50 Years Ago Today: The Tastes of 1968 - Recipes

Among all the psychedelics and protests characteristic of the 1960s, food continued to be a big part of society. Through all the wars and uncertainty plaguing the world, one thing remained a constant: everyone needs to eat.On Jan. 18, 1968, the first ever Red Lobster opened in Lakeland, Florida. Originally called Cheese Garlic Bread, these Cheddar Bay Biscuits have grown in popularity over the years, with Red Lobster now serving 395 million biscuits per year. Red Lobster Cheddar Bay BiscuitsIngredients

• 2 cups All purpose flour
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• ⅔ cup milk
• ⅓ cup butter
• 1 large egg
• 2 tablespoons melted butter

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F and line a baking sheet.
2. Combine flour, Cheddar cheese, baking powder, salt, and garlic powder in a bowl.
3. Combine milk, 1/3 cup butter, and egg in a separate bowl. Mix into the flour mixture until chunky.
4. Drop batter by tablespoonfuls onto the prepared baking sheet.
5. Bake in the preheated oven for 10 minutes. Brush melted butter on top and continue baking until golden brown, about 5 minutes more.

 Chocolate pudding (Hunt’s Snack Pack)These popular chocolate pudding cups made their debut in 1968 in small tin cans. Today they are still popular in the lunchboxes of elementary schoolers all across the country. Hunt’s recently had a resurgence thanks to the popular Netflix show “Stranger Things,” which reminded nostalgic adults about their youths, where the most pressing issue on their mind each day was what they were going to find packed in their lunch that day.Ingredients

• ½ cup white sugar
• 3 Tbsp cocoa powder
• ¼ cup cornstarch
• ⅛ tsp salt
• 2 ¾ cups milk
• 2 tbsp butter
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions

1. In a saucepan, stir together sugar, cocoa, cornstarch and salt. Place over medium heat, and stir in milk.
2. Bring to a boil and cook, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon. Remove from heat, and stir in butter and vanilla.
3. Let cool briefly, and serve warm, or chill in refrigerator until serving.

 Jewel Box CookiesNow better known as thumbprint cookies, jewel box cookies were a popular dessert served by hosts at dinner parties. They are bright and colorful, perfect for parties and the holidays. 1968 was the year Smuckers introduced their Goobers line, where peanut butter and jelly are mixed together in the same jar. To commemorate this occasion and celebrate the timeless combination, here are Peanut butter and jelly jewel box cookies. Ingredients

• 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons All Purpose Flour
• 1/3 cup sugar
• ½ cup smooth peanut butter (optional)
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1 large egg yolk, beaten
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup of your favorite jam or jelly

Instructions  

• Combine flour and sugar in large bowl. Cut in butter with two knives until coarse crumbs form. Add egg yolk and vanilla. Mix until dough holds together.

• Shape into small balls using half teaspoonfuls. Place 1-inch apart on baking sheet. Make small indentation in center of each cookie. Chill 20 minutes.

• Heat oven to 350°F. Fill each cookie with scant 1/4 teaspoon preserves or jam. Bake 11 to 13 minutes or until just golden around the edges.

  Campbell’s tomato soup, but better Andy Warhol and his Campbell’s Tomato Soup have become key symbols of the Pop Art Movement. While Campbell’s condensed tomato soup may have cut it back then, we are in the middle of a new revolution: The Food Revolution. A wider variety of food is becoming readily available, inspiring home cooks to expand their food repertoire and build on their daily meals. This gourmet twist on canned tomato soup combines the comfort of the old while connecting with the taste buds of the youth. Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1/4 cup finely chopped onion
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1 (10.75 ounce) can Campbell’s Condensed Tomato Soup

• 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
• 10 leaves basil, chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary
• salt and ground black pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Heat vegetable oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat; cook and stir onion and garlic until onion is tender, about 5 minutes.
2. Stir in tomato soup and bring to a boil. Add Parmesan cheese, basil, and rosemary. Season with salt and black pepper.
3. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 5 to 10 minutes more.