Retro Dinner Party Foods We Wish Would Make A Comeback
Retro Dinner Party Foods We Wish Would Make a Comeback
A dinner party that starts with a strong martini accompanied by cheese straws and salmon mousse, followed by a classic Julia Child-style boeuf bourguignon, and ends with a stunning baked Alaska sounds like a perfect meal. Why is it that this menu hasn't been seen on anybody's dining table since the 1970s?
Ants on a Log
This salty, sweet, and spicy, celery-based appetizer should never have ceased to be a household staple. Serve these classic Ants on a Log alongside those potent cocktails at your next dinner party to welcome this childhood favorite back to our kitchens.
Baked Alaska
Black Forest Gâteau
This '70s layer cake deserves its spot in the limelight. We can't really understand how layers of chocolate sponge cake soaked in alcohol, and piled up with whipped cream, cherries, and chocolate shavings could ever not be everybody's favorite dessert.
Boeuf Bourguignon
Julia Child described her favorite boeuf bourguignon as "certainly one of the most delicious beef dishes concocted by man." This comforting French beef dish needs to be on your dinner party menu, just to make Julia Child proud.
Cheese Straws
There's a reason why cheese straws were quite so popular in the '70s. Crunchy, salty, and a tiny bit greasy, they make the perfect accompaniment to your every pre-dinner drink.
For the Crunchy Cheddar and Rosemary Cheese Straws recipe, click here.
Chicken Kiev
This garlic-butter-stuffed, golden breadcrumb-coated chicken dish is one of our all-time favorite dinners. It's truly upsetting that after its incredible '60s popularity, this dish has all but disappeared from every kitchen: It's time it made a well-deserved comeback.
Cobb Salad
The colorful Cobb salad, which was originally invented in Hollywood, is one of the few vegetable-focused retro dishes. Add some Hollywood glamour to your next dinner party with this iconic salad, served as a side or an appetizer.
Crêpes Suzette
For the culinary ambitious among you, there can be no more impressive way to end your dinner party than with some flambéed Crêpes Suzette. This popular Parisian dessert was such a hit in America in the '70s, and it's definitely time these crêpes had another turn at being fashionable again.
Devilled Eggs
Devilled eggs were the go-to appetizer for many dinner party hosts, and were always a favorite among guests. We want to revive this not-so-fashionable recipe, and by adding some modern twists, get it back in vogue again.
French Onion Dip
We don't want the authentic retro French Onion dip to make a comeback, but a more refined version. Let's skip making this recipe with packaged onion soup mix, and instead use fresh ingredients to enjoy a new and improved version of this old-school appetizer.
Green Bean Casserole
This green bean casserole recipe was originally written by Campbell's to promote its cream of mushroom soup. This side dish contains so many shortcuts, but is no less delicious for it: It's the perfect recipe for the nervous host, even when it isn't Thanksgiving.
Manhattan Cocktail
If there's just one thing that we learned from Mad Men, it's that no retro party should be short on cocktails. The classic Manhattan cocktail is an often-overlooked drink, which is simple to make, and sufficiently fortifying to get the evening off to a boisterous start.
Martini
Making a perfect martini is a fine art, which should never be underestimated. But a beautifully strong, chilled martini served at the beginning of your party will be sure to please every cocktail connoisseur.
Oeufs à la Neige
This old-school dinner party classic of delicate meringues floating on top of a rich crème anglaise, and drizzled with warm caramel, is the kind of dessert every sweet-toothed guest dreams about.
Pineapple Upside-Down Cake
This vintage dessert, which consists of a yellow sponge, simply topped with slices of pineapple, and maybe a maraschino cherry or two, was the height of dinner party dessert chic in the first half of the twentieth century. To be true to the retro original, make sure you only use tinned pineapple slices.
Pink Champagne Jello
We're happy to forget about the majority of the jello recipes that were the centerpiece of so many '60s and '70s dinner tables. However, jello made with Champagne is not something we're quite so readily willing to say goodbye to.
Salmon Mousse
If we can replace the original canned salmon for smoked salmon in the classic salmon mousse, then we are definitely ready to see a revival of this appetizer. Form the mousse into a fish shape if you want some serious retro effort points from your guests.
Shrimp Cocktail
There's a reason a classic shrimp cocktail was the go-to chic appetizer for such a long time, and there's no good reason we can think of that explains why it is no longer widely available. Shrimp cocktail is a simple, elegant appetizer we should all be enjoying as the best light way to start dinner.
Swedish Meatballs
Meatballs served with cocktail sticks and a sweet jelly to dip them in were all the rage at '60s parties. Then they became too popular for their own good and lost their fashionable status. Mini meatballs have been away for long enough: Let's welcome them back.
Wedge Salad
This salad probably went out of fashion when people realized quite how many calories were hidden in that blue cheese dressing, but we think it's worth every bite. Knowing that it's an indulgent treat, rather than a healthy side, let's put this salty salad on our dinner tables again.