Jell-O Salads With Everything
My mom still laughs about those wobbly, bright green and orange creations that graced nearly every dinner table back then. By the late 1960s and early 1970s, Jell-O was manufacturing vegetable-flavored products designed to be combined with mayonnaise, bringing Jell-O salad mania to the apex of its popularity. She remembers lime Jell-O molds stuffed with shredded carrots, celery, and sometimes even canned pears. The weirder part? People called these concoctions salads, even though they were essentially dessert pretending to be healthy. Fortunately, Jell-O salad mania began to wane in the 1980s.
Watergate Salad That Had Nothing to Do With Vegetables
Here’s the thing about Watergate Salad: it wasn’t really a salad at all. This pistachio-flavored “salad” is a shining example of how to turn a political scandal into a delicious dessert – “salad” is a loose term here, because the ingredients are pudding, canned pineapple, whipped cream, pecans, and marshmallows. Like so many other ’70s creations, this one relied on instant pudding. Mom told me it was basically a dessert you could eat at lunch without judgment because it had the word salad in its name. Pretty clever, if you ask me.
TV Dinners in Aluminum Trays
Long before microwave meals became the norm, TV dinners ruled the convenience food world. All that was required was to heat the frozen tray of food in the oven, wait, and then settle down to watch your favorite show. The popularity of these meals extended well into the 1970s but the more eclectic tastes of the 1980s saw consumers drift away from the full-tray meal toward individual frozen options. My mom remembers salisbury steak with peas and mashed potatoes all neatly divided in those shiny trays. She said it felt futuristic, like space food for families who wanted dinner without the fuss.
Hamburger Helper That Saved Weeknight Dinners
Home cooks around the country will forever be grateful for the day that Hamburger Helper hit the scene in 1971. It came with pasta and seasoning packets, so all you had to do was combine the separate pieces with water and ground beef to make a complete (and fast) meal. Mom’s favorite was the cheesy version, though she admits now that it was ridiculously salty. Still, for working moms in the seventies, this boxed mix was a lifesaver that turned a pound of ground beef into a full dinner in under thirty minutes.
Fondue Parties That Were Actually Cool
If you wanted to be hip in the seventies, you had to own a fondue pot. If you attended a dinner party in the 1970s, chances are you would have been served cheese fondue, a dish hailing from the Alps somewhere near the Franco-Swiss border. When fondue was on the menu, a pot filled with bubbling combo typically made of grated cheese and white wine was placed in the center of the table. Guests, wielding long forks, could dip chunks of bread or other tasty vittles into the cheesy pool. Mom said it wasn’t just about eating, it was an event. Everyone gathered around one pot, dipping bread and veggies into melted cheese while chatting for hours.
Carrot Cake As Breakfast Food
Believe it or not, carrot cake was marketed as a health food during the seventies. Similar to zucchini bread, though it evolved far sooner than the 1970s, carrot cake experienced a renaissance in that decade thanks to being advertised as a health food. Sweet treats, like cakes made with vegetables, were considered a great source of nutrition, making them ideal breakfast and snack foods. My mom would eat slices for breakfast with zero guilt because, well, it had vegetables in it. Looking back, she realizes that the cream cheese frosting probably cancelled out any health benefits, but it tasted amazing.
Creamed Chipped Beef on Toast
This dish had a rather unfortunate nickname among military folks. But in the ’70s, it was on half of America’s dinner tables. Considered a “military meal,” creamed chipped beef was a budget-friendly, filling dinner option. By the 1970s, it was a common quick-fix meal, especially in homes that prioritized frugality and speed. Mom remembers the salty beef in thick white gravy served over toast, which her dad loved but she could barely stomach. It was cheap, fast, and honestly pretty bland, but that was the point when families needed to stretch their grocery budget.
Pineapple Upside-Down Cake at Every Party
Pineapple Upside Down Cake was the star of many ’70s dessert tables, and this bundt version keeps the shape but not the shine. Canned pineapple and boxed mix were all it took to feel like baking meant something. My mom recalls bringing this to neighborhood potlucks where at least three other people also brought the same cake. The combination of caramelized pineapple rings and maraschino cherries was basically mandatory at birthday parties, church gatherings, and any occasion that required dessert.
Cheese Balls Covered in Nuts
Cheese balls and logs were all the rage in the ’70s. Cheese balls and logs were all the rage in the ’70s. Mom said you weren’t hosting a proper party unless you had a massive sphere of cream cheese mixed with cheddar, rolled in chopped pecans or walnuts, sitting on the appetizer table. If you’re lucky enough to go to a party today where a cheese ball is present, you know just how fun it is to be faced with a massive amount of cheese rolled up and coated in nuts and herbs. It was a crucial staple to any party in the 1970s. People would stand around it with crackers, slowly demolishing the thing throughout the evening.
Sloppy Joes That Were Actually Messy
Regardless of their true creator, Sloppy Joes became a 1970s favorite. Manwich, a canned mix for the sandwich, helped popularize the sloppy sandwich. My mom remembers making these on busy weeknights when she didn’t have time to plan anything fancy. Ground beef in sweet tomato sauce piled high on soft hamburger buns, with napkins absolutely required because these lived up to their name. It has a signature sweetness that’s not for everyone. Some recipes called for as many as several tablespoons of sugar, making it more of a sweet-and-savory combo. She still makes them occasionally when she’s feeling nostalgic.
