Swanson TV Dinners
According to Smithsonian Magazine, Swanson salesman Gerry Thomas conceived the company’s frozen dinners in late 1953 when the company had 260 tons of frozen turkey left over after Thanksgiving, and the “TV dinner” was introduced at a time when millions of white women entered the workforce in the early 1950s, making prepared meals particularly lucrative. These aluminum-tray meals required just 25 minutes in the oven, and by 1955, more than 64 percent of U.S. households had television sets, rising to more than 87 percent by 1960. By 1956, Swanson was selling over 13 million dinners annually, with marketing campaigns promising “modern meals for modern families,” positioning the TV Dinner as both practical and stylish. By the mid-1960s, the frozen food aisle had exploded with choices from Salisbury steak to Mexican tamales, with companies like Morton, Banquet, Chun King and Rosarita following Swanson’s lead.
Tuna Noodle Casserole
In a 1959 survey by the U.S. Bureau of Commercial Fisheries, they found that eight out of ten households served canned tuna once a week with tuna fish casseroles ranking in the top three, with families commenting that they liked using canned tuna because it was quick, easy, cheap and convenient. By the time the sixties and seventies arrived with the evolution of canned and frozen foods, it was more about convenience than economics, with the combination of Campbell’s Cream of Mushroom soup with tuna and noodles making it a national dish. This casserole was a staple of the 1950s and 1960s dinner table, containing canned tuna, canned mushroom soup, and various seasonings that ranged from curry powder to grated American cheese, with the 1962 standard cookbook listing page after page of versions including potato chips, bread slices, or cashews. It was so popular that it was served in cafeterias, diners, and church suppers throughout the era.
Jell-O Salads
No special occasion was complete without something served in a gelatin mold, with the lime flavor introduced in 1930 becoming the basis for many molds in the fifties and sixties, showcasing a cook’s creativity with ingredients including cottage cheese, crushed pineapple, oranges, nuts, celery, sour cream, or even vinegar, grated cucumber, and onion topped with shrimp. Seafoam Salad emerged during the golden age of gelatin salads when Jell-O wasn’t just a dessert but a canvas for culinary experimentation, with the name coming from its pale green, frothy appearance, and during the 1950s and 60s, dishes like this were considered the height of sophistication, often featured in ladies’ magazines and served at bridge clubs and church suppers, with the combination of cottage cheese and cream cheese particularly trendy. Jell-O’s popularity continued to increase around this time, with more people making aspic after it was popularized by Julia Child. The vibrant colors and playful combinations made Jell-O salads a fun addition to any meal, and though they might seem unusual by today’s standards, they were a hit at potlucks and holiday gatherings.
Meatloaf
Meatloaf’s popularity remained strong through the 1950s and 1960s as a comforting and familiar dish that represented traditional family values and home-cooked meals, holding strong as a staple on dinner tables across the country. Many consider the heyday of meatloaf to be the 1950s, with the 1958 cookbook “365 Ways to Cook Hamburger” containing 70 recipes for meatloaf alone. Meatloaf is said to have attained iconic comfort food status along with hamburgers, fried chicken and mac and cheese, with a 2007 Good Housekeeping poll showing meatloaf was the seventh-favorite dish of Americans. In the 1960s, cooking at home got a whole lot easier thanks to the explosion of convenient and pre-packaged foods and the new accessibility of kitchen appliances.
Green Bean Casserole
Iconic recipes from the 1960s include Green Bean Casserole, Fruit Salad Jell-O, and Stuffed Peppers, with Green Bean Casserole becoming a staple showcasing the era’s comfort food and convenient cooking styles. Casseroles were a staple of sixties cooking, offering a simple yet satisfying way to feed a family, with these one-dish wonders combining ingredients like pasta, meat, and vegetables with a creamy or cheesy sauce then baked until bubbly and golden, with classics like tuna noodle casserole or green bean casserole being not just about flavor but also about convenience as they could be prepared ahead of time. Casseroles became a staple in homes, combining comfort and convenience, with Green Bean Casserole being a classic recipe that defined the dining experience. In the fifties and sixties, Scandinavian design and culture became popular in the U.S., which included the popularity of Swedish meatballs made far easier by the accessibility of cream of mushroom soup.
Pork Chops with Mashed Potatoes
Pork chops had a big moment in the sixties, usually served alongside some mashed potatoes and gravy, or maybe a fruit glaze if somebody was trying to be fancy, and you’d see pork steaks at BBQs and county fairs all over the place. Chicken was cheap at 29 cents per pound and so was oil, giving families no reason to head to KFC when they could make fried chicken at home. In the 1960s, cooking at home got a whole lot easier thanks to the explosion of convenient and pre-packaged foods and the new accessibility of kitchen appliances, making it easier than ever to skip a restaurant and make dinner. Thanks to the explosion of convenient and pre-packaged foods and the new accessibility of kitchen appliances, it was easier than ever to skip a restaurant and make dinner for middle-class households.
