Can you tell the difference between a Salisbury steak and a steak Diane? Do you remember vol-au-vents and pineapple upside-down cakes? Many dishes that graced dinner tables and restaurant menus in decades past have fallen out of fashion or simply been forgotten. Some are perhaps best left in the past, but there are others that – in our opinion – deserve a second chance. Here are the retro dishes that we want to see make a comeback.

Tuna noodle casserole was a regular midweek fixture that could be made entirely from pantry staples and canned goods. The dish was made with pasta, Campbell’s cream of mushroom soup, frozen peas, tuna and breadcrumbs. Update this simple one-dish supper by swapping canned soup for fresh chicken stock, butter and cheese, and top with panko breadcrumbs.

Food in the 1960s was heavily influenced by cooks such as Julia Child, and French-inspired cuisine rose in popularity. Jambon persillé en gelée, also known as ham in parsley aspic, is a fine example of this. We love its striking presentation, and a ham and herb terrine is still a great dinner party dish.

Invented at the start of the 20th century, chicken à la king was often served at weddings throughout the 1950s and 1960s. It reached its peak in the 1970s and 1980s, written about by the likes of James Beard and The New York Times’ Craig Claiborne, but soon disappeared from most menus. Chicken is cooked in a creamy sauce with mushrooms and peppers, and served with rice or toasted bread. It makes a convenient and quick family-friendly midweek meal.

Can't decide between a cheeseburger and a pie? Why not have both? The genius cheeseburger pie became popular in the 1970s, thanks to a Betty Crocker recipe. Ground beef is mixed with onion and flavoured with ketchup, mustard and Worcestershire sauce. It's then layered with classic burger ingredients like tomato, gherkins and, of course, cheese. Who wouldn't want to bring this one back?

Chicken tetrazzini was one of the most popular dishes in America for much of the 20th century, and it’s widely believed that it was invented by a chef at a swanky San Francisco hotel, inspired by opera singer Luisa Tetrazzini. An extremely rich dish, it consists of spaghetti with chicken, mushrooms, Parmesan and cream sauce, baked in a casserole dish until golden on top. By the second half of the century it was a shadow of its former self, as home cooks replaced fresh ingredients with tinned versions. We say, bring back the original.

Potato salad was a must-have dish when feeding a crowd, and this 1964 Hellmann’s Mayonnaise advert in Holiday Magazine showed a stylish new way to present it. Cooked potatoes, celery, onion and parsley are shaped into a pie base, topped with a generous layer of mayonnaise and garnished with tomatoes and watercress.

If this dish sounds familiar, it's because a version of it went viral on the internet a couple of years ago, thanks to a Food Network recipe by Molly Yeh. People couldn't believe someone was putting popcorn in a salad – but actually the idea is nothing new. The dish an old Midwestern one that's been around for decades. It's certainly one way to make salads more tempting.

The 1950s saw an explosion of budget-friendly, filling and easy-to-freeze casserole dishes. They were a great way to recycle leftovers and stretch them into a second meal to feed the family. Spaghetti casserole was a go-to option, with layers of spaghetti, minced beef, vegetables, tinned soup and grated cheese. Try this dish out for a novel take on spaghetti bolognese.

In the 1960s, there wasn’t a soirée without stuffed celery hiding somewhere on the buffet table. If you want to give it a go, pipe celery sticks with a filling of blue cheese, cream cheese, Worcestershire sauce and hot sauce. Garnish with black olives, parsley, paprika, crispy chicken skins or whatever you fancy.

A staple of the 1970s dinner party scene, we think devilled eggs are too cute not to have a revival. A little fiddly to make, they involve scooping the yolks from hard-boiled eggs, mixing with mustard, mayonnaise, paprika and sometimes other ingredients – then piping the mixture back into the eggs. 

In the mid-20th century, savoury jellies were hugely popular. Brands like Knox Gelatine and Jell-O launched marketing campaigns that had us setting every meal, from tomato soup to ham and cheese, in gelatine. Some are now saying the time is right for an aspic revival, and we can definitely imagine this Instagram-friendly cuisine wobbling its way back to popularity. 

One of the most popular dishes of the 1950s and 1960s was Vichyssoise, a chilled soup of leeks, onions and potatoes, blended into a purée with chicken stock and cream. Despite its French name, it’s believed to be an American invention from the kitchen at the Ritz Carlton New York. By the 1970s, it was sold in tins but its popularity waned after a botulism outbreak from a Bon Vivant batch. We think it’s time this summer soup was served again, though. 

New York’s Le Cirque popularised pasta primavera, a creamy pasta dish brimming with broccoli, courgette, asparagus and beans, in the late 1970s. We've embraced lots of different pasta dishes since then, but this one's still a classic. Make a sauce with butter, lemon and Parmesan, then throw in whatever cooked vegetables you fancy.

Throughout the 1950s and 1960s, steak Diane was one of the most luxurious dishes you could order at restaurants, and epitomised Continental glamour. Dairy and meat had been rationed during the Second World War, so it was the height of luxury to enjoy butter and beef in the same dish. It was flambéed tableside and also contained shallots, Worcestershire sauce, Dijon mustard, stock, Cognac and black pepper. The dish fell out of fashion in the late 1970s, but we think it should grace menus once more.

A national dish of Germany, sauerbraten dates back hundreds of years. Though the exact origins are unknown, it's believed to have lofty origins, with some believing Charlemagne invented it as a way of using up leftover meat, and others crediting Julius Caesar himself. Sauerbraten translates as 'sour roast', and consists of meat marinated for up to 10 days in a mix of wine, vinegar and spices. It's served with a sweet and sour gravy, often featuring crumbled up ginger snap biscuits.

Duchess potatoes was the hottest side dish of the 1960s and 1970s. It’s simple to make: roast russet potatoes, pass through a ricer, enrich with egg yolk, butter and nutmeg, then pipe onto a baking tray. They’re traditionally shaped into little stars or spiral mounds, brushed with egg yolk and baked until crisp on the outside and fluffy in the centre. Serve them with roast beef as an alternative to roast potatoes.

Salisbury steak was a staple cafeteria lunch and TV dinner in America in the 1970s. Minced beef was shaped into miniature meat loaves and served with mashed potatoes and gravy. It was invented at the end of the 19th century by an American physician, who intended it as a health food. But by the end of the century it was regularly accompanied by tater tots, instant mashed potatoes and other convenience foods (so the healthy tag was rather lost). Give this dish a modern makeover with sweet potato mash and homemade onion gravy.

Look to the 1970s for party snack inspiration and whip up a trio of cheese balls for your next gathering. Blend cream cheese with blue cheese, Cheddar, pink salmon or crushed pineapple, shape into balls and roll them in walnuts, pine nuts and parsley. Or make up your own recipe based on your favourite ingredients. You can make them ahead of time, storing them in the fridge until guests arrive.

We don’t think that grape jelly meatballs should be confined to the 1970s. The perfect appetisers, cocktail-sized meatballs (you can use shop-bought or make your own) are slow-cooked in a sticky grape jelly and chilli sauce mix. You could also add a pinch of paprika for added smokiness.

It was once the height of sophisticated hosting to fill puff pastry cases with cooked mushrooms, coronation chicken or prawn mayonnaise for a platter of vol-au-vents. We think pastry-based starters or snacks should always be in fashion, so give this retro dish a makeover by updating the filling. Try pesto, hot smoked salmon, or stilton and mushroom.

Cheese cones were a staple at Christmas gatherings in the 1970s. One recipe consisted of cream cheese, grated Parmesan, mayonnaise, oregano and garlic powder. Another was shredded Cheddar, mayonnaise, horseradish and seasoning. They were shaped into logs and studded with almonds and walnut halves so they resembled pine cones, and served alongside crisp melba toasts and crudités.

A traditional sailor's meal from northern Germany, labskaus consists of corned or salted beef mixed with potato, beetroot and onion, served with a fried egg, gherkins and rollmop herring. A version of this dish made its way to Liverpool, England, in the 18th century and became known as 'scouse', which is where the city's inhabitants get their nickname of scousers. 

In the 1970s, apricot chicken was a staple in Australian households. It was easy to make, didn’t contain too many ingredients and was satisfying. Back in the day, it was comprised of chicken legs and thighs with French onion soup and apricot nectar, poured over rice. Give it a new lease of life and make a Middle Eastern–style chicken and apricot tagine, with cinnamon, ginger, turmeric, almond slices and fresh herbs.

Why a big vat of molten cheese ever went out of fashion we're not entirely sure, but we'd definitely like to see fondue back on the dinner table – and not just in ski resorts. It's perfect for dipping anything from chunks of bread to potatoes and leftover roasted vegetables. Fondue as we know it dates back to the 1800s, and was particularly popular in the 1970s. The perfect dessert to follow? Chocolate fondue, obviously. 

This one is perhaps not for the faint of heart, or delicate of stomach, but many consider it a delicacy. Sülze is a German form of head cheese – which is a meat jelly made from the head of a pig or calf. The aspic jelly has a vinegary taste and often includes different herbs and spices. 

We all know how divisive a ham and pineapple pizza can be. But how about the same combo on toast, with melted cheese and a cherry on top? This unusual combination became popular in Germany the 1950s thanks to TV chef Clemens Wilmenrod, and was a common dish up until the 1980s, when it faded out of fashion. But if the Hawaiian pizza is still going strong, we think there's room for this dish to make a comeback too. 

In mid-century America, neither Jell-O nor salads were exclusively sweet or savoury, and dishes such as Under the Sea Salad found their place on the buffet table somewhere between the main dishes and desserts. A recipe for this dish featured in Joys of Jell-O. It’s a cream cheese and pear base topped with lime Jell-O, and it doesn’t sound half bad – maybe just skip serving it on the bed of salad leaves.

Blancmange is a thick and creamy, gelatine-based dessert that was eaten throughout the 20th century. British brand Pearce Duff had four pale, opaque options to choose from: strawberry, raspberry, chocolate and vanilla. Revive this classic with fresh raspberries, raspberry liqueur, double cream, ground almonds and rose petals – although we still think it's fun to put it in a novelty mould. 

The colourful blend of pears, grapes, cherries and peaches in a tin (later adding pineapple), took off around the 1930s. It was invented to stop the good parts of bruised fruit going to waste, but clever marketing had us viewing it as a speedy and sophisticated dessert. A recipe featured by Jell-O (pictured) in the late 1950s suggests alternating layers of vanilla pudding and whipped cream with the fruit mix in a dessert glass.

A Charlotte Russe is a dessert originating from 18th century France that enjoyed renewed popularity in the early 20th century. Originally it was made with stale bread to line a cake mould, but sponge cake or ladyfingers became more favoured. A set cream mixture was the traditional filling. Later, a simplified version, comprising of a thin square of vanilla sponge, a tall spiral of whipped cream and a maraschino cherry, served in a cardboard cup, became popular in New York's Jewish bakeries.

In the early 1950s, New Orleans was a major import hub for bananas, and the story goes that a chef at local restaurant Brennan’s was challenged to create a dish using the fruit. His creation, comprised of bananas flambéed with brown sugar, butter, cinnamon, dark rum and banana liqueur, and served with ice cream, was a roaring success. The decadent dessert is still served at Brennan’s today, but we'd like to see it brought back everywhere.

Peach melba is a simple but rather beautiful dessert of sweet, poached peaches and tart raspberry sauce, served with vanilla ice cream. Created by Auguste Escoffier at The Savoy in London at the end of the 19th century, it was named after Australian opera star Dame Nellie Melba. These days you’re unlikely to find it on dessert menus, but we think the simple fruit and ice cream combination is timeless.

According to food historians, the term 'upside-down cake' first appeared in the late 1800s. But it wasn't until the early 20th century that the pineapple upside-down cake popped up in magazines and cookbooks, after the introduction of canned pineapple. The dessert hit its peak in the 1960s and, while upside-down cakes are still around today, they usually use different fruit. We say bring back the retro appeal of the original, with whole pineapple rings and glacé cherries.

Tunnel of fudge was a rich chocolate and nut bundt cake with a fudgy tunnel running through the centre. It was introduced in 1966, when it won second prize at the Pillsbury Bake-Off Contest. Despite losing to Golden Gate Snack Bread, it became Pillsbury’s most-requested recipe and single-handedly brought bundt cakes into fashion. If you like the texture of gooey brownies, you’ll love this.

Get the recipe for mini bundt fruitcakes here

Crown jewel dessert, also known as broken glass cake, is without a doubt a show-stopper. The recipe was featured in a 1960s cookbook called Joys of Jell-O and calls for orange, cherry and lime Jell-O, cut into cubes and folded into thick lemon cream, made from lemon Jell-O and Dream Whip (a branded whipped cream). If you’re not a fan of Jell-O but want to recreate the same look, give semifreddo a whirl.

Cherries Jubilee is a theatrical dish generally credited to Auguste Escoffier, who created the dish for Queen Victoria’s Golden Jubilee celebration in 1887. Whole cherries are cooked in liqueur, flambéed and served with vanilla ice cream. Cherries Jubilee hit its peak in the 1950s and 1960s, with home cooks wowing guests by making it a spectacular dinner party finale. It’s fallen out of favour but we think it makes a wonderful rich, wintry dessert.

In the early 20th century, ambrosia was a ubiquitous fruit salad found at celebrations throughout the Southern US. Sliced pineapple and orange were mixed with whipped cream. But there are many variations, including ones that use tinned fruit cocktail, marshmallows, maraschino cherries, bananas, strawberries, grapes, yogurt and cream cheese. At a time when citrus fruits were only just becoming readily available, it was a luxury dish. Nowadays, the dessert is far from upmarket, but makes a quick and tasty treat.

No birthday party in the 1980s or 1990s was complete without a bowl of strawberry jelly served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. It wasn’t sophisticated, but it sure was delicious. We know it's all about fancy gelato flavours these days, but this combo is a classic that's worth revisiting. 

Throughout the 20th century, root beer floats were a popular summertime treat. Legend has it that the first one was created in 1893 by Frank J. Wisner, owner of a gold mine and tavern in Cripple Creek, Colorado. The story goes that the snowy peaks on Colorado’s Cow Mountain made him think of ice cream floating in soda so he decided to try it. We like the idea of homemade root beer floats with a shot of bourbon, crumbled brownies and pretzels.

One of the most popular drinks of the 1970s, the snowball cocktail would always make an appearance at Christmas parties. So simple to make, fresh lime juice is shaken with advocaat – a creamy Dutch liqueur made with brandy, sugar and eggs. It’s then poured into a Martini glass and topped up with lemonade. A maraschino cherry or mini meringue is the final festive touch.

Get the recipe for a classic snowball cocktail here

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