Old-School Side Dishes Almost Everyone Has Forgotten About

Old-school side dishes are meal accompaniments that people used to make and bring to potluck parties, family reunions, and holiday gatherings, as well as serving them alongside weeknight dinners. These are vintage comfort foods that have been passed down through generations and are found in family cookbooks and on food-stained recipe cards tucked away in wooden boxes. It's a tragedy that these classic side dishes that once graced the tables of dinner parties across the country have now been all but forgotten. These once beloved recipes may have fallen out of culinary style over the years, but many still taste as fresh today as they did decades ago.

There are many reasons why dishes fall out of popularity over time, including the availability of specific ingredients, changing tastes, evolving dietary preferences, and lifestyle changes. Social and cultural factors can also influence food trends, causing people to lose their appetites for former favorites. This lineup of delicious side dishes deserves a comeback, whether they're served alongside a succulent steak at a fancy soiree or complementing fried chicken or perfectly tender pork chops during a casual weeknight dinner. 

These vintage dishes are pantry-friendly and versatile, as you can tweak them to accommodate dietary restrictions and to blend in with modern-day menus. From fluffy fruit salads to hearty puddings, this cast of supporting dishes may just become the stars of the dinnertime show. 

Many moons ago, brightly colored aspics in molded shapes were the table centerpieces at formal luncheons, baby and bridal showers, holiday parties, and many other celebrations. This retro side dish peaked in popularity in the 1950s and 1960s, before falling off of the culinary radar in the 1970s. During the post-World War II era, it became mainstream to serve savory gelatin-based dishes in ring-shaped molds due to the availability and popularity of packaged food. 

Tomato aspic was one particular favorite, filled with either canned tomato soup or juice, as well as seasonings, onion, and parsley for added freshness, fragrance, and color. Although sweet gelatin dishes, such as Jell-O,  stole the show from their savory counterparts, refreshing tomato aspic deserves to be remembered and enjoyed once again.

You can impress dinner guests with an eye-catching tomato aspic in just a matter of minutes. Although the showy side dish will look like you put a lot of work into it, it's actually simple to put together. Start by dissolving gelatin in boiling water, and combine it with tomato juice or soup, diced onion, sugar and salt, Worcestershire sauce, fresh lemon juice, and seasonings — try a Bloody Mary spice blend to bring some heat. Pour the gelatin mixture into any shape mold you'd like, and chill for a few hours in your refrigerator. You can use a basic ring mold, or get creative with one featuring a whimsical tomato design. Serve over a bed of lettuce, old-school style, of course. 

Fluffy, pastel green-hued, and super-sweet, Watergate salad is a lot more innocent than the 1970s political scandal it's been associated with since its inception. While it isn't clear as to how the fruity, once beloved salad got its name, it's been said that it took its moniker from Watergate cake, which is also made with pistachio pudding and has a similar green color. Watergate cake dates back to 1974, right after President Nixon resigned due to the Watergate scandal. 

Watergate salad — which is reminiscent of ambrosia salad, a classic American dessert dating back to the 19th century – was once served at a variety of special events, conveniently serving as both a side dish and a sweet after-dinner treat. Over the years, Watergate salad has been replaced on party menus and has faded from memories, like the infamous political scandal –though it's starting to see a resurgence. 

You can easily whip up the refreshingly sweet side salad using just a few ingredients, most of which you probably have on hand. Simply mix a box of pistachio pudding mix with a can of crushed pineapple and its juice, a cup of miniature marshmallows, some Cool Whip or store-brand whipped topping, and chopped nuts of your choice. Chill the salad until it's ready to serve, and top with Maraschino cherries as a vintage touch. The result is a delightful combination of fruity and nutty flavors, along with the creaminess of the whipped topping and crunch from the nuts.

Bright and flavorful, glazed or candied carrots bring to mind dinner parties of the past. The vibrant orange root vegetables are already sweet, but glazing them brings out their natural sugars, elevating them from a simple side dish to culinary treat. With just a few basic ingredients, you'll have a tasty accompaniment to any main course, from grilled steaks or meatloaf to baked fish and everything in between. 

Glazing carrots has long been popular in Europe, where they're made with sugar and bit of butter to create a thin syrup that completely coats the vegetables. Once a favorite on dinner tables across the United States, they may seem rather old-fashioned today. But while the sweet, syrupy side dish sounds decadent, it's so simple to make. And one of the big benefits is that this cooking technique will make even out-of-season or lackluster vegetables burst with flavor. 

To incorporate this nostalgic side dish into your dinner rotation, boil baby or sliced carrots in a pan over medium-high heat, and then reduce to a simmer over low heat. When the vegetables are tender, saute them in butter and brown sugar until they're covered in the rich glaze. You can flavor the carrots with orange zest or cinnamon and toss with roasted pecans, if desired. Get creative with the classic dish by adding orange marmalade or rum extract during the glazing process. Or if you don't have a sweet tooth, try glazing them in butter and salty soy instead.

Creamed spinach is another old-school side dish that was once found at every potluck and grandma's table, as well as being a steakhouse classic, but now seems less popular. The addition of rich cream and cheese was an easy way to make kids — and let's face it, adults — eat their greens, and the side dish often showed up on holiday dinner spreads. 

One reason creamed spinach may have fallen out of popularity is that Americans' dietary habits have changed over the decades, resulting in less dairy intake. Whether this is due to the rise of plant-based options, lactose intolerance, or just personal preference for lighter meals, decadent cream-based side dishes seem to be less common on the dinner table. Creamed spinach is one classic dish that deserves a second chance, however, if for no other reason than it's delicious — and a rich source of Vitamin A and iron, too. 

To make this classic side dish, create a roux with butter, milk, and flour, plus finely chopped onion or garlic for added flavor. It's best to use fresh spinach, but you can use frozen in a pinch. Go with baby spinach, rather than the regular kind, to avoid having to chop off tough stems. Saute the spinach in butter for a few minutes, until it's tender but not wilted and mushy. Finally, combine the spinach and cream sauce, and season. The best part is that you can use the leftovers in pasta dishes, or turn it into a cool and creamy spinach dip.

When it comes to classic pear salad, the word "salad" may be used a bit loosely, but the dish does call for produce, at least. Although it isn't exactly clear how this quirky salad got its start, it may have roots in a pear- and mayonnaise-based salad that appeared in "The American Salad Cookbook," which was published in 1899. Pear salad was a favorite at Southern potlucks and dinner parties in the 1950s, before slowly fading from people's memories. 

You can still sometimes find this nostalgic, fruity salad at retro-themed gatherings today, but it may be looked at with plenty of side-eye. After all, how can canned pears, cheese, maraschino cherries, and mayonnaise possibly go together? It's just one of those side dishes you have to try to believe. Somehow, the cool creaminess of mayo blends perfectly with the sweet pears and the sharp tang of cheddar. 

To surprise the guests at your next special event, make this vintage salad by draining a can of pear halves. Line your best antique dessert plates with lettuce and place the pears, face-up, on top. Next, place a dollop of mayonnaise into the center of each pear half, and finish with sprinkle of cheddar cheese. To add more sweetness and a pop of color, top each pear with a maraschino cherry. For a smooth and flavorful condiment to use in this dish, try the best mayonnaise you don't know about. 

Creamy corn pudding is another once-popular side dish that was found on dinner party tables everywhere, especially in the South. More of a casserole than a pudding, this side dish features the delectable combination of sweet, savory, and buttery flavors. You can either use canned corn for convenience or freshly shucked sweet corn, boiled and cut off the cob, when it's in season. 

Like other creamy side dishes of yesteryear, corn pudding is perhaps no longer as common as it once was. But this classic dish has an interesting texture, falling somewhere between cornbread and a custardy pudding, making it a textural delight. And corn pudding is versatile enough to serve on a holiday spread, or as weeknight comfort food. 

To make a corn pudding that tastes just as fresh and delicious now as it did in decades past, start by combining a can of creamed corn with plain whole kernel corn, along with your favorite type of cornbread mix, sour cream, and melted butter. If you don't use fresh corn, choose a good quality brand of canned corn. You can add a little cooked chopped bacon for a more savory note. Once the mixture is well-blended, pour it into a greased casserole dish and bake it until just-set. You can serve the old-fashioned dish alongside any meat or seafood main course, or with other types of vegetables for a complete, vintage-inspired meal. 

One of the lighter, fresher old-fashioned side dishes is a simple yet delicious cucumber and onion salad. It's made with just a few simple ingredients, but they all blend beautifully to create a salad that complements the heartiest of meats and casseroles. With the convenience of bottled salad dressings such as ranch, which became especially popular in the 1990s, the basic vinegar dressing of yesterday may have been somewhat forgotten. But back in the day, this classic salad with a simple dressing was found on many dinner tables and in picnic baskets throughout summer, when gardens were overflowing with cucumbers. The refreshing side was the perfect way to cool off (and use up baskets of fresh cucumbers).

You can put your own garden harvest to good use today by peeling your cucumbers and white or red onions, and slicing them thinly. On the other hand, you may not want to peel your cucumbers for good reason. However you prep them, place the sliced cucumbers in a colander and sprinkle them with salt so they release some of their moisture, then combine them in a bowl with onions, white sugar, distilled white vinegar, salt, and pepper. You can tweak this recipe in a variety of ways, by including chopped fresh dill, sliced cherry tomatoes, diced bell peppers, or celery salt. Allow the salad to chill in the refrigerator a while before enjoying it, to allow all of the flavors to mix and mingle. 

Fresh and flavorful, classic old-fashioned succotash is another way that generations past put their summer garden bounty to good use. Succotash typically consists of lima beans corn, okra, and tomatoes, but it has been tweaked in a large variety of ways over the years. Although it can be served as a vegetarian side dish, the addition of crispy bacon lends a smoky flavor and a meaty bite that could even elevate it from side dish to main course on a hot summer day. 

Succotash dates back to the 17th century, and as the dish made its way across the United States and gained popularity, the side dish continued to evolve with different ingredients. Succotash was popular during the Great Depression, and has been a popular addition to dinner party spreads and potlucks throughout the years, but has perhaps taken a fall on the popularity scale in modern times. 

You can revive this vibrantly colored dish in your kitchen by blending the corn and beans with other fresh vegetables, including bell peppers and onions, plus some crumbled bacon. Combine tomato sauce and either water or chicken stock to make a dressing, and season the dish to taste. There is no shortage of ways to serve succotash, including on the side of baked, fried or grilled chicken, over pork chops or steak, or in a grain bowl filled with rice or quinoa — and you can easily cook grains without measuring to make things really simple. 

Pea salad may not sound especially appealing at first mention, but the time-tested side dish is actually bursting with fresh flavor. Like many classic side dishes, it's also creamy due to the addition of mayonnaise. Pea salad was another popular summer side dish, allowing cooks to transform their garden harvest into a decadent accompaniment to a variety of main courses. Also similar to other cream-based side dishes of yesteryear, pea salad has become less popular to the point of being almost forgotten. 

Pea salad is said to have reached its pinnacle in the 1950s, when a mixture of basic pantry staples and fresh garden produce came together to tempt the tastebuds of young and old. And although it's considered an old-fashioned recipe, it can withstand the test of time, especially when updated with creative ingredients.

The next time you find yourself with an abundance of fresh, sweet peas, try making this dish. You can use canned peas or thawed, frozen peas — in fact, frozen peas can be so much better than fresh, anyway, and even Bobby Flay prefers frozen peas to fresh. Simply combine the peas, diced red onions, shredded cheddar cheese, hard-boiled eggs, and bacon if you'd like, with rich mayonnaise. Allow the salad to chill in your refrigerator before enjoying. 

Hoppin' John is a hearty Southern side dish traditionally served on New Year's Day, as superstition says it will bring luck and prosperity to all who consume it. The affordable side, which deserves wider recognition, consists of black-eyed peas and rice, along with a few other basic ingredients, although earlier recipes featured cowpeas or field peas. While the origins of its name are unknown, the history of Hoppin' John has roots among West African enslaved people, and came to symbolize the hope for better days ahead.

Traditional dishes such as Hoppin' John can sometimes be tricky to recreate as ingredients change and evolve over the years. But you can make a version of this classic New Year's Day side by cooking earthy black-eyed peas with salt pork, chopped onion, and dried red pepper, and allowing all of the ingredients to slowly simmer together. You could even use a slow cooker for convenience. Hoppin' John is one side dish that is filling enough to elevate to a main course, or you can serve it alongside any type of meat.