The ’90s weren’t just a golden era for cartoons; it was a peak time for food that we want in our lunchboxes. It might be a dinner recipe that our parents would make for us, or colorful snacks that we used to see in the grocery store, there’s no denying that these foods live in our minds rent-free! Get ready to take a trip down memory lane with 10 of the ’90s foods we miss.
10. Hot Pockets
Whether it’s a frozen Hot Pockets that you can buy from stores or a homemade one, these snacks definitely defined the ‘90s! Hot Pockets features a bread-like wrap filled with ham, cheese, bacon, egg, or anything that you can add as pizza toppers. It’s something that you can munch on at home when you feel your hunger strike or take with you to school.
9. Creative Focaccia Bread
One memory that might be in the back of your mind is when your mom would bake focaccia bread with intricate designs of flowers or plants. Well, the ‘90s were the time when everybody experimented with focaccia bread. Just add ingredients like tomatoes, olives, and basil and let your creative juices flow.
8. Fish Sticks
Another popular snack or dinner is fish sticks, which you can buy frozen at stores or DIY at home. They’re these breaded fish sticks with crispy crust and some tender, flaky fish inside. Yup, it’s just like fish and chips when you add fries! They’re also a popular add-on in microwaveable kiddie meals.
7. Hamburger Helper
Who here remembers the OG Hamburger Helper? Yup, it’s one of the ‘90s packaged instant foods made by Eagle Foods. It features a dried carbohydrate plus seasonings from different varieties of memorable dishes from the year. There’s everyone’s favorite, which is the Cheeseburger Macaroni, Tuna Helper, and Whole Grain Helper for whole grain pasta dishes.
6. Pizza Hut Buffets
Red-roofed Pizza Hut stores used to offer buffets in the ‘90s for hungry customers. You can get unlimited pizza, pasta, and salad until you’re full enough. While there has been news of some Pizza Hut buffets from locations here and there recently, it was just temporary.
5. Homemade Chicken Soup
When was the last time you had Homemade Chicken Soup, or should we call it “Chicken Soup for the Soul”? Its popularity grew in the ‘90s as the soup is reminiscent of the days when you had a fever as a kid. It consists of chicken, broth, veggies, and macaroni noodles. While there are canned versions of this soup, nothing compares to what your mother used to make!
4. Dorito Casserole
The idea of chips incorporated in homemade dishes today may not be appealing for some of us, but admittedly, we had some good times with the Dorito Casserole. It is made out of a whole bag of chips and rotisserie chicken. It’s one of the dinner staples we had back in the ‘90s!
3. Toaster Strudels
When it comes to ‘90s breakfast, one food that you’d probably remember is Toasted Strudels. These are frozen pastries filled with fruit jams that you pop in the toaster for an on-the-go breakfast. Brands that were popular back in the day are the Pillsbury Toaster Strudels and Kellogg’s Pop-Tarts. The good news is that they aren’t gone, and you can still purchase them when you feel like having them as snacks.
2. Barbie Birthday Cake
While the idea of a Barbie doll popping out of a cake seems terrifying, it was once the life of the party in little girls’ ‘90s birthday parties. It’s simply a cake shaped like a gown with a doll placed to stand in the hole.
1. BBQ Chicken Pizza
‘90s was the year were out of the box pizzas emerged, thanks to chains like California Pizza Kitchen. One notable flavor that emerged is BBQ Chicken Pizza, which features a pizza with grilled chicken and sweet BBQ sauce instead of tomato sauce. You can still find this pizza flavor in some pizza places today, like Domino’s.