7 Throwback Thanksgiving Dishes That Time Forgot
Thanksgiving tables used to look a lot different than they do today. Grandma’s holiday spread featured some wild dishes that modern families have completely forgotten about.
Take a trip down memory lane and rediscover the quirky, nostalgic recipes that once ruled the Thanksgiving feast but somehow vanished over the decades.
1. Green Bean Casserole With Fried Onions
Campbell’s Soup Company invented this iconic side dish back in 1955, and it quickly became a Thanksgiving staple across America. Canned soup, frozen beans, and crunchy onions made cooking super easy.
While some families still serve it, many younger cooks have replaced it with fancier vegetable dishes. That creamy, crispy combination was absolutely everywhere during the 1960s and 70s holiday celebrations nationwide.
2. Ambrosia Salad
Picture a bowl filled with marshmallows, canned fruit, coconut flakes, and loads of whipped cream or mayo. Sounds bizarre, right? Yet ambrosia salad appeared on nearly every Thanksgiving table throughout the 1950s and 60s.
Kids loved the sweet, fluffy texture while adults appreciated how simple it was to throw together. Modern health trends have pushed this sugary concoction off most holiday menus completely.
3. Jellied Cranberry Sauce
Remember that wobbly cranberry cylinder that slid out of the can with perfect ridges still intact? Families would slice it like deli meat and plop it straight onto plates.
Nobody bothered making homemade cranberry sauce when this convenient option existed in every grocery store. Nowadays, fresh cranberry relish has taken over, making the jiggly canned version feel totally outdated and strange to younger generations.
4. Candied Yams With Marshmallows
Sweet potatoes got drowned in butter, brown sugar, and topped with a mountain of marshmallows before baking until gooey. What sounds like dessert was actually served as a vegetable side dish!
Grandma’s generation couldn’t get enough of this super sweet creation. Today’s health-conscious cooks prefer roasted sweet potatoes with savory seasonings instead of all that sugar and fluff piled on top.
5. Chiffon Pie
Light, airy, and impossibly fluffy, chiffon pies dominated Thanksgiving dessert tables before pumpkin pie became the undisputed champion. Lemon, pumpkin, or chocolate versions all featured that signature cloud-like texture.
Making chiffon required separating eggs and folding in beaten whites carefully, which took real skill. Dense, creamy pies eventually won out because they were simpler to prepare and felt more satisfying after a huge meal.
6. Creamed Chipped Beef On Toast
Military families brought this breakfast favorite to Thanksgiving morning tables across the country. Dried beef got mixed into thick white gravy and ladled over crispy toast slices.
Soldiers called it something much less polite, but families loved the salty, hearty start to holiday mornings. Modern brunches feature fancier options like quiches and avocado toast, leaving this humble dish in the dusty recipe box forever.
7. Liver Pate
Fancy Thanksgiving appetizers often featured smooth, rich liver pate that guests spread on fancy crackers. European traditions heavily influenced American holiday entertaining back then.
Home cooks actually made pate from scratch, grinding liver and mixing it with butter and spices. Today, most people find organ meats unappealing, preferring cheese and charcuterie boards instead. Only the fanciest restaurants still serve this old-school delicacy regularly.
8. Mincemeat Pie
Dried fruits, spices, and sometimes actual meat got baked into this dense, dark pie that showed up at every old-fashioned Thanksgiving. Medieval recipes originally included beef or venison mixed with the fruit.
By the 1900s, most versions skipped the meat but kept the name. Kids usually hated the strange flavor while grandparents defended it fiercely. Pumpkin and pecan pies eventually pushed this polarizing dessert completely off modern tables.
9. Waldorf Salad
Invented at New York’s Waldorf Hotel in the 1890s, this crunchy salad became a Thanksgiving tradition for decades. Apples, celery, walnuts, and grapes got tossed in mayo for a sweet-savory side.
Fancy restaurants and home cooks alike served it proudly during holidays. Modern tastes lean toward lighter vinaigrette-based salads instead of mayo-heavy mixtures. Still, some families keep making it to honor great-grandma’s cherished recipe every single year.
