Picture this: a family station wagon loaded to the brim, kids crammed in the back seat with no seatbelts, and a cooler packed with meals that had to survive hours on the highway without melting or spoiling. Road tripping in the ’60s and ’70s was popular and affordable, and for middle-class families, the food you brought along was just as important as the destination itself. There was something magical about those roadside picnics and motel parking lot dinners. Most families packed sandwiches to eat on the road, either right in the car or at a roadside picnic site, since fast food chains were still few and far between.
These weren’t gourmet creations from celebrity chefs. They were practical, filling, and designed to travel well in metal lunch boxes and hard-sided coolers packed with ice. Let’s take a trip down memory lane and explore the dishes that defined American family travel during one of the most adventurous decades of the twentieth century.
Deviled Eggs
Of all the iconic picnic foods of the 1960s, deviled eggs are probably the most recognizable – but you’d have to be attending a pretty throwback event to find them in this day and age. These stuffed egg halves filled with a mixture of mashed yolks, mayonnaise, and mustard were the ultimate portable protein. When looking back at 1950s and 1960s recipes, mayonnaise was everywhere, and it was a party food. The beauty of deviled eggs lay in their simplicity and the fact that they could be prepared the night before a trip. Families would carefully pack them in egg cartons or special carrying containers, making sure they stayed cold in the cooler.
Fried Chicken
Nothing says vintage road trip quite like cold fried chicken wrapped in wax paper or aluminum foil. Cook 5 lbs of Shake ‘n Bake chicken the night before. Refrigerate the rest till it’s time to go. This wasn’t leftover dinner chicken, mind you. This isn’t merely refrigerated leftovers but a deliberate culinary technique requiring planning. Southern cooks knew the secret: chicken fried the previous day in well-seasoned flour develops magical properties overnight. The crispy coating stayed intact during travel, and the chicken tasted just as good cold as it did hot. Honestly, some folks swear it tasted even better after sitting overnight in the fridge.
Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwiches
The undisputed champion of travel food. My family leaned heavily on peanut butter and jelly. It traveled well, and no one argued about whether it was still “good” after six hours in the car. These sandwiches were foolproof because they required no refrigeration, wouldn’t get soggy if wrapped properly, and appealed to nearly every kid. Some families got fancy with ham and cheese, but there was always the risk of mayo going bad in the heat. PB&J was the safe bet, and parents could make dozens of them in minutes before hitting the road.
Potato Salad
No investigation of ’60s picnic culture can ignore potato salad – the starchy canvas that united diverse American regions through shared love of mayo-based sides. This cornerstone dish carried family legacies and regional identities in each variation. Every family had their own secret recipe, whether it included hard-boiled eggs, celery, onions, or a ceremonial dusting of paprika. Specific protocols governed classic preparation: waxy potatoes boiled to fork-tenderness, cooled before incorporating mayonnaise, hard-boiled eggs, celery, and onions. All formulations received the ceremonial dusting of paprika, an early form of food styling, before such concepts existed. This dish was packed in Tupperware containers that families carefully burped to create an airtight seal.
Ham Sandwiches
Before Subway franchises dotted every highway exit, families made their own sandwiches at home. Ham sandwiches were a step up from PB&J, offering a more substantial meal for hungry travelers. Long before celebrity chefs “discovered” contrasting flavor profiles, middle-class mothers mastered the tropical-meets-savory ham and pineapple sandwich. These sandwiches were usually wrapped tightly in wax paper or aluminum foil and kept cold in coolers. The key was not adding too much mayo or mustard, which could make the bread soggy by lunchtime. Smart moms packed the condiments separately in small containers.
Homemade Cookies and Brownies
A box of cookies (a non-melty kind) and assorted fruit: grapes, apples, and bananas were dessert staples for traveling families. Homemade chocolate chip cookies, oatmeal cookies, or brownies wrapped in foil provided a sweet treat without the mess of a pie or cake. These baked goods were sturdy enough to survive being jostled around in the car and didn’t require refrigeration. Plus, they gave kids something to look forward to after eating their sandwiches, making them excellent bargaining chips for good behavior during long stretches of highway.
Cheese and Crackers with Deviled Ham
This canned meat spread was first introduced to the mass market in 1868, and during the 20th century, it was advertised relentlessly, no doubt contributing to its popularity. As a picnic staple in the 1960s, it was common enough to find it spread on sandwiches or crackers on its own. The Underwood deviled ham came in those distinctive little cans with the red devil logo, and it was everywhere during the 1960s. Paired with saltine crackers or Ritz crackers and some sliced cheese, this made for an easy appetizer or snack. Kids could assemble their own crackers, giving parents a few minutes of peace during rest stops.
Hard-Boiled Eggs
Beyond their deviled cousins, plain hard-boiled eggs were travel essentials. They were cheap, packed with protein, and incredibly portable. Deviled eggs have been a popular dish in the United States as far back as the 1920s. In 1923, Wanda Barton suggested in her newspaper column, “Home-Making Helps”, to save egg cartons because “they are fine for carrying boiled or deviled eggs.” Families would pack them in the original egg cartons, making them easy to transport and store. A sprinkle of salt and pepper was all they needed, though some folks brought along small salt shakers in their lunch boxes. They were filling enough to tide over hungry kids until the next proper meal stop.
Tuna Sandwiches
Equal parts alchemy and convenience: egg noodles, canned tuna, cream of mushroom soup, frozen peas, and a crunchy crown of potato chips or fried onions might have been a casserole at home, but on the road, tuna found its way into sandwiches. Canned tuna mixed with mayonnaise, sometimes with a bit of pickle relish or chopped celery, created a protein-rich sandwich filling. The challenge was packing them carefully so they wouldn’t get crushed or warm. Smart families packed the tuna salad in a separate container and assembled sandwiches fresh at picnic stops, avoiding the dreaded soggy bread situation.
<p>The post 9 Vintage Travel Dishes Middle-Class Families Packed in the 1960s first appeared on Travelbinger.</p>