UPDATED 7/1/2022
Growing up, we were all familiar with the picky-eater and most of us had a phase. You know the routine: imploring all the old tricks, spread your food around the plate, pretend to take bites, give a fake “Mmm… thatโs good,” capped off with an “All done, may I be excused?” Yeah, Mom never did fall for it, but it was worth a try.ย ย And for those that were critical of the choosey eater, we want you to hold that thought, because today we are counting down the most disgusting dishes from the past. No, we’re not talking about Brussel sprouts, creamed spinach, or Aunt Franโs mysterious casserole with raisins. Sorry, Aunt Fran, weโre taking it a step further.ย
Today, we’re naming the foods that would even make the most adventurous open-minded diners think twice. From a Glace Fish Mold to a Ham and Bananas Hollandaise, the creators of these dishes must have been outright cruel, or perhaps they were picky eaters making us all feel their pain.ย We canโt even imagine trying to stomach some of these now! Whatโs even more fascinating is that a lot of these dishes are still being made today, either vintage-style or with a modern twist. Whether the dish was for a special occasion or โjust because,โ we are left with the same question โWhat were we thinking?!” Do you remember these disgusting foods?
1. Monterey Souffle Salad
![souffle grandparents ate monterey souffle salad](https://doyouremember.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/1-37.jpg)
Fair warning, the Monterey Souffle Salad looks nothing like a salad. This eye-of-the-dragon looking salad was created in part, by Star-Kist Tuna. They put out ads in 1955 containing this recipe. So check your cabinets now, and see if you can prepare one today. Look for lemon gelatin, tuna, preferably star-kist; mayonnaise and vegetables.ย
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And yes we honestly have no idea how any of that goes together. The veggies specified are chopped cucumber or celery, some sliced olives, chopped pimento, and of course grated onion. Because if we cry when we cut onion, just imagine the tears thatโll stream as you grate the little sucker.ย
The recipe also suggests Hellmannโs mayo, but personally being from South Carolina, the preference is for Dukes. Granted, Dukes has not been tried in this tuna jello, but maybe next year. A supporter messaged us saying her family would add a can of undiluted cream of tomato soup to spice it up.
To be honest, we have made a dish similar to this, just sans the jello: a Tuna Rice Salad. Brown rice, tuna, celery, lemon, and tomato โ simple and cheap dish. However, not as exciting as this mold of fun. This jiggly dish was often made in a 1950s casserole dish. So, it could suffice for virtually any occasion. Weโre not entirely sure it wouldโve made the Top 10 list at any special event, though.
2. Peppermint Popcorn Tree
Honestly, this one doesnโt sound too bad, but definitely might not be the healthiest.ย Similar to the Star-Kist promoted Souffle, this recipe is brought to us by a product. An original โ60s ad for this sweet treat says โHoliday Candy Favorites made better with Karo (CARE-O) Syrup,โ which is basically a sweet corn syrup with added salt and vanilla.
This was probably a hit back in the day during Christmastime, but weโre not sure it would still hold up today against Limited Edition Peppermint Bark Oreos, for example! Yum! This is a vintage recipe that has been adapted for modern convenience. Most recipes online now abandon the sculpting into a tree, and just have the delicious peppermint popcorn plopped in a bowl. And I for one appreciate the recipe modification.ย
The recipe itself is quite simple; popcorn, white chocolate candy coating and peppermint candy. For a twist, you can substitute dark chocolate for the white, you just wonโt get the โWhite Christmasโ snowy effect.ย
3. 7-UP Mayonnaise Jello Salad
Here at DoYouRemember? weโd like to take a moment to acknowledge the many things that go well together. Laverne & Shirley, Bert & Ernie, Milk and Cookies and, of course, 7-up & Mayonnaise… Okay, maybe itโs just me, but I donโt think mayonnaise, 7-UP, and Jello go together.ย The recipe is as basic as it sounds. Mayo, 7-UP soda, diced fruit, marshmallows, cream cheese, and of course, gelatin to make this less-than-appetizing concoction.ย ย
Just look at that texture, folks. Can you say, “Yum?”ย This โsaladโ is traditionally served for the holidays and has a tropical flavor due to the pineapple, cherry, and lime flavors. This recipe gained some popularity a few years ago when Ellen highlighted a comedian named Kalen, who gained fame by live-commenting those popular overhead-shot recipe videos.ย
Apparently this dish isnโt as crazy as it sounds, tasting somewhere between a key lime pie and a citrus cheesecake. Why is the mayo even in the recipe? Is it to cut down the sweetness? Is it to gross out my brother Pat, who cannot touch the stuff? But weโre gonna leave it in, because itโs been in the recipe for almost a century.
4. Glace Fish Mold
Ever felt the need to take flaked fish, chopped pimento, and throw it in a gelatin mold? Nope, neither did we. Hey, itโs shaped like a fish, thatโs pretty cute, isn’t it? Nope, not at all. It definitely makes the list for our Top 10 disgusting foods.ย
ย Now, this one actually might take the cake (or the jello) for the most jaw-dropping dish on this list. I mean, just look at it. This recipe is basically a Jell-Oโd fish that is often completed with โolive eyes.โ You start out melting the gelatin with sugar, salt, and lemon juice. Then fold in the fish โ you can use any type of fish or even shellfish. Along with the flakey seafood, add green pepper, cucumber wedges, onion rings, pimento, and celery. And thatโs it. Pour it into your fish mold that we all have handy and serve with a bowl of mayonnaise on the side, because, why not? Finally, the garnish and, for the greatest touch, place the olives for eyes to give off the appearance of the fish actually being alive. That way, you can meet your jiggly fish before you devour it. Ummmโฆ Bon Appรฉtit? Mmmโฆ Maybe not!
5. Perfection Salad
Nothing screams perfection like the sight of this bad boy. Another โsaladโ on this list that doesnโt actually look anything like a salad โ noticing a trend here? This one can be added to the ongoing pattern of foods being made with Jell-O back in the day.ย
ย Again, you would start by melting the gelatin and stirring in the apple and Lemon juices, along with vinegar and water. Next step is adding all the โPerfection.’ย Add in the carrot, celery, cabbage, green pepper, and pimento before pouring into a mold. Any type of fish mold or other would do. And you guessed it, serve alongside this perfection the perfect bowl of miracle whip or mayo to add more excitement. Apparently, itโs a very lemony sweet and sour coleslaw. Iโve also heard of people using shredded apples and lime flavoring to give it a different twist. I also wish I could go back in time like Marty Mcfly, not to bet on sports, but to buy stock in pimientos and mayonnaise, because they were in everything!
6. Egg Nests
The 42 Cent Lunch. Iโll take it. This one is so close to being delicious if it wasnโt for that raw egg. Because I know from my father yelling at us to โstop eating the raw cookie dough or you’ll get sick,” that raw eggs are a no-go in my household.ย Also, poking out the center of the bread and injecting an egg, feels like a last-minute science fair entry.ย
Egg Nests, also known as Cloud Eggs, are nearly as popular today as they were back in the day. Youโll need some basics: eggs, bread, butter, and salt. Thatโs it! First, toast your bread. Then separate your egg whites from the yolks. Beat the heck out of the egg whites until stiff. It only takes a minute with an electric beater. Now, itโs time to assemble.ย
Take out your mayo and pimentos โ just kidding. Butter the toast, dollop the egg white on each slice and make the indention in the middle for your prized yolk. Now you just bake it for 15 minutes and serve with salad, milk, and fruit for an entire lunch display!
7. Mock Apple Pie
An Apple Pie without the apples? Blasphemy!ย Hey, it was invented during the depression. And you know what they say: “When life gives you Ritz Crackers, make apple pie.” Thatย is the saying, right? While it still looks like a tasty Apple Pie, donโt be fooled! Itโs called a โMockโ Apple Pie for a reason, as itโs made with Ritz Crackers instead of real apples.
ย However, according to recipes, it tastes just like regular Apple Pie. First off, bring to boil water, sugar, and cream of tartar before dropping in whole crackers to boil for five minutes.ย Then pour all into a pie crust and sprinkle with cinnamon and lemon juice. Top with additional crushed crackers, brown sugar, and cinnamon and, bingo, an apple pie sans apples! So, if you can get over the fact that itโs made with Ritz Crackers on the inside, then this might be a go-to dish for any special occasion. And maybe fool some people while youโre at it.ย Not!
8. Ham and Bananas Hollandaise
Ugh, this was the one I was dreading to eventually get to on this list. A fun fact about this dish is that it was actually made up by the government to distract people from the oil embargo. Well, itโs definitely distracting, Complete with bananas, lemon juice, sliced boiled ham, mustard, hollandaise sauce mix, and light cream, this is probably the weirdest dish on this list!
Banana Hollandaise is perfect for any brunch occasion, and commenters on these recipes actually say this is delicious. And you can cheat with a jar of hollandaise instead of the mix packets. But just donโt leave off the sauce, as it cuts through the sweetness of the banana while the mustard pairs with the ham to add saltiness. Well, I’ll be damnedโฆ some people actually enjoy this.
9. Frosted Ribbon Sandwich Loaf
This one was popular in the 1960s and consists of many different layers of filling and ingredients from mayonnaise โ of course โย to pickle relish to ground cooked ham and horseradish. While the dish gives a โfrostedโ appearance, do not be fooled โ surely isnโt sweet as youโll be biting into a savory loaf you will never forget. Even old advertisements for the loaf show a cake-cutter being used to slice through it, so the taste may come as a shock to some who are expecting a carrot cake.ย ย
The frosted loaf holds a surprise in every layer, so this is technically one of the more advanced dishes on our countdown.
10. Frozen Fruitcake Salad
Itโs nice to end the list with something that isnโt so repulsive-looking: the Frozen Fruitcake Salad! Itโs more of a sweet treat with pretty basic ingredients. Blend together sour cream, sugar, lemon juice, and vanilla followed by all the fruits and nuts you desire. Such choices can be pineapples, diced bananas โ no mustard this time โ cherries, and grapes. Donโt forget the walnuts! Complete with lettuce leaves in the middle for garnish, it may not look super tasty, but with all those ingredients, it sure sounds like it!
Do you remember your grandparents whipping any of these up for a special event or to punish someoneโ? I sure do! Is there a twist on one of these classics that makes your recipe book? Or did your grandma make something entirely different yet completely off-the-wall for special occasions? We want to know what your disgusting foods were!