15 Forgotten Meals From the 1980s
When we remember the 1980s, we often think of a kitsch world where nobody took themselves too seriously. Fashion disasters continued throughout the decade, but no one cared. It’s similar to food: Recipes were often fun, but they are now looked back on with disdain as if the world has moved on.
We think that’s a shame, as the ’80s gave us some great dishes worth revisiting. In many cases, the dish was widespread throughout the decade, served and received with a smile. Though some of these recipes may have originated earlier, many consider them forgotten culinary gems of the ’80s.
Beef Stroganoff
It’s hard to understand why certain famous recipes belong in specific eras. Beef stroganoff is linked to the ’80s and is tarnished by the tackiness often associated with that decade. It’s a delicious dish of beef, mushrooms, and sour cream to punch it.
From experience, beef stroganoff is tricky to cook at home, and it’s easy to end up with tough meat. One answer is to leave the beef out of the dish and serve up a mushroom stroganoff as a vegetarian version.
Pork Chops and Mashed Potato
Pork chops may remain popular in some households but haven’t been seen in my home since the ’80s. It was a regular evening meal throughout my childhood, but I couldn’t understand why.
The chop contained little meat — just a tiny, circular disc surrounded by bone, fat, and gristle. It wasn’t even incredibly cheap. I’ll acknowledge that my parents’ lack of cooking skills affects my judgment on some meals, but I will never understand why pork chops are popular. The ’80s can keep this one.
Black Forest Cake
Though the history behind the Black Forest Cake is steeped in 16th-century German legend, it was a typical ’80s dish in the States. This decadent dessert contains chocolate and cream with an indulgent cherry filling. Unsurprisingly, many find it too sweet.
At a time when we’re more likely to consider our sugar intake, the Black Forest Cake is off restaurant menus, and it’s time-consuming to cook at home. However, it is an indulgent treat that is worth revisiting occasionally.
Shrimp Cocktail
The humble shrimp cocktail enjoys an interesting evolution. At times, it’s been in fashion, while it’s been laughed at and considered kitsch and out of date. If you see it served in a restaurant today, it’s often an ironic dish.
Shrimp cocktail enjoyed a heyday that lasted until the end of the ’80s, and it’s a dish that deserves a revival. Its deliciousness and simplicity mean that it doesn’t deserve to be overlooked.
French Onion Soup
You must be a massive fan of onions to appreciate this vintage recipe. French Onion Soup contains more of these bulbs than most meals, and there’s no escaping the taste of this versatile vegetable. Like many ’80s dishes, it’s rich and indulgent, and the big flavors are not as well appreciated today.
This appetizer is sometimes difficult to find, but it’s worth seeking. The robust onion taste is complemented by meat stock. Croutons often float on top, but I’d recommend the option of bread and gruyere cheese for an even more decadent dish.
Curry With Fruit
The ongoing debate surrounding fruit in savory dishes has been ongoing, but its roots are deep in the ’80s. There are many potential cases for the defense, but I’m focusing on curry, which no longer seems to use raisins or pineapple in its preparation.
Maybe fruit was temporarily introduced to Western palates, who were still getting used to the taste of curry. Adding fruit to curry is an option you may want to try when cooking at home.
Pasta Primavera
Similarly to curry, many Western households became familiar with pasta dishes in the ’80s. Italian restaurants were becoming more prominent on the high street, and many were inspired to try the cuisine at home. Pasta primavera, which was first introduced in the ’70s, may be an entry-level dish for home chefs as it’s easy to prepare, but we’ve moved on to more complex cooking since it grew in popularity during the ’80s.
Pasta primavera, with fresh vegetables and cream sauce, is packed with flavor, and its ease of preparation makes it another forgotten seasonal ’80s meal worth revisiting.
Chicken Kiev
Like other recipes, chicken Kiev was considered an indulgent dish during the ’80s. It was a premium meal on restaurant menus and a tricky one for amateur cooks at home to get right.
Rolled chicken breast stuffed with garlic, butter, and herbs is now widely available as a ready meal, but many feel the combination of ingredients is too rich for modern palates. It’s also tricky to cook without them bursting open. Few of us attempt to prepare it from scratch, so the chicken kiev qualifies as a forgotten ’80s recipe.
Vol Au Vents
Back in the ’80s, you couldn’t host a dinner party without serving vol au vents when your guests arrived. These tiny pastry cases with tasty fillings, such as shrimp cocktails, are eaten in one bite.
Vol au vents can look impressive, but they are time-consuming to prepare, and that’s likely why they’ve disappeared from most household parties. The fillings remain fiddly despite the fact it’s possible to buy ready-made pastry cases.
Ratatouille
Even the 2007 film of the same name couldn’t inspire cooks to revisit Ratatouille. It originated in France around 1877, so we could refer to this meal as the dish of the 1880s, but it enjoyed a heyday a century later.
The increase in vegetarianism hasn’t allowed for a comeback either. It’s a tasty dish, but it’s difficult to get right. The reliance on eggplant may be a problem for Ratatouille as this is one of the trickiest ingredients for home chefs to cook perfectly.
Steak Diane
The steak was still considered a luxury dish from the ’70s into the new decade. It was expensive compared to today, and a meal such as steak Diane was the height of decadence.
There was an old joke in the UK that only soccer players and those of a similar income could afford steak Diane, and that may be one reason why it’s less widely available. It’s an easy dish to cook at home, with flambeed steak as the main ingredient, accompanied by steamed vegetables and a tasty sauce.
Lobster Thermidor
It’s another meal considered retro in the present day, and lobster thermidor is a recipe combining all the decadent aspects of ’80s living. Some think the dish’s heyday was between the ’40s and ’60s, but it was exclusive to high-end restaurants in the ’80s.
Lobster remains expensive, but it can be replicated at home. Lobster thermidor is another fiddly dish, but like many entries on this list, it features a rich, delicious sauce and is worth the extra effort.
Stuffed Mushrooms
Author Shirley Conran famously said “life was too short to stuff a mushroom.” The quote referred to busy lives where we didn’t have time to fiddle in the kitchen.
Conran’s words may have killed this dish and stuffed vegetables. This dish is complex but versatile because you can use any filling available. When you get the dish right, all the extra effort is worth it.
Summer Fruit Pudding
The idea of fruit soaked in white bread may be enough to turn many off from trying summer fruit pudding. It may sound unpleasant, but the bread stays firm, absorbing delicious juices, and is not soggy.
Add in stewed summer fruits and berries. Line a deep bowl with the soaked bread, chill in the fridge, and have a delicious and straightforward pudding. If I can get this right at home, any amateur chef can do it.
Crispy Pancakes
As many of these dishes underlined, the ’80s were about decadent food, but there was also a drive for convenience. Microwave ovens began to appear in many households during the decade, and new products emerged around them.
Crispy pancakes were a brand that used an outer hard shell covered in breadcrumbs. The filling, usually minced beef and onion, was hotter than the sun when it came out of the microwave. The product is still available, but like many ’80s dishes, savory pancakes have gone out of fashion.
