The American dinner landscape has changed drastically over the past few decades. In fact, as early as 2015, HuffPost reported that the traditional dining room might be “going extinct.”
Some builders are skipping dining rooms altogether, opting for a single “flexible” space where families can cook, watch their screens, do their homework, and manage household tasks—together all in one place.
Retro Dining Room and Modern Kitchen
Television Changed the Way We Eat (and What We Eat)
Television transformed dinner time for many families, as meals shifted from the dining room table to TV trays in the living room, all while favorite shows played in the background. For some, it meant eating with the siblings in front of the set while Mom and Dad enjoyed a well-deserved night out at the local bowling alley.
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Or, consider the monumental shift as women entered the workforce in droves. The more traditional, time-consuming meals gave way to more convenient options that could be made in less time and with less effort while still spending quality time with the family at the table.
Forgotten American Dinners
As eating habits evolved, so did the foods we loved to make. Casseroles were once all the rage, but they’re not as common anymore. Some dinners were so similar you could hardly tell them apart—like chicken à la king and chicken tetrazzini.
So, grab a fork and join us for a nostalgic look at the American dinner menu of the past as we explore meals that seem to have faded away.
LOOK: Popular Dinners Americans Don’t Make as Often Anymore
From classic casseroles to heaping helpings of beige-on-beige, these beloved American dinner dishes have fallen out of the mealtime rotation.
Gallery Credit: Stephen Lenz
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