what were we eating in the 50's

What were Americans cooking in the 1950s?

APPETIZERS


Fruit cup
Broiled grapefruit
Melon ball cocktail
Sea food cocktail
Pastry snails
Dried beef rolls
Silver dollar hambugers
Bacon wrap-arounds
Herring-Appleteaser
Dips & chips/crackers: Lobster Newburg spread, Guacamole, Deviled Ham-Cheese Dip, Hollywood dunk
Canapes: Deviled ham, savory mushroom, hot cheese puffs, minature pizzas, hot clam
Cheerios cocktail snacks (something like Chex Mix)
Decorate your appetizer tray with celery trunks, stuffed cucumbers, grape clusters & fruit kabobs.
---Betty Crocker's Picture Cook Book, revised and enlarged, 2nd edition [McGraw-Hill:New York] 1956 (p. 57-66)
[NOTE: This 1950's classic cookbook was reprinted in facsimile edition in 1998 by the same publisher and is easy to obtain. Ask your librarian for help.]
Stuffed pecans or walnuts
Salted almonds
Filled Celery (with Roquefort and cream cheese)
Tidbits in blankets (surround cooked shrimp, oysters, stuffed olives, pickled onions, watermelon pickle, sauteed chicken livers, skinned grapefruit sections, dates stuffed with pineapple with thin strips of bacon, secure them with toothpicks. Broil them under moderate heat until the bacon is crisp.)
Glazed shrimp
Garlic olives
Sardine and bacon rolls
Marinated mushrooms
Cheese balls
Sausage and potato rolls
Ham and egg balls
Pineapple fingers and bacon
Broiled stuffed mushrooms (stuff with bread crumbs, shad roe, shrimp)
Shrimp puffs
Deviled eggs
Cheese for dipping potato chips
---The Joy of Cooking, Irma S. Rombauer [Bobbs-Merrill:Indianapolis] 1953 (p. 28-39)
[NOTE: there is a separate section devoted to canapes and sandwiches]

Barbecued short ribs
Toasted Tuna
Cocktail kabobs (button mushrooms and cocktail franks cut in half marinated in French dressing)
Broiled shrimp
Mix Trix (like Chex Mix)
Pumpernickel squares (crab meat, chili sauce, curry powder, mustard on pump)
Deviled almond rolls
Party pinwheels (dough, leftover meat, moistened with chili sauce, baked)
Cocktail knishes
Filled cream puffs (store-bought puffs filled with hot chicken salad, creamed shrimp, creamed turkey, served in a chafing dish)
Broiled mushroom caps
Baby pizzas (use English muffins!)
Sea-food celery (stuff flaked crab & mayo into cut celery. Garnish with paprika.)
Stuffed eggs (deviled eggs)
Sardine surprise (sardines mashed with hard cooked egg yolks, anchovy paste, dry mustard, butter, & spices. Served on squares on pumpernickel)
Ham rolls (boiled ham & liverwurst)
Dunks (aka dips): sour cream, shrimp, chive, horseradish, guacamole, pimiento, tuna
---Martha Deane's Cooking for Compliments, Martha Young Taylor [M. Barrows:New York] 1954 (p. 13-35)

SOUP & SALAD

Split pea soup
Easy chicken gumbo
Oxtail soup
Spicy tomato soup, Cream of tomato soup
Chicken and corn chowder
Pineapple fruit plate
Tomato stuffed with perfection salad
Bean (three-bean) salad
Orange-and-Bermuda onion salad
Melon boat salad
---Betty Crocker's Picture Cook Book, revised and enlarged, 2nd edition [McGraw-Hill:New York] 1956 (p. 377)
Mushroom or clam broth
Onion soup
Chicken (or beef, shrimp, crab) gumbo
Cream of celery soup
Cheese soup
Cole slaw
Chilled canned tomatoes
Lettuce or mixed salad with sour cream
Salad Caesar
Cucumber salad with French dressing
---The Joy of Cooking, Irma S. Rombauer [Bobbs-Merrill:Indianapolis] 1953

Consomme
Clam chowder
Cream of chicken
Asparagus soup
Cream of mushroom soup
Mixed green salad (French dressing or mayonnaise)
Stuffed tomatoes ravigote
Vegetables in sour cream
Potato salad (both hot and cold)
Gelatin & fruit salad molds (raspberry ring, grapefruit intrigue, sea siren salad)
---Martha Deane's Cooking for Compliments, Martha Young Taylor [M. Barrows:New York] 1954

MAIN COURSE

Grilled kabobs
Scalloped chicken supreme
Beef and corn casserole
American lasagne
Tuna-potato chip casserole
Savory meat pie
Welsh rarebit with tomato slices and little sausages
Swedish meat balls
Fluffy meat loaf
Baked ham with glaze
---Betty Crocker's Picture Cook Book, revised and enlarged, 2nd edition [McGraw-Hill:New York] 1956
Sukiyaki
Chicken a la king
Oysters baked in the half shell
Spaghetti with meat sauce
Turkey or chicken casserole with vegetables
Chicken pot pie
Hamburger-olive loaf
Chicken or veal croquettes
Baked fish
Souffle
---The Joy of Cooking, Irma S. Rombauer [Bobbs-Merrill:Indianapolis] 1953

Ham and vegetable casserole
Salmon steak
Orange sole
Corn-crust chicken
Sweet ham patties
Curried veal chops
Eggs foo young
Fricasseed trukey with wild rice
Lobster in patty shells
Salmon casserole
---Martha Deane's Cooking for Compliments, Martha Young Taylor [M. Barrows:New York] 1954

VEGETABLES
often served with butter, cream sauce, sour cream sauce, canned soup; topped with bread crumbs, dried onion flakes


Buttered vegetables (canned or frozen)
Creamed asparagus
Lima beans in sour cream
Broccoli-mushroom casserole
Mexican corn saute
---Betty Crocker's Picture Cook Book, revised and enlarged, 2nd edition [McGraw-Hill:New York] 1956
Mushrooms au gratin
Creamed onions (mushrooms, peas)
Baked zucchini
Potato volcano with cheese (mashed potato volcano!)
Baked beans
---The Joy of Cooking, Irma S. Rombauer [Bobbs-Merrill:Indianapolis] 1953

Green peas with sour cream
Baked acorn squash
Baked stuffed onions
Wax beans oriental (sweet and sour sauce)
Ginger-honey carrots
---Martha Deane's Cooking for Compliments, Martha Young Taylor [M. Barrows:New York] 1954

DESSERTS


Chiffon pie (lime, orange, pineapple, strawberry, chocolate)
Little pies (tart-sized portions of standard pies)
Coconut cake
Peppermint candy cake
Maraschino cherry cake
Chocolate cherry cake
Angel food
Banana chiffon cake
Easy caramel corn (made with General Mills cereals)
Marshmallow bars (made with General Mills cereals)
---Betty Crocker's Picture Cook Book, revised and enlarged, 2nd edition [McGraw-Hill:New York] 1956
Chocolate cake with white icing
Velvet spice cake
Ice cream with cherries
Apricot souffle
Baked apples
Gold layer cake with caramel icing
Banana chocolate cake
Butterscotch brownies
German cherry cake
Peppermint ice cream with chocolate sauce
---The Joy of Cooking, Irma S. Rombauer [Bobbs-Merrill:Indianapolis] 1953

Angel food custard
Quick butterscotch-chocolate pie
Maraschino cherry pudding
Broiled or baked grapefruit
Cherries jubilee
Peppermint pie
Devil's cream cake
Baked Alaska
Melon balls and sherbert
Orange snow balls (hollowed orange halves packed with lemon sherbert)
---Martha Deane's Cooking for Compliments, Martha Young Taylor [M. Barrows:New York] 1954

BEVERAGES
Soda pop [in bottles if you can get it], Tang [this space drink is VERY 50s], fruit punch, fruit smoothies, milk shakes, hot cocoa, iced tea, coffee.
SIMPLE HOME MENUS: 1952 (all include "a beverage.")

Breakfast
1. Orange juice, sauteed eggs and bacon, cinnamon toast
2. Apple jucie, sausage-meat cakes, popovers, jelly.
3. Chilled grapefruit, waffles, hone cream
4. Sliced peaches, omelet or scrambled eggs, drop biscuits, marmelade
5. Tomato juice, French toast with applesauce

Lunch
1. Broiled hamburger sandwiches, wilted lettuce, sanned or stewed fruit
2. Cold sliced ham, hot potato salad, toast, applesauce
3. Pan-fried fish, broiled potates, tossed green salad with French dressing, muffins, grapefruit jelly
4. Chili con carne, creamed spinach, sweet muffins with nuts 5. French ham toast, avocado on lettuce with French dressing, gingersnaps

Dinner
1. Meat balls with spaghetti, green peas, sliced oranges, peanut-butter cookies
2. Pigs in blankets, baked tomatoes with cheese, banana sherbet, butterscotch brownies
3. Salmon in casserole, potato chips, green salad with French dressing, lemon milk sherbet, chocolate-chip drop cookies
4. Eggplant filled with leftover foods, boiled carrots, hot rolls, preserves, quick method white cake with lemon icing
5. Pork chops with scalloped potatoes, French bread, Harvard beets, apple crunch"
---A Cookbook for Girls and Boys, Irma S. Rombauer [Bobbs-Merrill:Indianapolis] 1952 (p. 223-228)

SUGGESTED DINNER PARTY MENUS: 1955


Chilled Melon, Lobster Newberg in Croustades, Crown Roast of Lamb, Potatoes with Parsley Butter, Peas with Mint Cream, Chestnut Cream, Coffee
Hors d'oeuvres Tray, Relishes, Roast Turkey, Cranberry Jelly, Potato Puff, Spinach Ring with Baby Lima Beans, Grapefruit and Endive Salad, Vanilla Ice Cream with Tutti Fruitti, Small Cakes, Coffee

Consomme Bellevue, Relishes, Filet Migning, Bordelaise Sauce, Chestnut Puree, String Beans with Celery, Mixed Green Salad, Chocolate Souffle, Coffee

Littleneck Clams, Relishes, Roast Duck, Orange Sauce, Wild Rice with Mushrooms, Buttered Asparagus, Bombe of raspberry Ice and Vanilla Ice Cream, Small Cakes, Coffee

Oysters in the Half Shell, Roast Chicken, Whole Hominy with Sherry, Broccoli with Brown Crumbs, Macaroon Cream with Sliced Peaches, Coffee

Fish Fillets with Normandie Sauce, Roast Beef, Yorkshire Pudding, Braised Celery, Mixed Vegetable Salad, Mincemeat Turnovers, Coffee

Consomme Madrilene, Relishes, Baked Virginia Ham, Grilled Sweet Potatoes, Cauliflour with Lemon Butter, Romaine with Roquefort Dressing, Wine Jelly with Whipped Cream, Coffee"
---Silver Jubilee Super Market Cook Book, Edith Barber [Super Market Publishing:New York] 1955 (p. 37-8)

"THEME" DINNERS WERE POPULAR IN THE 1950ssamples here:

"Hawaiian buffet luncheon or supper
For table decorations, use lemon leaves, ferns, pineapple, bananas. Flowers (including lei for each guest) would be everywhere. Soft strains of Hawaiian music lend atmosphere: Tropical fruit salad, (avocado sections, orange slices, whole ripe olives...on bed of shredded lettuce) with lime or lemon dressing