The 1970s; a magical decade full of fun moments and charming things. But when it came to food, things got a little wild. Somewhere between green-tiled kitchens and textured-carpet dining rooms, moms across America whipped up dinners that defied logic and sometimes science.
These meals were bold, bizarre, and packed with sodium. From canned ingredients and gelatin molds to instant sauces and mystery meats, they tried it all. And somehow, they made it taste good and we actually looked forward to dinner every night.
Blame the nostalgia or a little too much MSG, but those crazy dishes still hit the spot. Let’s take a bite out of the weird, the wonderful, and the oddly comforting dinners of the 70s.
1
Chicken cacciatore
A soggy simmer of chicken and veggies.
2
Tangy meatballs in grape jelly sauce
Crockpot magic now in the air-fryer.
3
Mac and cheese and spam casserole
Casseroles are a red flag in general.
4
Liver and onions with gravy
The 1970s power plate.
5
Tuna noodle casserole
This one brings memories (nightmares).
6
Swiss steak
A dish pretending to be fancy.
7
Egg & veggie aspic
Your salad shouldn't wiggle.
8
Ham and banana hollandaise
What was the reason?
9
Chicken à la king
Somehow a comforting chaos.
10
Hot dog Jell-O crown
Best served cold.
11
Carrot and pineapple Jell-O ring
It's orange and confused.
12
Hamburger pie
A failed baked showdown.
13
Stuffed bell peppers
Filled with mom's love.
14
Spam upside-down pie
When dinner flips expectations and your stomach.
15
Sloppy joes
Chaos put together in a bun.
16
Snow cap deviled ham spread
Looks like dessert, tastes like ham.
17
Tater tot casserole
Cream-of-something.
18
Salisbury steak TV dinner
All the food groups wrapped in plastic.
