The 1960s weren’t just a time of moon landings and rock ‘n’ roll; it was also a golden era of convenient homemade food. Many finger foods and classic cakes made an appearance at dinner parties, which your grandparents probably raved about back then. These dishes and treats may not be on today’s menus, but they live on in our memories and maybe in a dusty cookbook or two. Let’s take a trip back to memory lane and revisit the delicious side of the swinging sixties.
10. Baked Alaska
If you ask your grandparents, Baked Alaska was the star of the dessert bar back then. It features a layer of sponge cake and ice cream that is sealed with meringue. It became a staple of dinner parties and was a popular dessert back then in restaurants.
9. Beef Wellington
The Beef Wellington is more on the formal side of dinner parties. It was actually popularized in the mid-century by Julia Child, who added it to The French Chef in 1965. It also appeared in her cookbook titled “Mastering the Art of French Cooking.” It features a beef tenderloin that is wrapped in a puff pastry with layers of mushroom mixture.
8. Chicken Kiev
This chicken dish features a breaded chicken that is filled with herb-infused melted butter. The filling shows a melted butter texture when you slice the chicken in the center. This was a popular dish when you check out ‘60s cookbooks due to the melty center feature that was culinary genius back in the day.
7. Devils on Horseback
Wrapped appetizers were huge during the ‘60s, and one notable finger food was the Devils on Horseback. It features sweet dates and melted cheese that were wrapped using bacon and secured with a toothpick.
6. French Onion Dip
A staple finger food during parties, the French Onion Dip was a food fad during the time because of one single ingredient, which is Lipton Onion Soup Mix. Other ingredients include sour cream or cream cheese plus dehydrated soup mix. You can dip sliced veggies or crackers in this dip.
5. Stuffed Celery
Back then, celery wasn’t seen as a vegetable, but rather a base for dips and spreads. One appetizer made with celery is Stuffed Celery, which features a cream cheese mixture of pimiento cheese and chopped flavorings like onions. It is then placed at the center of the celery base to create a tasty finger food.
4. Easy Skillet Chicken à la King
Chicken à la King, or king style chicken, is a creamy diced chicken dish with vegetables. It is often served with biscuits, toast, or rice. The recipe was featured in different printed mass media outlets such as the New York Times and Fannie Farmer Cookbook. It’s easy to make, which is why its popularity lasted until the late 20th century.
3. Spinach Dip in a Bread Bowl
This popular appetizer, back in the ‘60s to ‘70s, was a must-have finger food at parties. It features a creamy cheese dip made with spinach and a dry soup mix. It is then placed in a hollowed-out loaf of bread that serves as a bowl and finger food meant to be dipped.
2. Tunnel of Fudge Cake
This Tunnel of Fudge Cake became popular by the mid-1960s when Ella Rita Helfrich’s funnel cake recipe won second place at the Pillsbury 17th annual bake-off. Even if the cake only won second place, it became one of the faces of Pillsbury’s ad campaign. It features just the classic funnel cake made out of chocolate with a choco lava-like explosion
1. Beef Bourguignon
Thanks to the popularization of French-American cuisine, the Beef Bourguignon found its place in the swinging ‘60s. It features a slow-cooked stew made with tender beef and mushrooms. There’s also a red w*ne and onion pearls mixed in the dish, creating a warm, comforting stew dish.