16 School Cafeteria Foods From the ’60s You Can’t Find Today

The school lunches of the 1960s were a reflection of the cooking techniques and nutritional values of the time. Lunches featured hearty portions of ingredients and recipes that were geared toward feeding a large number of students at a time. Some of these dishes included creamed chipped beef served over toast, tuna noodle casserole, Salisbury steak, and baked beans with buttered bread. These were all popular dishes of the time and are now considered comfort foods. Desserts were also simple and delicious, including tapioca pudding and rice pudding. These desserts rounded off the meal in a gentle fashion. The school lunches of the future would be a far cry from these hearty meals.

1. Creamed Chipped Beef on Toast

Creamed chipped beef on toast was a common dish in American school cafeterias during the early 1960s. The dish consisted of slices of dried salted beef cooked in a creamy white sauce made from butter, flour, and milk. The beef was cooked in large metal pans and simmered until tender. The creamy sauce was then spooned onto untoasted white bread, which quickly softened from the heat of the sauce. The dish had a wonderful aroma that wafted through the hallways, making your mouth water. Many times, peas or mashed potatoes were added to this dish. The toast was then dipped into the creamy sauce to become a filling meal to get through the rest of the afternoon.

2. Tuna Noodle Casserole Squares

Tuna noodle casserole was a familiar dish on the trays of 1960s-era schoolchildren. It came out of the cafeteria oven in a large rectangular pan, feeding an entire grade level at a time. The ingredients were a mix of egg noodles, tuna fish, cream of mushroom soup, and milk to create a rich and creamy dish. The cafeteria staff would mix all the ingredients together and top it with crushed potato chips or breadcrumbs. Once baked, the dish would have a nice crust on top and a soft noodle underneath. Workers would slice the casserole into nice squares and place it on the divided trays. A side of peas and green beans might be included.

3. Salisbury Steak with Brown Gravy

Salisbury steak was a common offering at school lunch counters during the 1960s. The cooks on the cafeteria crew made Salisbury steak by forming ground beef into patties that resembled mini-steaks. The patties were cooked on large griddles until seared and then transferred to deep pans filled with a rich brown gravy. As the meat cooked within the gravy, it absorbed the oniony flavor from the meat drippings within the pan. The result was a thick sauce that clung to the meat and smoothly coated it. The meal represented a time when a meal was a comfortable, affordable alternative to a traditional dinner. While a traditional steak dinner was out of the question within a school’s budget, ground beef represented a suitable alternative.

4. Peanut Butter and Honey Sandwich Squares

Peanut butter and honey sandwiches were a familiar meal that could be found on a school lunch tray during the early 1960s. The lunchroom workers prepared them in large quantities before the students arrived at lunchtime. They covered two slices of bread with a layer of creamy peanut butter, then let a drizzle of honey fall onto the peanut butter as they placed a second slice of bread on top. The stacks of peanut butter and honey sandwiches were cut into squares and placed neatly on a lunch tray. The honey took a while to seep into the bread, which gave it a slight stickiness as it provided a sweet taste. The workers had to wrap the peanut butter and honey sandwiches in wax paper to ensure that they remained fresh until lunchtime.

5. Tomato Aspic Salad

Tomato aspic salad was a common dish on many school lunch trays in the 1960s, especially in those places that stuck to traditional Southern dishes. The salad consisted of tomato juice and gelatin, then seasoned with celery, vinegar, and mild spices. The mixture was then chilled until firm. Once unmolded, a slice of this salad had a firm shape on the tray. There were usually pieces of vegetables suspended in the clear tomato salad. There was a slice of this salad on every tray with the rest of the entrée, giving a splash of color to the tray. The texture was strange to a lot of students, as there was a wiggly gel with the tomato flavor. Despite its strange combination, this salad was a reflection of a culinary trend from the mid-20th century.

6. Creamed Peas on Toast

Creamed peas served over toast was a common sight on cafeteria trays in the early 1960s. It was a pragmatic meal based on inexpensive ingredients readily available in a cafeteria kitchen and the need to prepare a meal in bulk. A pot of canned peas was cooked in a creamy white sauce made with a roux of butter, flour, and milk. These three ingredients combined in a deliciously creamy sauce coated each pea. At the same time, slices of white bread were toasted in large industrial-sized toasting ovens. A generous helping of the pea mixture was spooned over the toast just prior to serving. The bread would soften in the sauce and become a pleasant meal. It was a meal indicative of the no-frills approach of the time in school cafeteria cooking.

7. Cornmeal Johnnycake Squares

Cornmeal johnnycake squares were a common offering on the school lunch menu way back in the early 1960s. These were the school districts that had a strong tradition of American farm food. A mixture of cornmeal, flour, milk, eggs, and a little sugar was beaten together to create a thick batter. This was poured into a baking pan and baked in a large oven until the tops were golden. When it cooled slightly, the large piece of johnnycake was cut into square pieces. It had a firm outside and a soft inside, a texture that was somewhat between bread and cake. A pat of butter accompanied the johnnycake square. It melted slowly as the warm cornmeal mixture welcomed the butter.

8. Beef and Macaroni Goulash

Beef and macaroni goulash was a popular dish in the school cafeteria through the 1960s. It was a hearty meal that filled the stomach without breaking the bank. It was a quick and easy meal to mass cook. A large kettle was the primary cooking vessel. Ground beef was cooked in the kettle and seasoned with onions and garlic. Macaroni pasta was added to the mix. Then came the canned tomatoes and spices. The mixture simmered until the pasta absorbed the tangy tomato sauce. Long wooden paddles were the primary utensils for stirring the concoction. A generous portion of the dish was placed on a tray for the students. It was a popular dish because it came from familiar ingredients that were commonly found in the home.

9. Pineapple Cottage Cheese Salad Cups

Pineapple cottage cheese salad cups are a familiar image from cafeteria trays of a bygone era, a brief splash of color from a time when Americans had a fondness for easy cold molds. The cafeteria workers would spoon cottage cheese into small paper cups or metal molds, top it with crushed or sliced canned pineapple, and maybe add a maraschino cherry for a splash of color. The pineapple cottage cheese salad cups were a sweet and tangy accompaniment to the heavier mid-day meals. The pineapple cottage cheese salad cups are a familiar image from cafeteria trays of a bygone era. The pineapple cottage cheese salad cups were a sweet and tangy accompaniment to the heavier mid-day meals.

10. Sloppy Joe Sandwiches in Wax Paper

Sloppy Joe sandwiches were a common item in school cafeterias in the 1960s because they were inexpensive, quick to prepare, and served a large number of people. The filling was prepared by cooking ground beef with onions, then adding tomato sauce, ketchup, and mild spices. It simmered in a pot until the filling thickened and acquired a subtle sweetness. Generous portions of the filling were placed in hamburger buns, and the sandwiches were wrapped in wax paper. By lunchtime, the filling had seeped into the bread, giving it the classic “messy” quality. A typical meal consisted of a glass of milk and a small portion of chips or pickles.

11. Tapioca Pudding Dessert Cups

Tapioca pudding cups were also common in the school cafeterias of the 1960s. They were generally included in the lunch. Milk, sugar, eggs, and small tapioca pearls were cooked together in big pots. The pearls would change as they cooked. They would become soft and translucent as the milk cooked. The milk would thicken as the pearls cooked. A dessert was produced that was quite creamy and had a bounce if stirred on the spoon. The cooked pudding was put into small paper cups and refrigerated until lunchtime. The cups of tapioca pudding had a light vanilla flavor that balanced out the heaviness of the main dishes. This was a common choice because it was economical and could be prepared in large quantities in advance.

12. Baked Beans with Buttered Bread

Baked beans with buttered bread were a common school lunch in the early 1960s. The cooks would remove large pots of navy beans from a slow simmer with a tomato sauce, brown sugar, and small chunks of salt pork. It would all bubble together for hours as the sauce thickened and the flavors took on a slightly sweet, smoky note. Hands would dip in and scoop up large portions of the beans alongside thick slices of white bread slathered in butter. The bread was a good match for the rich bean sauce, and many students used it to mop up every last bit of beans and sauce. It was a meal in line with the no-nonsense food that schools liked to serve in those days: inexpensive beans full of protein.

13. Liver and Onions with Gravy

Liver and onions was a dish that came up quite a bit on school lunch menus back in the early 1960s, especially in school systems that stuck to traditional beef-and-vegetable meal planning. Liver would be cut into small pieces and lightly floured before being cooked on large flat griddles to brown while onions cooked alongside them. Once cooked, the pieces of liver would be placed in large metal pans and a brown gravy poured over everything. On each tray, a piece of liver would be placed alongside some mashed potatoes or steamed vegetables, with the gravy helping to tone down the strong flavor of the liver and keep the beef nice and tender.

14. Jellied Fruit Cocktail Cups

Jellied fruit cocktail cups were common on cafeteria trays throughout the 1960s, reflecting the era’s fascination with gelatinous dishes. To prepare the dessert, cafeteria staff would mix flavored gelatin with hot water. To the gelatin mixture, they would also add chunks of canned fruit cocktail. The gelatin mixture was then placed in small cups and refrigerated until set. Once set, the gelatin would hold the fruit pieces in a vibrant and clear gel that contrasted well against the steel trays. The meal was complete and happy as the students were given the dessert along with milk and their main meal. The dish was also popular because it was affordable and could be prepared the day before.

15. Creamed Spinach with Hard Boiled Eggs

Creamed spinach and hard-boiled eggs were common dishes in the cafeterias of the 1960s. This veggie-based meal was often seen on school lunch trays. To prepare the meal, chopped spinach was cooked in a white sauce made with butter, milk, and flour. The spinach was cooked until the sauce was smooth and the spinach was tender. The spinach was placed on the trays that were to be steamed. The half- or quarter-sliced hard-boiled eggs were placed on the spinach just before the trays were sent out. This way, the sauce could cover the spinach and the eggs. The workers put the sauce on the trays, and the spinach and the sauce were ready to be placed in the serving dishes.

16. Rice Pudding with Cinnamon

Rice pudding was a frequent offering in school cafeterias during the 1960s, served as a warm dessert after a hearty lunch. The cooks at the cafeterias let the rice simmer for a long time in large kettles of milk, sugar, and eggs. The grains absorbed the liquid as it simmered. The mixture gradually became thicker as it simmered. The workers served the warm rice pudding in small bowls or divided it into individual trays. The workers sprinkled a little bit of cinnamon on top of the pudding to give it a spicy smell. The popularity of rice pudding stemmed from the fact that it used only ingredients that could be found at low cost in most schools. Rice, milk, and sugar could be found at most schools at a low cost.

• Tags:
• life
• trending
• throwback
• School
• cafeterias
• 1960s