Yum! A retro teriyaki appetizer. What more could you want?

1/2 c soy sauce
2 tbsp brown sugar
1 clove garlic
1 tsp cracked ginger root
1 1/2 lb. round steak

Combine soy sauce, sugar, garlic and ginger root. Cut steak into 1/2 inch cubes; add to soy sauce mixture. Let stand overnight. Remove meat; cook quickly in hibachi and serve on toothpicks.

This is a lovely appetizer for your retro party…or a nice snack for a stay at home night in front of the television.

Merry Melba Go Rounds 

2 3-oz packages cream cheese
1 tsp chili  powder
1 tsp grated onion
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 c pitted ripe olives, chopped
Melba toast

Combine all ingredients except toast; chill until needed. Spread on toast; serve. Yield: 30-36 servings.

Mrs. Eugene Cook
Washington Courthouse, O.

Salad Recipes of America, 1964

As you can see by the quantities, this makes quite the cheese roll. However, it is easy to halve and such a yummy retro appetizer. Nini made this often as did my mother for all nature of parties. Serve with crackers, bread, spoon (ok, just kidding about the spoon, but I do like it a lot)

1 lb blue cheese
1 lb Roquefort
1/2 lb Philadelphia Cream Cheese
Tabasco
Worcestershire
Horseradish (lots)
Garlic
Onion juice
Mustard

Heat in double boiler over medium heat until cheese is melted and ingredients are blended. Let harden in ice box. Roll in paprika on waxed paper.

The other half of Friday’s recipe card with the Avocado Cheese Dip, this one uses tuna for an inexpensive tasty dip or even sandwich spread. If using for a sandwich spread, I would reduce the sour cream quite a bit…just enough to stick together and less salad dressing mix or add another hard boiled egg.

1 1/2 cups sour cream
1 envelope Good Seasons Italian Dressing Mix
1 to 2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 can tuna fish, drained and flaked
1 hard cooked egg, chopped

Combine all ingredients, blending well. Serve as a dip with crackers. Makes 1 1/2 cups.

I love the picture caption for this one:

Since ecstatic anticipation is sure to develop as these savory meatballs bubble vigorously, provide each diner with an extra fondue fork. One meatball can cook as another is taken out of the pot.

Do click the picture to see the full effect.

My utter dislike of chili sauce causes me to urge you to use salsa instead. These are nice served with guacamole, sour cream, and a hot salsa for dipping.

Mexi-Meatball Fondue

Combine 3/4 cup soft bread crumbs (about 1 slice), 1/4 chili sauce, 1 beaten egg, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon instant minced onion, 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder. Add 3/4 pound of ground beef and mix thoroughly. Shape mixture into about 30 meatballs.

Pour salad oil into fondue cooker to no more than 1/2 capacity or to depth of 2 inches. Heat over range to 375 degrees. Add 1 teaspoon salt. Transfer cooker to fondue burner. Have meatballs at room temperature in serving bowl. Spear meatball with fondue fork, fry in hot oil for 1 to 2 minutes, or until desired doneness. Transfer hot meatball to dinner fork and dip in desired sauce.

From Fondue and Tabletop Cooking, 1970 

Today’s retro appetizer courtesy of the jar of chutney minus a tablespoon in my fridge. You see, the recipe I used it for didn’t knock anyone’s socks off and it has languished there for some time. This recipe will work for using it up and pleasing the family. Since it is from the Spin Cookery Blender Cookbook from Oster(1967) the grind is all about using your blender. However, it may be easier for you to use a food processor if you have one. This works well on crackers, apples, or sweet breads.

Chutney Cheese Spread

1 8 oz package cream cheese, cubed
3/4 cup chutney
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon curry powder
1/4 teaspoon dry mustard
1/4 teaspoon salt
Flaked coconut

Grind first 6 ingredients 45 seconds, stopping motor to push ingredients to blades, if necessary. Chill. Garnish with flaked coconut. Makes 2 cups

This retro appetizer from the 1959 Better Homes and Gardens Holiday cookbook is a wonderful 50s creation for when a cheese ball just isn’t enough. I must warn you this is one of those creepy looking 50s appetizers with a cream cheese “frosting” on the outside of the ham ball.

Interestingly, deviled ham is one of the tastes of spring for me. My mother often made egg salad with it for Easter lunch or the day after Easter.

Appetizer Ham Ball

2 4 1/2-ounce cans deviled ham
3 tablespoons chopped stuffed green olives
1 tablespoon prepared mustard
Tabasco sauce to taste
1 3-oz package cream cheese, softened
2 teaspoons milk

Blend deviled ham, olives, mustard, and Tabasco. Form in ball on serving dish. Chill.  Combine cream cheese and milk, and frost ball with mixture. Keep chilled; remove from refrigerator 15 minutes before serving time. Trim with parsley. Makes about 1 cup.

Have an excess of hard boiled eggs? Tired of deviled eggs? Just want a retro appetizer that has bacon?

This recipe from Miss Rita Burnley and contributed to Atlanta Cooks for Company should do the trick. The recipe calls for quite a bit of mayo and salt. I would suggest doing what I do and adding it slowly to taste. You may also want to add some nice shredded cheddar (or processed cheese, depending on the retro mood you are in)

Egg and Bacon Spread

16 hard-cooked eggs, minced
12 slices crisp bacon, crumbled
4 teaspoons horseradish
4 teaspoons onion, minced
4 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 cup mayonnaise
4 teaspoons salt

Combine all ingredients and chill until serving time. Serve with a choice of crackers, etc.

You need a retro appetizer…I have got a recipe. Unfortunately all I know is that it was ripped out of a TV Guide who knows how long ago and appears to be a Kraft advertising section. It is very yellowed. This is sort of a hot chicken salad stuffed in cheesy cream puffs.

Appetizer Chicken Puffs

2 cups finely chopped cooked chicken
3/4 cup chopped celery
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 cup (4 ozs) shredded KRAFT Aged Natural Swiss Cheese
1/2 teaspoon KRAFT Pure Prepared Mustard
1/2 teaspoon salt
Dash of pepper
KRAFT Real Mayonnaise
Petite cream puffs

Combine chicken, celery, cheese, mustard, seasonings and enough mayonnaise to moisten; mix lightly. Cut tops from Petite Cream Puffs; fill with chicken mixture. Replace tops. Bake at 350, 15 minutes.

Petite Cream Puffs

1 1/4 cups water
1/4 cup PARKAY margarine
1 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 eggs
1 cup (4 ozs) shredded KRAFT Aged Natural Swiss Cheese

Bring water and margarine to boil. Add flour and salt; stir vigourously over low heat until mixture forms a ball. Remove from heat. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until smooth after each addition. Stir in cheese. Drop rounded teaspoonsfuls of dough onto greased cookie sheet. Bake at 400, 30-35 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from cookie sheet immediately.  Approximately 4 1/2 dozen.

To make ahead: Prepare cream puffs as directed. After cream puffs have cooled, cover loosely and store overnight or freeze in plastic bag until ready to use. When frozen, thaw before filling and baking.

Well…an interesting choice for tuna salad…sort of tuna salad meets pimento cheese. Give it a whirl. Ok, substitute real cheese for the process cheese first.

Tuna Cheese Spread

1/2 lb. process cheese, grated
1 sm. can pimento, chopped
1 can tuna flaked and drained
Juice of 1/2 lemon
Salt to taste
Mayonnaise to taste

Blend all ingredients; spread on sandwiches or serve with assorted crackers or potato chips. Yield 10-12 servings. (I find it is more like 4 servings)