8 Dinner Staples From The '60s And '70s That Deserve A Comeback

Most of us can probably agree that some foods are best left in the past. Two words: Head cheese. That's a classic boomer food that is confined to memory for many, with little hope of a mainstream resurgence. Others, however, are far more palatable, and leave us asking the question: Why can't they have a comeback?

Here, we're taking a look at some popular dinner staples from the 1960s and 1970s that deserve their time on the table once again. In fact, we would argue that they're still just as nourishing, comforting, and flavorful as they have ever been.

Plus, of course, there's always the option of taking an old classic and adding your own spin to suit your current tastes and dietary requirements. Moroccan-flavored porcupine meatballs? Veggie a la king? Or just good old fashioned 1970s-style pasta primavera? We're on board with it all. When you've read through this whole list, we're confident you will be, too.

Chicken à la king is one of those dishes that is surrounded in a bit of mystery, with many different establishments laying claim to its creation (including New York's Brighton Beach Hotel and the iconic New York eatery Delmonico's). However, we do know that the dish, made with chicken and mushrooms in a creamy sauce, started appearing on restaurant menus in the late 1800s and early 1900s, and by the 1960s and 1970s, it was a household favorite. But to be frank, it had lost a little of its shine by this period, and was often served out of a packet. 

"I loved that stuff as a [kid]," recalled one Redditor in r/GenX. "The freezer packets were around 4 for $1. Mom put them in boiling water to cook. I always had it over toast." Another added: "My mom always bought a lot of frozen dinners and this was one of my favorites."

Chicken à la king isn't as popular as it used to be, but you can still find frozen and canned versions if you're after some nostalgia. However, arguably, it's the homemade version of this creamy, comforting dish that deserves a comeback. Often served with rice or pasta, chicken à la king is as nourishing and versatile as it has ever been; you can make it with classic chicken and mushrooms, turn it into an upscale vol-au-vent with puff pastry, or even make a vegan version with ingredients like tofu or chicken-style seitan.

If you grew up in the American South, you might remember evenings around the table tucking into country captain — especially if you lived in a household in Georgia or South Carolina. If you didn't, the name of the dish — which is basically chicken in a spicy, rich tomato curry, often with added almonds — probably sounds a little strange, so we'll loop you in. One origin story (and again, there are a few theories here) states that the recipe landed in the South in the 1800s with a British captain, who had likely learned the dish during a trip to India. At the time, ships from India were known as "country ships," hence the name.

Regardless of the actual origin story, though, the truth remains that by the mid-to-late 1900s, country captain was a firm favorite on dining tables across the south, before it started to fade in popularity before the turn of the century. It's not hard to understand why country captain was so beloved; this is a fragrant, aromatic, slightly spicy, hearty dish. It's warming, full of tangy tomato flavor, and a little nutty, thanks to the almonds. It's also endlessly versatile; those who don't eat meat can make it with vegetables or tofu. Need we say more? It deserves another mainstream moment.

Swedish meatballs (which, fun fact, were actually inspired by Turkish recipes) were a 1960s and 1970s favorite. Often served with noodles or a pile of mashed potatoes, they were a quintessential comfort food, and many remember their moms and grandparents having their own signature recipes. However, most went something like this: pork and beef mince moulded into balls with spices and served with creamy gravy.

Of course, many still enjoy Swedish meatballs today when they're shopping for furniture. IKEA started serving the iconic dish back in the 1980s, and now, every single year, the furniture chain shifts around 1.4 billion food balls (which includes both the classic meatball and its plant-based versions, too). We love an IKEA-ball (our taste tester ranked Swedish meatballs as their number one IKEA food), and we also think it's time that hearty, nourishing, homemade Swedish meatballs made a comeback on dinner tables everywhere.

Let this be your sign to dig out your mom or grandma's recipe and make hearty Swedish meatballs for dinner again. Of course, you can add your own modern stamp this time. Swap the mince for a vegetarian version, ramp up the onions, or add a fusion twist by adding a glug of umami-packed soy sauce to the meatball mixture.

If you grew up in the 1950s, you probably ate tuna casserole. If you grew up in the 1960s, you probably ate tuna casserole. If you grew up in the 1970s ... okay, you get where we're going. The dish was a beloved staple homemade dinner for many in the mid-to-late 1900s. It was usually made with tuna, noodles, and white sauce, but, again, many families had their own ways of doing things. Some added parmesan, for example, while others swore by crushed potato chips for that crispy topping.

While some say they ate it so much as a child they now have an aversion to tuna noodle casserole, others have fond memories and maintain it stills hold up today. In fact, some maintain that tuna casserole is in its comeback era, and like many, we think a return to dinner tables is well-deserved. "Sooooo yummy and comforting," declared one Redditor in r/GenX. "The way we make it you can barely tell it's tuna in there," another chimed in. "Egg noodles, cream of mushroom, Velveeta, sundried tomatoes, peas, fresh spinach, fresh mushrooms, and onions. It's one of my favorite meals!!"

Indeed, there are no rules when it comes to tuna noodle casserole; you can upgrade and tweak the recipe however you see fit. Depending on your individual tastes and requirements, you can make it extra dilly, add in multiple varieties of cheese, or use vegan tuna (yes, it's a thing).

Pasta primavera became a thing in 1970s New York. Yes, not Italy, but the Big Apple. That said, though, the dish of pasta and fresh vegetables was created by an Italian — Egidiana Maccioni, the wife of restaurateur Sirio Macconi, who owned the popular restaurant Le Cirque. Sirio was so taken with his wife's dish, which she whipped up with fresh, seasonal vegetables for him and his friends during a hunting trip, that he decided to add it to the menu at Le Cirque. Other versions of this story put Sirio himself as the creator, although they all stem back to this particular trip. 

Soon, everyone was talking about pasta primavera, which Sirio prepared tableside at his iconic restaurant. People in New York and beyond started making their own versions from scratch, and a new classic dinner staple was born. Well, at least for a time, before it started to fall out of favor. But it makes sense to bring pasta primavera back once again. It's adaptable (you can make it with whatever vegetables you have on hand), full of fresh flavor (the sauce is cream with garlic and lemon), and it's hearty and filling. Basically, it ticks all of the boxes for a satisfying, relatively easy midweek meal — especially during spring. Primavera means spring in Italian, after all.

There was a time when Americans ate a lot of porcupine meat, but it was long before the 1960s and 1970s. Nope, despite the name, porcupine meatballs aren't actually made with porcupines at all. The name comes from what they look like — meatballs with grains of rice, which stick out like the spikes of a porcupine. And a few decades ago, they were all the rage. "My mom made these all the time growing up," commented one Redditor underneath an image of a 1960s recipe for porcupine meatballs. "They're delicious!!! I'd recommend serving them over mashed potatoes."

Another Redditor added: "Oh man, I love these things! I think it's time to introduce them to my kid." And many people are in agreement. They're fun, nostalgic, and easy to make, and they taste good, too, thanks to the mix of ingredients like canned tomato sauce, Worcestershire sauce, and spices. In another added bonus, they're pretty easy to customize. Swap the mince for lentils or add your own favorite seasoning blends, like Moroccan or Mediterranean spices.

Salisbury steak actually started as a health food. Yep, during the Civil War, many soldiers were suffering from various digestive problems, so physician Dr. James Henry Salisbury got to work on something that could help. His solution? Feed the guts of soldiers with as much meat as possible, and so he created a dish of broiled beef muscle pulp, or, as we would call it now, ground beef. RIP, Salisbury, you would have loved the carnivore diet.

By the time the 1960s rolled around, most weren't eating Salisbury steak for the health of their gut. However, the dish, which evolved to be served with mashed potatoes and a flavorful brown sauce made with onions, mushrooms, mustard, ketchup, and Worcestershire sauce, was still popular. It appeared on diner menus and household tables across the country, and many stocked up on canned and frozen versions for the ultimate convenience. One Redditor recalled in r/Old_Recipes: "The frozen dinner with Salisbury steak, mashed potatoes, and corn was my favorite as a child."

Like with chicken à la king, you can still find frozen Salisbury steaks in grocery stores. But homemade versions arguably deserve a comeback, especially when they're served with a hearty, homemade, umami rich mushroom sauce. Opt for lean ground beef or ditch the meat completely and go for plant protein, like tempeh meatballs or store bought vegan beef — they hold up just as well. Although Salisbury himself probably wouldn't have been a fan.

Spaghetti made its way to the U.S. with Italian immigrants in the late 19th and early 20th century, and it has been a beloved ever since. Spaghetti and meatballs? That's a timeless classic. But not all spaghetti dishes have stood the test of time. In the 1970s, people were using this noodle-shaped pasta to make spaghetti pie. Wait, what? Allow us to explain, but it won't take long, because spaghetti pie is pretty much exactly what it sounds like. It's a meat pie with vegetables, sauce, and cheese, with cooked spaghetti as a crust. It might sound odd, but it was a beloved dish, thanks to the crispy edges, rich, savory filling, and cheesy top.

We don't think we need to say more to convince people that this dish needs a comeback. It's comforting, filling, and delicious in all the ways most pasta dishes are. In fact, it is much like a lasagna, but in a different shape and with thinner noodles. We're not in the spaghetti pie revival club alone, as many people agree it needs more love. "Dang! I remember making this but the book doesn't look familiar," commented one Redditor on a vintage recipe post for spaghetti pie. "Definitely worth a resurrection!"