Hawaiian luau parties swept American backyards in the late ’50s and ’60s — here’s the real history behind the roast pigs, paper leis and pineapple punch.
Whether you call them 7-layer bars, magic cookie bars or something else, It’s just layer after layer of delectable ingredients, spread on top of the other right in the baking pan. No mixing!
Miracle Whip launched in 1933 as a Depression-era mayo alternative — and by the 1950s, it was turning canned peaches into “salad.” Here’s how that happened.
This 1962 strawberry torte layers meringue-topped cake with pink almond cream & fresh berries — a classic spring dessert that’s easier than it looks.
1960s drinks meant more than a cold glass — they came with rules, rituals and a whole history. See the recipes and toasts that defined the era.
This no-bake mocha chocolate chip cheesecake from the ’80s skips the oven but delivers big on coffee-chocolate flavor. Classic retro recipe inside!
How long does Jello take to set? It depends on the stage — here’s a handy vintage chart plus a speed-set method that cuts the time way down.
The devilied egg is truly an American innovation, Here are 22 different old-fashioned and divinely delicious deviled egg recipes for you to try!
This Easter cake’s pink jam frosting and red filling come from fresh berry preserves, and make a perfect addition to a white or yellow cake.
Here, get old-fashioned elderberry recipes for wine, elderberry jam & jelly, cobbler, pie and more delicious vintage-style treats!
The original Rice Krispies treats were invented in the 1930s. By 1940, the recipe was known across the country — and their popularity has hardly waned since. Here, get the original version of the treats recipe, along with some modern variations!
This retro recipe for a cold glazed baked ham is coated with a version of chaud droid, then decorated with pimiento, green pepper and olives.
Here’s a delicious pineapple upside-down bundt cake — an easy-to-make pound cake dessert with a crushed pineapple glaze.
This marshmallow bunny cake from 1941 is a proven Easter birthday hit — pink frosting, gumdrop accents & hand-assembled bunny candle holders included!
Why should hamburgers be limited only to the common, everyday variety? Why not dress them up? Here are 14 retro hamburger recipes you might want to try.
If you’re a rice pudding fan, you’ll love these 1960s methods to make the time-honored dessert. If you’re not a rice pudding lover, then one of these rice pudding recipes may convert you.
Cheese-stuffed meatloaf & tomato sauce made the perfect ‘60s dinner This cheese-stuffed meatloaf from 1964 was Hunt’s answer to the mid-century craving for hearty, family-style dinners with
For Valentine’s Day, Washington’s Birthday or any day, give them something made with love, like these deliciously indulgent rocky road bars and a sweetheart fudge pie!
Bake a taste of the past with this oatmeal bread recipes from 1973, straight from Quaker Oats’ vintage kitchen files.
Apple and spice roast with lamb, beef or pork adds a vintage twist to dinner with warm spices and honey-simmered apples from a 1979 recipe.
This cream cheese frittata is packed with potatoes, zucchini, tomato and green onions — and it’s finished with creamy cubes of Philly cream cheese on top.
If you like a cheeseburger, chances are you’ll love one with the cheese melted inside the meat instead of on top. These cheese-stuffed burgers are a simple
This retro pancake recipe from 1962 lets you add fruit, bacon, chocolate chips or even sliced hot dogs right into the batter. Quick, easy and still fun to make.
Try these hot rum recipes for winter drinks made with cider, coffee, tea or eggnog. Easy to make and good for cold nights or holiday gatherings.
A New Year wish you can make come true! To bake the most luscious New Year’s cakes you ever tasted, follow these four easy recipes from the ’50s.
Celebrate with a vintage New Year’s dinner! This 1891 menu features roast duck, baked macaroni and fruit pudding, plus classic recipes to try today.
These vintage recipes turn Italian dressing mix into easy holiday appetizers like wings, dips, and canapés — all fast to make and ready for any party.
Gifts from the kitchen are easy to make, easy to share and don’t require anything fancy. Use what you have and turn treats into thoughtful gifts fast.
Crisp, freshly-baked spicy cookies, made from these classic gingersnap recipes, are sure to entice the whole family.
This pork roast with cranberry glaze recipe is easy to make, packed with flavor and pairs well with classic holiday sides. Great for guests or weeknights.
These edible cranberry candles were a real holiday salad in the 1960s. Molded in cans, topped with mayo and lit with candles, they were part food, part decor.
Philly cheese bells from the 1980s shaped a cheddar and cream cheese spread into festive molds. Easy to prep, easy to serve, and good with crackers.
This exceptional Bacardi rum cake is a pudding cake baked in a ring pan, and flavored with Bacardi dark dry rum. You may be surprised at how easy it is to get an elegant cake – perfect for the holidays!
Here are six ways to make warm and wonderful traditional gingerbread — the kind of classic cookies and cakes your great-grandmother probably used to make!
Make a double batch of these chicken meatballs with cranberry glaze – serve what you need, and freeze the rest for a spur-of-the-moment party.
Here are 12 amazing classic apple pie recipes, collected from newspapers published across the US throughout the ’60s!
A shrimp Christmas tree appetizer is a scene-stealer and a real buffet beauty, certain to cast a special charm over any holiday party – yet so easy to do! Here’s how.
Get seven sassy snack mix how-tos from yesteryear, including the granddaddy of them all: the original Chex mix recipe!
Found: The perfect recipe for the classic caramel candy, that everyone can enjoy making — and eating.
Make these vintage Christmas cane cookie buns from 1963 with a clever no-rise dough and festive fruit filling shaped like candy canes.
Here are 20 classic mincemeat recipes (used to make the holiday favorite, mincemeat pie) – as remembered through the decades.
Try this tasty and easy recipe from the early 1960s for old-fashioned rolled sugar cookie cutouts, accompanied below by step-by-step photos!
Paintbrush cookies from Betty Crocker’s 1956 promotional booklet let you paint edible designs before baking. A fun, colorful twist on traditional cut-outs.
Pecan pumpkin pie adds the rich flavor of pecans in a crunchy top layer. Corn syrup is combined with canned pumpkin and eggs for a fast, smooth custard filling.
Though many have tried, no cook has ever been able to improve upon the taste of traditional pumpkin pie. Carnation’s famous pumpkin pie recipe is a Thanksgiving classic – and we have the ’50s recipe right here.
To many Americans living south of the Mason-Dixon line, sweet potatoes must be made with marshmallows! Here are 6 ways to make old-fashioned marshmallow sweet potatoes for a Thanksgiving side dish!
This vintage green bean bake recipe from 1987 uses a microwave, golden mushroom soup and olives for a fast, flavorful twist on the classic.
Traditional Thanksgiving dinner food served at the original First Thanksgiving feast in 1621 provides a tasty menu for holiday tables today. Get some great recipes here!
More than good, Libby’s pumpkin pie is smooth, gently spicy, and perfect! Get the classic pie you love – the original vintage recipe is right here, with our very own step-by-step photos to guide you.
Pumpkin dream pie is a 1950s no-bake dessert made with pudding, whipped topping, and pumpkin — simple, sweet, and ready in no time.
These pinecone cheese ball recipes are the ultimate decorative old-school appetizer spread! Find out how to make them here.
Try these holiday punch recipes from the 1950s and 1960s for your next party — simple, festive drinks that brought the cheer to vintage celebrations.
Take a nostalgic look back at how Americans have loved coffee for generations – plus get some great old-fashioned ways to brew a delicious cup of vintage coffee.
These delicious classic pumpkin cookie bars are sort of like a denser pumpkin bread, and pair perfectly with a tasty orange-y cream cheese frosting. Get the retro recipe from the 80s here!
This retro recipe for a classic walnut pie is a lot like America’s beloved pecan pie, but it gets its delicious crunch from walnuts instead. Try it!
If you want to try something new that’s actually old for Thanksgiving, try making this homemade pie crust recipe from 1950!
Make breakfast feel like fall with these vintage pumpkin pancakes from 1989, made with real pumpkin, warm spices and easy pantry staples.
What is a pumpkin roll? It’s a lightly-spiced pumpkin cake, jelly roll-style — filled with sweet, fluffy cream cheese. Try this retro version from the 70s!
Here are two quick and easy Halloween desserts made with jello – a ghoulish graveyard dessert, plus some cute and creepy jigglers.
Ghosts in the Graveyard is a Halloween dessert made with pudding, cookies and whipped topping — easy to make, fun to decorate and always a hit.
These classic apple dessert recipes from the 1960s bring all the best fall flavors to the table — maple, spice, honey and more.
Popcorn balls were a holiday and party favorite for decades. See how these sticky-sweet treats became a go-to homemade snack in vintage America.
This Halloween Oreo pie made the rounds in 1993, offering a cold and colorful twist on the classic cookie crust dessert. It’s a simple freezer pie made
Dream Whip topping debuted in the late 1950s, and told customers that it was low in cost and low in calories – plus that it came a box, stayed fresh on a shelf, and needed no refrigeration.
Gold Rush brownies are a chewy, egg-free dessert bar from 1951 made with chocolate chips, graham cracker crumbs and sweetened condensed milk.
Grilled ham & cheese sandwiches get a retro spin in this 1960s foil-wrapped Hamcheezers recipe made for cookouts and easy weeknight meals.
Smothered chicken gets the retro treatment with this clever 1962 recipe using dry soup mix and evaporated milk for a smooth, rich sauce.
What can you make with Spam? According to these retro Spam recipes – what *can’t* you make with it?! Check out these easy vintage how-tos here.
Ruby Slipper Jello bundt cake is a retro 1970s dessert with raspberry swirls baked in for flavor and fun, topped with a simple powdered sugar finish.
Turn a regular cake mix into a really rich and moist sour cream pudding pound cake with some Jell-o lemon instant pudding mix. Here’s the retro recipe!
This Italian zucchini crescent pie from 1980 won $40,000 at the Pillsbury Bake-Off and still holds up as a fast, hearty retro dinner favorite.
This fluffy cherry angel food cake benefits from having sweet chopped cherries mixed into the batter, giving this dessert a festive flair!
This summer party menu from 1970 features vintage recipes, themed dishes and party planning tips that turned teen cookouts into charming events.
Homemade meatballs, spaghetti and a rich red sauce make this delicious pasta dinner: Vera’s favorite Spaghetti Romano recipe from the ’80s.
Who would’ve thought humble roots, herbs, and bark could spin such an effervescent tale? The history of root beer is both intriguing and surprising – take a look!
Here are some fun ideas and recipes to give your 4th of July a truly retro vibe, plus a look back at the history of Independence Day!
Patriotic Jello desserts from the ’90s with red, white and blue layers are perfect for July 4, Memorial Day, Veterans Day or any all-American celebration.
Retro burgers with a cheesy center and tangy tomato sauce? This 1950s Fancy-Pants recipe brings back big flavor with just a few simple ingredients.
Quick summer recipes from 1969 bring retro charm and fast dinner fixes with soups, salads, casseroles and more from the Daylight Time-Savers cookbook.
Hershey’s best brownies are a classic fudgy treat made with cocoa and pantry staples in just five minutes. A vintage recipe that still holds up.
Serve your Caribbean coconut chicken with cornbread or French bread, pear-lettuce salad, and a full, dry white table wine.
See how to make a vintage charcuterie board made with retro-style cold cuts along with 1950s nibbles, like casseroles, old-school salads and more.
This Jell-O Gazpacho Jiggler salad is a gelatin version of gazpacho. It’s also dished up cold, but has the veggies and Worcestershire sauce suspended in a bouncy lemon Jello base.
This best ever BBQ sauce from 1973 is bold, easy to make, and better than anything in a bottle. A backyard favorite for hot dogs, burgers and more.
This 1960s version of the French dish chicken à l’orange is made easy enough for a weeknight dinner, thanks to handy ingredients like cornflake crumbs and orange juice.
Take a look at these retro meatloaf recipes from the 1960s — some delicious, some strange, and all full of vintage dinner table spirit.
It seems that there are almost as many old-fashioned mint julep recipes as there are people who enjoy the cocktails. Take a look at a century of the best how-tos!
A wonderful play of taste and texture, this Holy guacamole recipe combines avocados, savory herbs and spices, and just a dash of imagination.
With strawberries appearing in the supermarket, now is the perfect time to try the simple favorite Cool ‘n Easy Easter Pie.
Easter cakes like these bring together all the things people used to love seeing on a holiday table: soft layers, a little citrus, and a pile of
Make decorated Easter cookies a part of your holiday tradition with this cute Easter egg design. Why should Christmas have all the cookie fun?
Bake an overnight bag for the Easter bunny, and something to put in it: An adorable retro-style salt dough Easter bread basket!
See how decorating with frosting and cute little marshmallow flowers can turn angel food cakes into happiness you can eat!
Mushroom recipes from 1912 show how home cooks turned humble mushrooms into hearty, flavorful dishes using simple, time-tested methods.
Not only is pineapple amazing on its own, it also can be a delicious ingredient in lots of recipes — like this sunburst chicken stir-fry recipe from the 80s.
Great American cook Anthony Gaglione shares a prize family secret with this: Anthony’s mouthwatering meatball recipe!
When a friend of ours told us that she had concocted a green pea salad that her three children and her husband thoroughly approved, we begged for the recipe.
This original Grasshopper Pie recipe creates a delicious and refreshing no-bake dessert, made up of a chocolate mint cream filling (with alcohol) in what’s basically an Oreo crust.
