The Homey Taste of the Past
Comfort food has always been about feeling safe, full, and a little nostalgic. These were the dishes you savored and craved, time and time again, and were often made by someone who memorized recipes by heart. Somewhere along the way, though, some of these foods slipped quietly out of rotation, replaced by trendier, fresher, or even more Instagrammable options. From tuna noodle casserole to ambrosia salad, here are 20 once-beloved comfort foods that now rarely show up at the table.
1. Tuna Noodle Casserole
Invented in the early 1930s, there was a time when this casserole showed up weekly, usually bubbling over with cream of mushroom soup and crushed potato chips on top. It's no surprise it was so popular: it was cheap, filling, and oddly soothing, even if the smell lingered longer than anyone liked. Now it's been replaced by more popular casserole dishes, like lasagna.
2. Salisbury Steak
Salisbury steak once promised a fancy-sounding meal without much effort. Smothered in gravy and paired with mashed potatoes, it was hearty, filling, and delicious. These days, though, most people would rather have a real burger or have something else altogether.
3. Jell-O Salad
Sure, calling this a salad was kind of a stretch, but that didn’t stop anyone from serving it proudly. With suspended fruit, marshmallows, pretzels, or even shredded carrots, this dessert was colorful yet odd in a way people accepted without question. Unfortunately (or fortunately?), you almost never see it now.
4. Liver and Onions
You might turn your nose up, but this dish was once a regular dinner in many homes. The strong flavor and soft, mushy texture definitely weren't for everyone, but it was considered nourishing and economical. Modern comfort food, however, tends to avoid anything that needs this much convincing.
5. Creamed Chipped Beef on Toast
Salty dried beef swimming in white sauce over toast... Are you drooling yet? No? Well, as odd as this comfort dish might sound, it was a simple dish that filled you up fast and stuck with you, hence its "popularity." It’s hard to imagine choosing it now when there are other better options.
6. TV Dinners
Sliding a compartmentalized tray into the oven used to feel exciting and comforting, especially when dessert came with it. TV dinners were predictable and often felt strangely reassuring. Today’s frozen meals, though, aim for gourmet vibes, leaving the classic version many grew up with behind.
7. Meatloaf with Ketchup Glaze
Meatloaf still exists, but the version drenched in ketchup and baked until firm has faded. It was once the definition of a reliable family meal, stretching ground beef as far as possible. Now people tend to dress it up or avoid it altogether. Why eat meatloaf when you can have something else?
8. Mincemeat
Mincemeat has gone from pantry staple to seasonal curiosity. It was once common in pies and desserts, especially around the holidays, and originally contained actual meat along with dried fruit and spices. Modern versions dropped the meat, but even those rarely show up now unless someone is intentionally recreating a historical recipe.
9. Fluffernutter Sandwich
The fluffernutter still exists, but mostly as a nostalgic memory rather than a regular meal. Peanut butter and marshmallow fluff on white bread was once an after-school classic, especially in New England. Today it’s often treated like a novelty, and people probably prefer making PB&J over it.
10. Chicken à la King
Creamy sauces were once the ultimate sign of comfort, and this dish leaned fully into that idea. With diced chicken, peppers, and mushrooms served over toast or rice, it felt indulgent without being too fancy. Now it’s mostly remembered rather than cooked.
11. Hoppin’ John
A classic Southern dish made from black-eyed peas and rice, Hoppin’ John was traditionally simmered with smoked pork and seasoned slowly until rich and comforting. It was especially popular around New Year’s Day as a symbol of good luck and prosperity in many Southern households, but its everyday presence has faded outside the region in recent decades.
12. Beaver Tails
Long before the name became associated with the Canadian sweet pastry (which is still very much popular), real beaver tails were eaten across North America. Indigenous peoples and early settlers valued them as a hearty source of protein and fat, and recipes for beaver appear in cookbooks up through the early 20th century, though the practice has almost completely disappeared now.
13. Rice Pudding from Scratch
Sure, other versions of rice pudding are still beloved in other countries, but it's not so popular in other regions. Slow-cooked rice pudding was warm, creamy, and quietly comforting. It required patience to make, which probably explains why it’s fallen out of favor.
14. Sloppy Joes
They were messy, sweet, and impossible to eat neatly, which was largely part of the appeal. Sloppy Joes showed up at school lunches and family dinners alike. Now they feel overshadowed by burgers and other heartier comfort dishes.
15. Beans and Franks
This was the kind of meal you ate out of a bowl while sitting too close to the TV, usually on a night when no one felt like cooking. The sweetness of the baked beans mixed with sliced hot dogs was strangely comforting; it was cheap, filling, and unapologetically simple, which might be why it’s quietly disappeared from most adult dinner rotations.
16. Creamed Spinach
Sure, you probably still see creamed spinach on the table sometimes, but rarely as a main. Back then, this wasn’t just a mere side dish; it sometimes stood alone as dinner. Rich and heavy, it made vegetables feel indulgent. Modern tastes usually prefer greens that don’t come swimming in cream.
17. Eel Pie
Eel pie was once a staple for working-class families, particularly in port cities where eel was cheap and plentiful. The meat was rich and filling, often baked into a sturdy crust or jellied. Today, most people encounter eel only in sushi, and the idea of it baked into a pie feels firmly rooted in another era.
18. Ambrosia Salad
Weird as it might sound, marshmallows, coconut, canned fruit, and whipped topping somehow became a staple dish. It was sweet, fluffy, and probably showed up at every gathering. Now it feels like something you remember more than you'd actually eat.
19. Banana and Mayo Sandwiches
This unusual sandwich combo was once common, especially during the Great Depression when people needed inexpensive, filling meals, and had to make do with simple pantry ingredients like bread, bananas, and mayonnaise. Over time, it became less common outside certain regions, and while some people still enjoy it as a quirky Southern classic, most Americans don’t eat it regularly anymore.
Shashi Chaturvedula on Unsplash
20. Turtle Stew
Yup—if you've never tried it, it probably sounds weird. But turtle stew used to be a popular comfort dish and even regarded as a fancy menu item in the early years, beloved for its rich, gelatinous broth. Overfishing and changing tastes contributed to its decline, and authentic turtle soup is now rare outside specific regional traditions.
