It is impossible to overlook the vast list of food crimes from yesteryear. You know what I’m talking about if you’ve ever flipped through a vintage cookbook. They’re full of odd concoctions, from mashed-up shrimp and bread rolled into log shapes to mounds of cup steak pudding. Oh, and you can’t forget the “Perfection Salad,” a molded mountain of clear gelatine filled with vegetables and apple juice.
But for every “Ham and Bananas Hollandaise” recipe, there’s another old-fashioned recipe that was actually pretty good. (Did people really make Ham and Bananas Hollandaise? I don’t want to know.)
Let’s talk about five retro recipes that fell out of favor over the years, but definitely deserve a comeback.
Pineapple Upside Down Cake
One part kitschy and one part delicious, the Pineapple Upside Down Cake deserves a comeback! The idea of baking a cake upside down is actually a technique that was popular as far back as the Middle Ages, but it wasn’t until canned pineapple manufacturing began that Pineapple Upside Down Cake became a thing.
Fast forward to the 1950s and ‘60s, and the Pineapple Upside Down Cake was extremely popular. People have continued to make them since, but their popularity has certainly fizzled since then. I say we bring it back in full force!
Tuna Noodle Casserole
Prior to the 1950s, ovens weren’t all that reliable — I mean, not like we know them now. But the modern 1950s kitchen featured all kinds of Atomic Age appliances, including an electric range. With push-button technology and convenience foods filling supermarkets, easy meals like casserole bakes were all the rage.
That’s where we find the Tuna Noodle Casserole. It’s an all-American meal in a single dish that lured the housewife away from scratch recipes and into the magic of canned convenience foods. Mom didn’t have to do much beyond opening a few cans and throwing a casserole dish in the oven, and picky kids would eat it all up. Sounds like a win-win, especially in modern times when everyone wishes there were more hours in a day.
Onion Dip
Post-WWII homemakers were really into dips. Of course, people have been dipping their food for centuries. But the seductive blend of sour cream and flavoring as an appetizer didn’t come into existence until the ‘50s.
It all started with Lipton’s California Dip. It’s literally just a simple mix of sour cream and Lipton’s dried onion soup mix, and it’s delicious. We can thank post-war convenience foods for this one.
Beef Wellington
If you’ve ever seen any of Gordon Ramsay’s Hell’s Kitchen, you’ve heard “Beef Wellington” more times than you can count. It’s literally 20 seasons of Ramsay making those chefs serve Beef Wellington.
Outside of Hell’s Kitchen, I’m not sure anyone’s eaten this dish since the ‘80s. Although it was a delight for diners, it likely fell out of favor because of its tricky preparation. In any case, it’s both savory and crunchy, plus it’s super fancy. It’s worth the extra prep. I think Ramsay will agree with me that Beef Wellington deserves a comeback!
Baked Alaska
Much like Beef Wellington, I’m pretty sure that Baked Alaska fell out of favor because it’s so tricky to make. But if you’ve ever been lucky enough to try this retro dessert, you know it’s worth the extra work!
It sounds simple enough: it’s a sponge cake topped with ice cream, and then covered in baked meringue. The trick is keeping it both chilled and hot at the same time. That’s probably why Baked Alaska was often considered the mark of a good cook back in the ’60s.
