6 Old-School Boxed Foods That Deserve A Second Chance

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Over the decades, grocery store shelves have seen countless boxed foods come and go. Some familiar favorites have earned their place as timeless staples (Kraft mac and cheese, anyone?), while others haven't quite stood the test of time. From colorful cake mixes to convenient dinner kits that made weeknight cooking a breeze, plenty of once-popular products have now become distant memories. But perhaps some of these forgotten shortcut foods deserve another moment of appreciation.

Many old-school boxed foods fell victim to changing tastes or simply couldn't compete with newer offerings, despite having genuinely clever ideas behind them. Whether the goal was to make homemade pizza accessible to busy families or deliver a showstopping dessert without a cupboard full of ingredients, these products had a lot going for them in their heyday, and we'd argue they're absolutely worth revisiting. Here are six now-discontinued, yet undeniably nostalgic products that we'd happily welcome back to modern-day supermarkets.

In 1948, Frank Fiorillo of Worcester, Massachusetts, revolutionized homemade pizza with a simple idea: a boxed mix that made it possible to whip up a pie with just a few ingredients. The product — initially called Roman Pizza Mix, but later renamed Appian Way Pizza — is widely credited as the first commercial boxed pizza mix, and it sat proudly on grocery store shelves for over 60 years.

In the box were individual packages of flour mix, dry yeast, tomato sauce, and cheese. All you had to do was add water to create the dough, then assemble the pizza and pop it in the oven. At a time when pizza was becoming increasingly popular across the country, this product offered an accessible way to enjoy a freshly baked pie without having to source and measure every component separately. Hence, it initially proved to be a big hit amongst shoppers.

Appian Way Pizza was eventually phased out around the year 2019 due to increased competition and declining demand. However, this product still has a loyal following. On Reddit, former fans reminisce fondly about making it with their families, with some noting that the sauce was a real highlight. There's even a Facebook group dedicated to bringing Appian Way Pizza back, filled with nostalgic comments from those who once enjoyed this product on the regular. Nowadays, most supermarket pizzas come ready-made and frozen, but boxed pizza does still exist. For example, the popular Chef Boyardee kits are still going strong after more than seven decades on the convenience food scene.

Betty Crocker's Snackin' Cake mixes proved that complex prep and elaborate decoration weren't essential when whipping up a delicious homemade cake. First launched in the 1970s, these fuss-free mixes contained everything you needed to bake an ultra-moist, flavor-packed sheet cake, without the need for frosting or layering. In fact, you could mix everything directly in the baking pan by simply adding water and vinegar to the dry mix. 

The Snackin' Cake range had something for everyone. There were eight flavors to choose from, including Banana Walnut, Coconut Pecan, Chocolate Almond, and Applesauce Raisin. With just a few minutes of prep and a quick stint in the oven, the result was a rich, snackable cake with all the appeal of a from-scratch bake.

These box mixes were sadly discontinued in 2012, much to the dismay of many longtime fans. "These were the bomb!!!," read one enthusiastic comment in a Reddit discussion, with multiple others calling for the products to be brought back. Either way, Snackin' Cake deserves its place in the boxed foods hall of fame, and it certainly isn't the only Betty Crocker cake mix worthy of a revival.

Light, airy, and sporting a rather pleasing shade of pastel pink, the Pillsbury Pink Lemonade Angel Food Cake Mix promised a playful, citrus-forward alternative to traditional angel food cake. This product hit the shelves back in 1961, alongside the accompanying Fluffy Pink Lemonade Frosting Mix. Marketed as "cool and tart," the cake got its impressive height and fluffy texture from the inclusion of 14.4 egg whites in the mix. Smothered with the frosting, it was nothing short of a showstopper, and guests never had to know it came from a box.

It's unclear exactly when or why this cake mix disappeared from the shelves, and there doesn't seem to be anything quite like it available in stores today. However, if you have fond memories of this nostalgic boxed food, you could always have a go at recreating it. Try adding some lemon extract or fresh zest and a few drops of pink food coloring to a classic angel food cake recipe, and you'll have a delightfully retro dessert that's fit for any summer gathering.

Chocolate, vanilla, and lemon cake mixes have long been staples of the baking aisle, but orange-flavored cake is less of a common sight today. Back in the 1950s, however, Pillsbury's Orange Cake Mix was a go-to for home bakers, loved for its bright, citrusy taste and moist, fluffy texture.

According to advertisements, the Pillsbury Orange Cake got its bold flavor from special crystals in the mix, which were made from real oranges. Thanks to this unique formula, customers could enjoy a gloriously sweet and zesty cake without ever setting eyes on an actual orange, and the resulting bake was particularly appealing to those who fancied a change from more generic flavors.

While it was later discontinued, this cake still sounds every bit as tempting today, and we'd love to see it return. If you're craving a citrusy fix without the fuss, a modern-day alternative worth trying is the Duncan Hines Orange Supreme Cake Mix, which has received plenty of glowing reviews from customers on the Walmart website.

When it comes to Mexican meal kits, you've likely heard of brands like Old El Paso or Ortega. But, in the 1970s, Schilling was offering its own take on convenient Mexican-inspired dinners. The Dinner Mexicana kits were the perfect base for creating a hearty family meal, while keeping things quick and simple and taking the guesswork out of seasoning.

The product lineup included Tamale Pie, Tostados, and Taco Casserole, all of which required the addition of ground beef. Once the dish had been cooked, you could easily jazz things up with toppings of your choice, such as sliced jalapeños, guacamole, sour cream, or extra cheese. This way, you had the perfect balance of convenience and freshness, and a meal that felt decidedly homemade.

Schilling's Dinner Mexicana kits haven't been forgotten by those who grew up with them, as confirmed by one particularly nostalgic Reddit discussion. "Wish they still made the Tamale Pie kit like back in the '70s," shared one user, adding, "This brings back so many pleasant memories." Another Redditor said they still craved the Taco Casserole, which featured a moreish, Frito-esque tortilla chip topping, and some even shared their recipes for copycat versions of the meals.

Duncan Hines currently offers a wide variety of flavors of boxed cake mix, but nothing quite compares to its old-school Dutch Topping range. Advertised in the early 1960s, these rustic mixes paired a classic sponge cake base with a crumbly topping, creating an irresistible combination of flavors and textures that looked far more impressive than the simple prep would suggest.

There were three varieties to choose from — Apple 'N Spice, Butterscotch Crunch, and Cinnamon Raisin. The former came with canned apple slices and a sweet cinnamon-sugar topping, while the butterscotch-topped cake was enhanced with crunchy almonds. Cinnamon raisin kept things simple with a spiced sugar crumb topping, which allowed the soft, fruit-studded cake beneath to shine.

The cake batter itself could be mixed up by hand in under a minute. Then, it was a simple case of sprinkling over the topping and baking everything to fluffy, crumbly perfection. The adverts encouraged home bakers to serve the cakes warm, and we reckon they'd have tasted pretty great served with a generous scoop of vanilla ice cream.