Hey foodies! Remember the dinner parties where we showcased the latest crazes in food? The 1970s were a creative time for American food. We weren’t afraid to craft meals, and we really worked those bellbottoms and hit the disco. Foods brought in from France or fancy boxed desserts were all the rage. The 70s saw brightly colored and Jello-based desserts and dips. Let’s relive the gorgeous and downright crazy food trends from that decade!
Table of Contents
- 1 1. Cheese Fondue Frenzy
- 2 2. Jellied Everything
- 3 3. Quiche Lorraine Mania
- 4 4. The Ubiquitous Cheese Ball
- 5 5. Carrot Cake Revolution
- 6 6. Ambrosia Salad Extravaganza
- 7 7. Pineapple Upside-Down Cake
- 8 8. Swedish Meatballs
- 9 9. Watergate Salad
- 10 10. Beef Stroganoff
- 11 11. Chocolate Fondue
- 12 12. Tunnel of Fudge Cake
1. Cheese Fondue Frenzy
The hostess who had a fondue pot at her dinner parties was the winner. The Swiss U.S. fondue craze of the 60’s and 70’s made parties more interactive by adding gooey cheese dipping pots to the mix. The bubbling pots of Gruyere and Emmental cheese provided meat and veggie dippers for an oak and rope ‘fondue’ set experience that begged for lots of dipping. Just make sure not to double-dip!
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2. Jellied Everything
The explosion of gelatin molds created unlikely and out-of-the-box salads of suspended shrimp and other vegetables. The Perfection Salad was a Jell-O crown of lime blended with bits of Mayo and vegetables that earned a place at every church potluck.
3. Quiche Lorraine Mania
Julia Child made it possible for any hostess to run with Quiche Lorraine. A rich and classic French bacon, cheese, and egg tart was the ultimate fancy. If you had a cookbook, that dish was in it. A good brunch needed to have at least one variation.
4. The Ubiquitous Cheese Ball
A cheese ball rolled in nuts is a classic cocktail party dish. These easy cheese, cream cheese, and seasoning mixtures were the standard for entertaining. They were decorated into holiday inspired shapes like pinecones. These cheeseballs were the combination of fun and easy.
5. Carrot Cake Revolution
During the 70’s carrot cake had a major change, it became popular. It’s cream cheese frosting and claim to be healthier than other desserts made it a must have for any dinner party. Healthier desserts at the time meant adding things like pineapple and coconut to the cake.
6. Ambrosia Salad Extravaganza
The marshmallow fruit salad was made from canned fruit and coconut. Even though there were no vegetables in this dish we still called it a salad. This dish showed the popularity of convenience foods.
7. Pineapple Upside-Down Cake
The 70’s were known for the packaged cake and canned fruit desserts. There was a dramatic reveal at the table when the cake was flipped placing the pineapples on the top. This cake is a great example of the 70’s use of convenience foods.
8. Swedish Meatballs
Meatballs are often paired with a luscious gravy that is served from a chafing dish with a toothpick for easy serving. Although inspired by Swedish meatballs, these began to take off as a gourmet food. Each hostess would have a ‘secret’ recipe which typically included cream of mushroom soup.
9. Watergate Salad
Given the name from a well known political controversy, this salad-like dessert consisted of pistachio pudding, crushed pineapple, and marshmallows with a whipped cream topping. This dish was known to be a great conversation starter because of its odd color and combination of ingredients. While named \”Pistachio Delight,\” many thought that the politically influenced name was the better option.
10. Beef Stroganoff
A dinner party would not be complete without this dish, which is inspired by Russian cuisine. This dish is often topped with cream of mushroom soup and served with egg noodles. The dish from the 70’s represented a fascination with other cultures’ food even if they took creative liberties with the dish.
11. Chocolate Fondue
Everything about the era’s love for interactive dining experience was perfectly summarized in this dish. Chocolate fondue pots were very popular and guests could dip their choice of strawberries, pound cake, and marshmallows. It created a fun and messy dessert experience that was very popular.
12. Tunnel of Fudge Cake
All home bakers aspired to be able to make this dessert created by the winner of The Pillsbury Bake-Off. Unlike cakes of the time, this one had a cool chocolate filling that created a \”tunnel\” when the cake was cut. The cake also represented the convenience and showmanship that dominated 70’s baking.
