16 Old-Fashioned Recipes Through The Decades (2024)

16 Old-Fashioned Recipes Through The Decades (1)

We love old-fashioned recipes for so many reasons. They’re often simple, comforting and timelessly delicious. Today we’re breaking down our favorite old-fashioned recipes by decades! Certain decades were defined by specific food trends, so we’re collecting all the classics from the ’20s, all the way through the 1970s. FromGreat Depression recipesduring the 1930s and ’40s, to retro cakes from the ’60s and ’70s, these old-fashioned recipes for dinner, dessert and appetizers will surely bring back some memories.

Browse this list ofold-fashioned recipesthrough the decades, and be sure to comment below with the recipes that come to mind when you think of certain decades! Plus, don’t miss this list of13 Fabulous Sweet and Savory Fondue Recipes, Plus 7 More Party Food Ideas.

1920s Recipes

The prohibition-era was all about getting creative in the kitchen with Jell-O molds, fruit co*cktails, and pineapple upside-down cake! From fancy Great Gatsby dining, to everyday home cooking, you may only recognize a few of the popular recipes from the 1920s. Here are a few old-fashioned recipes that have withstood the test of time and are still common today.

Skillet Pineapple Upside Down Cake

Pineapple upside down cake was a popular dessert in the ’20s, and making in in a skillet produces one of the best versions of the cake.

Must Have Classic Deviled Eggs

When it comes to old-fashioned recipes, deviled eggs are a classic. This easy recipe for deviled eggs is just like the one grandma used to make!

Pink Stuff Recipe

A classic Jell-O mold recipe that looks festive and actually tastes great

1930s Recipes

During the Depression Era, family cooking was all about budget-friendly eats. These recipes from the 1930s are classic Depression era recipes that can be re-made today!

This simple recipe was thrown together using rations and always pleased the family.

24 Classic Great Depression Era Recipes

Don’t miss this list of 21 Classic Great Depression Era Recipes for even more 1930s-era recipes you’ll love!

1940s Recipes

The 1940s were also all about making-do with less – which meant eggless cakes, meatless meals, and more.

1940s Lazy Daisy Cake

A classic coconut cake that’s super easy to make for when you’re feeling lazy.

Party Cheese Ball

This recipe first appeared in the 1940s and continued to be popular throughout the 50s and 60s!

Ultimate Crazy Wacky Cake

A deliciously moist cake that can be made without using eggs, milk, butter, or bowls.

1950s Recipes

The 1950s were all about elegant entertaining at dinner parties and simple, belly-filling meals at home during the week!

Super-Easy Crab Puffs

This simple, yet elegant, appetizer would have been essential at any posh 1950’s dinner party.

Slow Cooker Green Bean Casserole

The classic 50s casserole gets a modern update by utilizing a slow cooker instead of the oven.

Homemade Candy Buttons

An essential part of any 1950s child’s diet! These are so fun to make at home with your children or grandchildren.

1960s Recipes

In the 1960s, foods like the Tunnel of Fudge Cake, kiwi fruits, and the space-age drink Tang came into popularity. These old-fashioned recipes from the 1960s are definitely still familiar to us today.

Creamsicle Jell-O Mold

The classic creamsicle flavors of this Jell-O mold remind us of our childhood.

Chicken a la King

A popular dinner recipe in the 1960s that’s still make today.

Start the Party Meatballs

co*cktail meatballs were a classic in the ’60s, and this appetizer recipe looks amazing.

1970s Recipes

The retro recipes of the 1970s were a mix of classics from the 1960s, along with a few new food trends. There was more of an emphasis of fresh fruit in the ’70s.

Mom's Best Tuna Melt Casserole

Tuna casseroles were an essential part of any 1970’s household dinner menu.

Tender chicken in a sweet and sour sauce with chunks of pineapple.

1970s Pineapple Dream Dessert

A creamy retro dessert that uses pineapple, Cool Whip and more!

Craving MORE Vintage Eats?

16 Old-Fashioned Recipes Through The Decades (20)

Critics are raving about cookbook author andCutthroat Kitchenstar Addie Gundry’s new cookbookRetro Recipes from the ‘50s and ‘60s!

“It takes a genuine senior citizen to recall popular foods from the 1950s and ’60s. But baby boomers’ offspring no doubt will have relished many of the recipes Gundry has collected…Most recipes are a breeze to concoct from pantry staples, but even Gundry’s simplified beef Wellington has its place for celebratory dinners.”—Mark Knoblauch, Booklist

“This collection of popular recipes from the 1950s and ’60s contains what you might expect to find in a cookbook from the time or written on weathered index cards in grandma’s recipe box…Gundry has made it easy for theme-party planners to find the necessary recipes all in one place.”—Publishers Weekly

From 1950’s casseroles and elegant hors d’oevres to more modern, adventurous dishes, this collection of vintage recipes is sure to inspire any home cook.Available NOW onAmazonand atBarnes and Noble!

16 Old-Fashioned Recipes Through The Decades (2024)

FAQs

What were the popular hors d oeuvres in the 1920s? ›

Hors d'oeuvres are a must. Try finger foods like devilled eggs, tea sandwiches, salted nuts, prawn co*cktail and canapés. Cakes were also very popular in the 1920s with red velvets, pound cakes and devil cakes popular.

What food was popular in the 1970s? ›

18 retro dishes from your childhood
  • Bombe Alaska. Nothing screams the 70s quite like sponge, ice cream and meringue drenched in rum and set on fire, right? ...
  • Vol-au-vents. ...
  • Mini ham and pineapple pizzas. ...
  • Battenberg cake. ...
  • Scotch eggs. ...
  • Cheese fondue. ...
  • Crepes Suzette. ...
  • Apricot chicken.

What did people eat for dinner in the 1930s? ›

A 1930s dinner party menu would probably also have included dishes that mirrored what Hollywood considered sophisticated European taste with items like scones, crumpets, cucumber or watercress sandwiches, salmon croquettes, trifles, tortes and meringues.

What was popular food in the 1920s? ›

Recipes for Chicken and Rice with Sauce; Baked Rice Milanaise; Prosperity Sandwich; Ice Box Cake; and a Sidecar.

What food was served at 1920s parties? ›

For a co*cktail party, hors d'oeuvres like shrimp co*cktail, crab cakes, stuffed mushrooms as well as cheese trays and finger sandwiches were popular 20s fare. When planning a sit-down dinner, salad or soup along with a main course of smoked ham or roasted turkey will please your guests while staying on theme.

What did they drink in the 1920s? ›

12 Prohibition-Era co*cktail Recipes from the Roaring Twenties
  • Old Fashioned.
  • The Last Word.
  • Gin Rickey.
  • Mojito.
  • Sidecar.
  • Bee's Knees.
  • French 75.
  • Highball.
Oct 15, 2022

What did hippies eat in the 70s? ›

The cuisine that the counterculture took to in the late 1960s, and then helped introduce to the mainstream in the 1970s, embraced whole grains and legumes; organic, fresh vegetables; soy foods like tofu and tempeh; nutrition-boosters like wheat germ and sprouted grains; and flavors from Eastern European, Asian, and ...

What were the popular foods in the 50s and 60s? ›

Popular packaged foods included Kellogg's Frosted Flakes and Special K cereals, General Mills' Trix and Cocoa Puffs cereals, Star-Kist Tuna, Minute Rice, Eggo Waffles, Pepperidge Farm Cookies, Ruffles potato chips, Rice-A-Roni, Ramen Noodles, and Haagen-Dazs Ice Cream.

What was junk food in the 1920s? ›

: While alcohol consumption suffered (at least theoretically) thanks to Prohibition, snacking flourished. Baby Ruth, Oh Henry!, Mounds, Mr. Goodbar, Mike and Ike, Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, Butterfinger, Health Bars, Nestle Drumsticks, and popsicles are all sweet, sweet byproducts of the Jazz Age.

What did Americans eat for dinner in the 1950s? ›

1950s Dinners

There was no such thing as the keto diet in the 1950s—meat and potatoes reigned supreme. You'd find hearty main dishes like Salisbury steak, beef stroganoff and meat loaf on a '50s dinner menu, plus scrumptious sides. Casseroles were also popular, particularly those featuring seafood or ham.

What was a typical dinner at Downton Abbey? ›

It was often a hearty meat stew with blancmange or treacle tart for "pudding." Both groups had tea in the afternoon; a dainty repast with cakes and scones for upstairs while the servants had bread and jam and perhaps fruitcake or plain biscuits, otherwise known as cookies.

What was eaten during the Great Depression? ›

Celery soup mixed with tuna fish and mashed potatoes. A salad of corned beef, gelatin and canned peas. Baked onion stuffed with peanut butter. Those are just some of the recipes Americans turned to during the Great Depression, when many families struggled to eat enough nutritious food.

What candy was popular in the 1920s? ›

The 1920s featured a continued focus on chocolate as O'Henry Bars, Zero bars, Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, Baby Ruth, Mounds, Milky Way, and Mr. Goodbar all entered the scene. The 1920s introduced dextrose, a corn syrup, as a new cheap ingredient to replace sugar.

What did people eat in the 1910s? ›

The diet of many people tended toward things easily grown and preserved. Salted pork was a mainstay because pigs were easy to raise and the meat kept well. Many dishes featured corn: soaked and turned into hominy, ground and mixed with rye or wheat for bread, or served on the cob in season.

What is the most common example of hors d oeuvre? ›

Usually presented buffet style, it often consists of cold cuts, cured fishes, mixed salads, kholodets, pirozhki, various pickled vegetables (such as tomatoes, beets, or cucumbers), sauerkraut, pickled mushrooms, deviled eggs, hard cheeses, caviar, canapés, open sandwiches, and breads.

What are the three main types of hors d oeuvres? ›

Types of Hors d'oeuvre
  • Hot- sausages, smoked fish or meat, Potato Napoleon with caviar and sour cream etc.
  • Cold- Pates, oysters, cheeses, crudités etc.
  • Finger food- empanadas, wontons, deviled quail eggs, tea sandwiches.
  • Canapés- 1 or 2 bites- always consists of four parts. Base. Spread. Primary ingredient. Garniture.
Oct 4, 2022

What appetizers are also known as hors d oeuvres? ›

hors d'oeuvre, a small portion of savory food that is usually served as an appetizer. Hors d'oeuvres are typically eaten before the main course of a meal or on their own with beverages, such as at a co*cktail party. canapés. Related Topics: kebab charcuterie tartlet canapé crudités. See all related content →

What food was popular during the Prohibition era? ›

The rise of these intimate events led to the popularization of an increasingly wide array of finger foods. Hosts paraded out such popular culinary delights as lobster canapés, caviar rolls, crabmeat co*cktails, shrimp patties, oyster toast, jellied anchovy molds, radish roses, devilled eggs and savory cheese balls.

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