Fifties Party Food Ideas

If you are planning a fifties-style soiree, don't forget to design a retro party menu to go with it. Diners were popular in the 1950s, serving all-American fare. Convenience foods, such as frozen dinners and pre-packaged items, were also gaining prominence in households. Delight party guests by tempting their taste buds with foods steeped in tradition and reminiscent of simpler times. To create a complete fifties theme, serve food on a colorful Formica dinette set.

Diners were common gathering places throughout the 1950s. Make all-American food such as hamburgers, hot dogs and french fries for party guests. To satisfy vegetarians, serve veggie burgers and dogs as well. For dessert, create a sundae station or whip up strawberry, chocolate and vanilla milkshakes.

Quench guests' thirsts with traditional 1950s beverages. Make fresh lemonade using real lemons, water and sugar. Garnish glasses with lemon wedges. During a warm-weather bash, serve cherry and grape slushes and chocolate and vanilla malts. Root beer floats will also please guests of all ages.

No fifties-style bash would be complete without a plate of deviled eggs. Peel a dozen hard-boiled eggs and cut them lengthwise. Place the yolks into a mixing bowl and add four tablespoons of mayonnaise and two tablespoons of yellow mustard; sprinkle in salt and pepper to taste. Stir the yolk mixture until smooth and place a spoonful into each egg white. Garnish with paprika or a black olive slice.

Prepare a tray of authentic fifties finger foods that guests can munch on throughout the party. On a buffet table, set up trays filled with a variety of retro foods, such as cream cheese-and-crushed pineapple-stuffed celery sticks, cocktail sausages, liverwurst pate and crackers, and smoked salmon canapes.