A Taste Of Yesteryear
For better or worse, the 1950s were one of the most iconic culinary decades of the past century. Some recipes stood the test of time, while others are culinary horror stories. Whether you grew up eating some of these dishes or had a parent who did, these 20 recipes are sure to be a flash back to the past.
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1. Meatloaf
Meatloaf takes a spot on the podium of America's favorite meat products alongside hotdogs and hamburgers. While meatloaf was a staple food of many a struggling family in the Great Depression, it became a must-have for any housewife in the 1950s. The beloved Betty Crocker recipe is still used today.
2. Chicken Á La King
This cozy meal has been feeding royalty (and those who feel like it) for almost 400 years! Chicken à la King had a particular burst of popularity in the middle of the 20th century, filling bellies at weddings and country clubs. One satirical column even theorized that there were silos of Chicken à la King throughout America.
3. Bananas Foster
Bananas Foster is a dessert with a show. This delectable dessert originated at Brennan's restaurant in New Orleans in 1951, when the city was a major banana hub. Visit Brennan's today and you can still enjoy this rich, caramelized dessert prepared tableside.
4. Swedish Meatballs
The 1950s were all about convenience and innovation, as exemplified by this next recipe. The popularization of Campbell's cream of mushroom soup a decade prior led to it becoming known as America's béchamel. Swedish meatballs were just one recipe that used cream of mushroom soup.
5. Jellied Chicken Salad
Depending on who you ask, the aspic craze of the 1950s was either quirky and charming, or a culinary horror show. Jellied chicken salad combines two of mid-century America's favorite food trends: creamed meats and jell-o molds. Top with veggies and olives for a deconstructed sort of salad.
Anthony Georgeff from Perth, Australia on Wikimedia
6. Sloppy Joes
Sloppy Joes were invited in 1917, but there are few dishes are as archetypically 1950s as the Sloppy Joe. Sloppy Joe's are easy to make and delightfully messy to eat. It's no wonder they were a staple of lunch counters and cafeterias.
7. Peanut Butter Blossom Cookies
A treat as sweet as a kiss, this chocolatey twist on a cookie classic was invented in 1957 for a Pillsbury contest. Originally named Black-eyed Susans, Pillsbury changed the name to Peanut Butter Blossom cookies for the treat we still enjoy today. The original recipe is still found on the back of Hersey's Kisses bags.
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8. Tuna Salad
The chicken of the sea was whipped into a mousse and brought to every potluck in the neighborhood. Tuna's reputation as a diet food helped stay-at-home moms fit into their form-fitting dresses. This unconventional salad was served in lettuce cups or even fish-shaped molds.
U.S. Department of Agriculture on Wikimedia
9. Shrimp Cocktail
A classic way to stay cool in hot weather, shrimp cocktail was popularized in 1950s Las Vegas. Sold for less than a dollar, this hors d'oeuvre was synonymous with Sin City. The Golden Gate Casino sold about 2,000 shrimp cocktails daily.
10. Mai Tai
There was a massive Tiki craze in the 1950s between GIs returning home from the Pacific and Hawaii's admission as the 50th state in 1959. And, what good was a Tiki bar without drinks? The Mai Tai, with rum and lime juice was the drink to serve out of novelty mugs.
11. Snickerdoodles
Another recipe made popular by Betty Crocker, Snickerdoodles have been around for a while, but they absolutely exploded in popularity in the 1950s. Part of the reason for this was thanks to the Betty Crocker recipe using Crisco rather than butter. This made the cookies soft and pillowy.
12. Olive-Stuffed Celery
This classic recipe takes ingredients than people may not enjoy on their own, and makes them into something completely new. This recipe has everything you could ask for in a mid-century recipe: pickles, olives, cream cheese, and celery. Crisp and refreshing.
13. Martini
From M*A*S*H to Mad Men to real life, people in the 1950s loved themselves a martini. Gin was preferred over vodka in the first half of the decade. 1950s martinis had more vermouth than ones today, making for a drink that's less dry.
14. Vanilla Milkshake
If you were a teen going steady, one of the best ways to solidify your relationship was by going down to a soda fountain and splitting a milkshake with two straws. Soda jerks were really putting those multimixer machines to use making all manner of flavors. However, we had to go for the classic vanilla for a "vanilla" era.
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15. Baked Alaska
If you wanted to show off at a potluck or backyard barbecue, Baked Alaska was the way to go. This showstopping dessert allowed cooks to show off their creativity and flair for dramatics. As with the Tiki craze, Baked Alaska was particularly popular towards the end of the decade when Alaska became a state.
16. Tuna Noodle Casserole
Tuna noodle casserole was another dish we have Capmbell's to think for. Not only was this dish easy to make with canned soup, but it was handy to keep in the fridge. Tuna noodle casserole was as popular for bereavements as it was for potlucks.
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17. Ham & Banana Hollandaise
We didn't include a picture of this recipe partly because it's been memed to death and partly because it is a little off-putting. Ham, bananas, and Hollandaise sauce is a combo we never would have thought to try. Points for creativity, we guess?
18. Pineapple Upside Down Cake
Pineapple upside down cake is a dessert as fun to eat as it is to look at. The canning revolution wasn't just for condensed soups, it also had a major impact on the availability of difficult-to-prepare fruit such as pineapple. Some bakers even prefer canned pineapple for its lower water content.
Kimberly Vardeman from Lubbock, TX, USA on Wikimedia
19. Green Bean Casserole
Green bean casserole must be one of the longest-lasting recipes of the 1950s. Families across the country still enjoy this dish every year at Thanksgiving and Christmas. Green bean casserole was invented by Dorcas Reilly at the Campbell's Test Kitchen in 1955.
20. Punch
If you wanted to whip up a big batch of drinks for a lot of people, your best bet was brewing up a party punch. Not too different from the jungle juices still traumatizing frat houses today, punch came in an infinite number of varieties. Alcoholic or non-alcoholic, juice-based or tea-based; the world was your punch bowl.
