17 Vintage 1960s Foods That Vanished From Our Dinner Tables
In the same way ponchos and bell bottoms have all but disappeared from our modern lives, certain foods of the 1960s are tough to find. Sure, you may come across the occasional Jell-O mold in a church basement somewhere, and you might even find a Grasshopper pie on a random restaurant menu.
But, in general, the foods on this list have fallen out of favor. It’s not that they were bad; it’s just that times have changed.
Our world has moved on to gluten-free, carb-free, dairy-free everything, and Cool Whip-covered “salads,” and heavy cream-based sauces no longer fit the bill. Still, the retro foods of the 1960s are worth remembering, if only for the fond memories they tend to carry.
1: Stuffed Celery
In the 1960s, celery wasn’t really consumed for its health benefits. Instead, it was a vessel for the many dips and spreads that 1960s Americans loved to serve.
Stuffed celery was a classic appetizer with many variations. It often included cream cheese and pimentos or olives.
2: Chicken Kiev
Contrary to its name, Chicken Kiev is a French dish. In the 1960s, French cooking became trendy in the U.S. thanks to celebrity chefs like Julia Child. As such, several French dishes, like Chicken Kiev, began to appear on American tables.
Chicken Kiev was an impressive meal for a home cook to serve. It consists of a pounded and rolled chicken breast stuffed with butter, coated with breadcrumbs, and fried.
3: Chicken a la King
In the 1960s, you could find Chicken a la King at almost every event. From weddings to club dinners to high-end restaurants, the creamy chicken dish was a favorite.
Though it’s far less popular now, perhaps because of its reliance on high-calorie ingredients like heavy cream, Chicken a la King remains a delicious dinner choice. Recipes range from simple chicken, white sauce, and mushroom concoctions to those that include a variety of vegetables like peas, carrots, and bell peppers.
4: Steak Diane
Restaurants in the 1960s were all about putting on a show. Many felt that the performance of lighting food on fire at the table increased orders.
That may be why steak Diane became such a popular dish. Though you can prepare it without the flambé finish, many restaurants in the 1960s added a final touch to the meaty dish by dousing it in alcohol and covering it in flames.
5: Mousse
In the 1960s, the refrigerated and freezer meals were all the rage, in part because they were relatively new. Home cooks were big on making things well before a party and keeping them in the fridge. So, if something needed time to set or tasted better after refrigeration, it was a hit.
Such is the case with many mousse dishes. From salmon to strawberries, 1960s cooks were making it in mousse form for parties and events. Though some of the stranger mousse dishes should probably stay in the mid-century, we’re all for others, like chocolate mousse, making a comeback today!
6: Baked Alaska
Ice cream, meringue, and flames in one dish? It doesn’t get much more 1960s than that!
Baked Alaska was a restaurant favorite because it required an eye-catching table-side flambé. The torched meringue was a delightful contrast to the frozen ice cream within, making it the perfect way to end a celebratory dinner.
7: Ambrosia Salad
The name “ambrosia,” is Greek for immortality, and it was used to describe the food of the gods. Few people today would say America’s ambrosia salad is worthy of such an honorable name, but in the 1960s, it was a favorite.
The salad included several ingredients considered exotic at the time, such as shaved coconut and maraschino cherries. The bulk of the salad was citrus fruits with plenty of powdered sugar, blurring the line between a salad and dessert.
8: Cheese Fondue
The Swiss have been serving fondue for a long time, but it wasn’t until the 1960s that Americans began to notice. They were particular fans of cheese-based fondue, and who wouldn’t be?
It’s creamy, delicious, and lends itself nicely to social affairs. Sitting around a bubbling pot of molten cheese with ample bread, fruit, and meats to dip is a great way to spend an evening with friends.
9: Wedge Salad
You’ll still find wedge salads at steakhouses occasionally, but they were much more prevalent in the 1960s. This classic iceberg lettuce-based dish started showing up sometime around 1920 in the U.S., but it took off as steakhouses swept the nation during the mid-century.
The simple wedge of lettuce studded with a variety of toppings and smothered in ranch or blue cheese dressing may not be the most nutrient-dense vegetable choice. However, there’s no doubt that many Americans found it delicious.
10: Waldorf Salad
The Waldorf Salad is an old dish that started as a simple combination of apples, celery, and mayonnaise. It was served at the first event the famous Waldorf Hotel ever hosted in 1893, which is how it got its name.
In the 1960s, mayonnaise-based dishes were incredibly popular, giving new life to the classic starter. Home cooks often added their own spin, adding sweet additions like grapes, cranberries, and even marshmallows.
11: Creme de Menthe Desserts
Be it a cake, pie, or brownie, a creme de menthe-based sweet was a common sight in the 1960s. The trend of using the minty green liquor in sweets may have come from the rise of the Grasshopper cocktail.
Philip Guichet, the owner of Tujague’s bar in New Orleans, invented the Grasshopper in 1918, but it didn’t hit peak popularity until the 1950s and ’60s when it literally swept the South and then the nation. Home cooks became obsessed with the mint-flavored liquor and the bright green color it lent to everything from trifles to ice cream sandwiches.
12: Jello Salad
Until the early 1900s, making anything gelatin-based meant rendering collagen from the bones of animals, which was both time-consuming and labor-intensive. When instant Jell-O launched as a commercial product, Americans flocked to it.
Its popularity only increased in the 1950s and ’60s when American housewives became enthralled with convenience items they could doctor up with stunning presentations. Jell-O salads flecked with everything from olives to SpaghettiOs graced American dinner tables in molds that ranged from simple circles to more interesting shapes, like fish or pineapples.
13: Cherries Jubilee
Sauteed cherries with butter and sugar are undoubtedly delicious. It’s no wonder this dessert was a favorite in the 1960s, especially considering the popularity of flambéing food at the time.
Cherries Jubilee earned its name from Queen Victoria’s Jubilee celebration well before the start of the 20th century. However, it was when the U.S. became obsessed with dousing foods in alcohol and then setting them aflame that Cherries Jubilee became a thing here.
14: Green Beans Almondine
Green Beans Almondine is exceptionally simple, requiring cooks to sauté green beans in butter before adding a generous number of slivered almonds. However, the dish’s French origins make it feel more impressive.
Perhaps that’s why 1960s cooks were so obsessed with it. It took very little time to prepare, relied on a 1960s staple (slivered nuts), and was sure to impress whoever decided to show up for dinner.
15: Tang
General Foods Corporation created Tang in 1957, but it wasn’t until astronauts took it to space in 1962 that it became cool. American kids were enthralled by the orange-flavored powder that could elevate plain water into something sugary sweet.
Tang was undoubtedly found on many American tables throughout the 1960s. Thanks to marketing that focused on its vitamin C content, many even believed it was healthy.
16: Stroganoff
Beef rations during World War II may be why stroganoff seemed like an elevated dish in the 1950s and ’60s. Home cooks began making it in mass, and it appeared on dinner tables across the U.S.
Beef smothered in creamy mushroom sauce is hard not to like. This is one retro dish we wouldn’t mind seeing again.
17: Cheese Straws
Cheese straws were the perfect accompaniment to a strong cocktail, making them a staple in the 1960s. Although alcohol consumption peaked in the U.S. in the 1980s, it was rising all through the ’50s and ’60s. So, home cooks were always looking for salty snacks that would go well with a strong drink.
Cheese straws were the perfect solution. They’re relatively easy to make, delightfully salty, and easy to serve. It wasn’t rare to find them prominently featured at a cocktail party.
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