren’s Fashionable Food: Seven Decades of Food Fads, when a recipe for this clam dip first appeared on Kraft Music Hall TV show in the early '50s, New York City sold out of canned clams within 24 hours! The popularity of this snack food soared through the '60s. Though you don’t see it around these days, it’s a classic that will remind you of when you hung out with your family playing card games together on a Saturday night.
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18
Canned Meat
Yes, we’re talking those squares of pressed meat (pork, to be exact). Arguably the most well-known brand is SPAM, first introduced in 1937 and shipped worldwide to feed U.S. troops during WWII. SPAM was a hit at home, too, because it was inexpensive and accessible. Sales grew until the one billionth can of SPAM was produced in 1959! Most kids from the '50s and '60s remember eating it (or something similar) occasionally. But unlike many other iconic American foods that have faded from memory, SPAM is going strong and still is sold in 44 countries worldwide.
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19
Wacky Cake
Dating back to the late 1940s, this cake has been a part of cookbooks ever since, says Byrn’s American Cake. What makes it wacky? No eggs, butter, or milk are used, and everything’s dumped into the pan and mixed. The cake grew in popularity because the inexpensive ingredients were in any pantry in the '50s and '60s, so it was easy to whip it up for last-minute guests.
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20
Beef Bourguignon
Long before today’s celebrity chefs, Julia Child launched her first cookbook and her first cooking show in the '60s. America promptly fell in love with her incomparable style. According to Lovegren’s Fashionable Food: Seven Decades of Food Fads, French cooking took off as Americans attempted to copy her masterpieces. This dish was time-consuming to prepare, making it the perfect showoff for dinner parties of the '60s. Go ahead, pour yourself a glass of wine (just like Julia would) and recreate this classic!
