Side to serve with tuna noodle cassarole a la Mad Men?

I am planning on doing a low carb tuna "noodle" cassarole with spagetti squash for our Mad Men party tomorrow. It will probably have mushrooms, fennel, and tarragon... Hors d'oeuvres will be shrimp cocktail...Can anyone suggest a good vegetable or salad side? Something very 60s that I can gussy up a little?

lloreen
  • Posted by: lloreen
  • April 6, 2013
  • 2287 views
  • 13 Comments

13 Comments

lloreen April 7, 2013
Thanks for the great suggestions! Sam, I was planning on a slivered almond and Parmesan topping but i will try your fried onion suggestion too.
 
Pegeen April 7, 2013
Sorry, didn't mean to suggest Ants as a side... just as an appetizer. I think the post above that suggests Creamed Anything has it right. It was common to have two or more creamed dishes at one meal.
 
Pegeen April 7, 2013
Ants On A Log, though it's more of an app than a side. You could "dinner" it up by adding a hotter spice to the cream cheese or swirling in some chutney with spices. Maybe exchanging sliced olives for raisins.
Finishing touch would be TV trays and those compartmentalized foil TV dinner trays as dishes. And maybe hire a snippy 11-year-old to make the drinks, like Sally?
 
Reiney April 7, 2013
Waldorf salad?
 
Sam1148 April 6, 2013
And please put either fried onion, or crushed saltines on top of the casserole...I know you said low carb..but use some a TNCassrole, needs some crunchy topping. You could just make some onion sliced very thin dusted in corn starch and fried to crip. A minor carb--and extra texture.
 
Sam1148 April 6, 2013
Ceasar Salad. Good yeast rolls and soft butter. Appetizer: Classic Shrimp Cocktail in Martini Glasses. Desert: Baked Alaska.
 
em-i-lis April 6, 2013
creamed anything!
 
petitbleu April 6, 2013
Or cucumber cups--little hollowed out sections of cucumber filled with a savory mixture.
 
mensaque April 6, 2013
I luuuuv spaghetti squash...It's so hard to find it in Brazil,I haven't had it for years!But enough about me;I think a three beans salad would be a good match.
 
amysarah April 6, 2013
Classic iceberg wedge salad, layered salads...also, I recall my mother often making 'green beans almondine' for dinner parties in the '60's (basically steamed/parboiled fresh green beans, sauteed in butter/oil with sliced or slivered almonds and s&p) - still fairly popular, but I think it was more of a 'thing' in the '60's.
 
petitbleu April 6, 2013
Dream Boats! Avocado halves surrounded by watercress and cherry tomatoes and dressed with a red wine vinaigrette.
 
savorthis April 6, 2013
My Sunset Menu Cook Book from the mid 60s has several things like:
the Athenian Green Salad (iceberg, butter & romaine lettuces, avocado, tomato, feta, olives, anchovies and a simple red wine vinaigrette)
Apple & Avocado (butter lettuce, watercress, apple, avocado, olive oil, white wine vin., tarragon and walnuts)
Mixed greens, mandarin oranges and dressing of oil, oj, orange peel, white wine vin., garlic, green onion, tarragon, sugar, s&p
Or one where you shred lots of things like cabbage, carrots, lettuce and let your guests mix them with olives, lemons and pickled peppers...
There are also several Scandinavian things involving potatoes and smoked salmon and sour cream.
 
creamtea April 7, 2013
Great cookbook; my mother still has it.
 
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