Quirky and Festive Retro Holiday Party Dishes
December 25, 2016

Succulent igloo meatloaf, savory holiday tuna tree, “ah inspiring” spam and lima beans, the classic delectable cocktail weenie Christmas Tree-shaped appetizer and Betty Crocker’s white mystery fruitcake… Such are the dishes that Christmas dreams (culinary nightmares?) of the past are made of.

How many of us grew up in the era of the dinner party in the 50’s, 60’s or 70’s?  Way back when, thanks to the advent of new and exciting packaged food products in the 1950’s and beyond, many middle-class households enjoyed some very experimental recipes.

Take a scroll down the page to see if you can relate to any of these legendary dishes. Do you have a fave that we failed to list here? PLEASE CLICK HERE TO VISIT OUR FACEBOOK PAGE AND POST YOURS 🙂

 

The Oscar Mayer Holiday Hostess Tree... fun to make and the ornaments taste so good! Ha... Really?

The Oscar Mayer Holiday Hostess Tree… fun to make and the ornaments taste so good! Ha… Really?

 

Cold or hot SPAM hit's the spot. Is it just us, or are you also not a fan of this particular "spot"?

Hormel says: “Cold or hot SPAM hit’s the spot”. Is it just us, or are you also not a big fan of this particular “spot”? How do you make SPAM less appetizing? Hmmmm…. Lima Beans! Yes, please 🙂

 

400x361_igloo_meatloaf

What’s not to love about the Igloo Meatloaf? Just like a traditional shepherd’s pie, this dish is made of ground beef and potato, but lent an Arctic flair with this mouth watering igloo shape.

 

Elevate your holiday soiree dish game with an appetizer that'll have all your guests talking about how you're the next Martha Stewart ( or not).

Elevate your holiday soiree dish game with an appetizer that’ll have all your guests talking about how you’re the next Martha Stewart ( or not).

 

Not merely a recipe for Fruitcake, or a Fruitcake,,, but leave it to Betty Crocker to engineer a recipe for a "White Mystery Fruitcake". While everyone loves a good mystery novel or movie, fruitcake is already mysterious enough as it is. Regardless, this Betty Crocker ad, which was originally printed in Better Home & Gardens in 1958, touts a special recipe. The cake is prepared with white cake mix and white frosting, which does nothing to mask the already gross flavor of fruitcake.

Not merely a recipe for fruitcake… but leave it to Betty Crocker to engineer a recipe for a “White Mystery Fruitcake”. While everyone loves a good mystery novel or movie, fruitcake is already mysterious enough as it is. This fruitcake is prepared with white cake mix and white frosting, which while adding a decorative touch, does nothing to mask the flavor of fruitcake.An acquired taste, to be sure.

 

Cranberry + Mayo = Candle? We are not sure this new 'food math" really adds up to anything we would dare to call a "new Holiday tradition".

Cranberry + Mayo = Candle? We are not sure this new “food math” really adds up to anything we would dare to call a “new Holiday tradition”. How about you?

Do you have a retro throwback dish that we should add to our list? PLEASE CLICK HERE TO VISIT OUR FACEBOOK PAGE AND POST YOURS 🙂