12 retro Spam recipes & menu ideas from yesteryear that you may be adventurous enough to try - Click Americana (2024)

What can you make with Spam? According to these retro recipes — what can’t you make with Spam?! Check out these easy vintage how-tos here.

Spam ‘n’ macaroni loaf (1940s)

For a harmonious taste blend, arrange alternate layers of Spam slices and macaroni mixture in loaf pan.

Bake in a pan of water at 375 (F) until firm. Serve with broccoli blossoms accented with your favorite sauce. Top billing with any audience!

12 retro Spam recipes & menu ideas from yesteryear that you may be adventurous enough to try - Click Americana (1)

ANOTHER ONE: Macaroni loaf: A classic ’50s molded pasta recipe

Spam ‘n’ eggs (1943)

Top o’ the morning!

Golden honey on piping hot biscuits, fried egg with edges lacy — crisp, hearty slices of broiled spam — the perfect cool-morning breakfast!

A triumph in ration points, too, because Spam is all good to eat — no bones, no waste, no surplus fat!

12 retro Spam recipes & menu ideas from yesteryear that you may be adventurous enough to try - Click Americana (2)

Spam dinner recipe (1943)

Full point value… no waste, no bone, no surplus fat

Broil or fry thick slices of Spam — or stud whole Spam with cloves and bake 20 minutes, basting with sauce: 1/2 tsp vinegar, 1/3 cup brown sugar, 1 tsp prepared mustard, 1 tsp water. Serve with limas (beans) and baked potato.

12 retro Spam recipes & menu ideas from yesteryear that you may be adventurous enough to try - Click Americana (3)

MORE:

Planked Spam (1948)

Score a whole Spam and rub with brown sugar. Surround it on the plank with tomato slices capped with large mushrooms doused in butter.

Bake 25 minutes in hot oven, then ring with mashed potatoes and slip back in the oven for quick browsing. Bring it to the table, plank and all… and be greeted with cheers.

12 retro Spam recipes & menu ideas from yesteryear that you may be adventurous enough to try - Click Americana (4)

Spam cheeseburger (1948)

A slice or two Spam on one half of a buttered bun, cheese on the other. Under the broiler till the Spam is golden brown, the cheese bubbling hot. Dills, olives, mustard or mayonnaise — then bite into a super-snack.

12 retro Spam recipes & menu ideas from yesteryear that you may be adventurous enough to try - Click Americana (5)

Spam ‘n’ scrambled (1950)

Fluffy eggs every time if you follow this method:

Break eggs into bowl; for each egg used, add 1/8 teaspoon salt, 1 tablespoon cream, and a dash of pepper. Beat lightly with a fork. Melt in a skillet enough butter or margarine to coat the bottom. Turn heat low, add eggs.

Let them “set” slightly. Keep turning edges gently toward center of pan; avoid stirring. Remove from burner before quite firm. Brown the Spam slices in another pan. Serve both on a hot plate.

12 retro Spam recipes & menu ideas from yesteryear that you may be adventurous enough to try - Click Americana (6)

MORE: Check out these retro Cheez Whiz recipes from their Idea Book (1974)

Hit for a hot night: Spam summer platter (1950)

Stuffed celery: Mash cream cheese with sweet cream to give butter-like consistency; add grated onion, dash of Worcestershire; fill celery stalks and dust with paprika.

Stuffed tomatoes: Make tomato cups by slicing off top and removing core; fill with shredded cabbage drenched with French dressing or mayonnaise.

With sliced Swiss cheese, bread, and appetizing Spam, dinner’s ready — and so’s the family.

Cold or hot, Spam hits the spot!

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Spam ‘n’ cheese ribbon loaf (1951)

Tender, pure-pork Spam joins with a zesty cream cheese mixture for memorable eating. Serve for supper or lunch — or a noteworthy appetizer.

Cut into 8 slices 1 whole Spam. Mix together 3 ounces cream cheese (softened with a little milk), 1 teaspoon lemon juice, 1 teaspoon grated onion, 1 tablespoon minced parsley, 1/4 teaspoon salt. Spread between slices of Spam.

Chill for 4 hours (or longer; overnight if desired). Slice and serve. Good with deviled eggs or potato salad.

12 retro Spam recipes & menu ideas from yesteryear that you may be adventurous enough to try - Click Americana (8)

Spam-bean bake (1952)

Less then 5 minutes from can opener to oven… and the eating is wonderful! Slices of savory Spam, sizzling and fragrant, top hearty baked beans. Satisfying main dish for an easy summer meal… kind to the budget, too!

Slice into 8 slices 1 whole can of Spam. Combine canned baked beans (contents 2 medium cans or 1 large), 2 tablespoons molasses, 2 tablespoons brown sugar, 1 teaspoon dry mustard. Place in greased casserole, top with Spam slices. Bake in a moderate oven (350 F) for about 25 minutes.

12 retro Spam recipes & menu ideas from yesteryear that you may be adventurous enough to try - Click Americana (9)

Spam ‘n’ Yam fiesta loaf (1955)

… luscious with cling peaches from California.

Summer sunshine for a winter meal! Simply cut a Spam loaf into two crosswise. Between the two layers, spread canned sweet potatoes, mashed and seasoned. Surround with golden cling peaches from California. Top with “fan” of peach slices.

Drizzle on peach juice seasoned with 1/2 teaspoon prepared mustard. Bake in a moderately hot oven (400 F) for 30 to 35 minutes.

12 retro Spam recipes & menu ideas from yesteryear that you may be adventurous enough to try - Click Americana (10)

Dixie Bake (1958)

It’s our light, light Bisquick biscuits along with tender, flavory Spam that make our Dixie Bake so bright, good, and quick for any meal. An inspiration for breakfast, lunch, or even supper! Try it soon and you’ll see.

Ingredients: 12 ounces of Spam, 12 whole cloves, 2 cups Bisquick, 2/3 cup milk, 1/2 cup apricot jam, 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard, 1 tablespoon water.

Instructions: Heat oven to 425 (F) — hot. Slice Spam into 12 squares almost to the bottom. Stud with whole cloves. Place in a 8-inch square baking dish. Add milk all at once to the Bisquick; stir with fork. Beat 15 strokes.

Roll dough around on the cloth-covered board lightly dusted with Bisquick. Knead gently 10 times. Roll 1/2-inch thick. (Makes about 12 2-inch biscuits.)

Surround meat with biscuits. Spread meat and biscuits with a mixture of jam, mustard, and water. Bake for 20 minutes, until biscuits are golden and the meat is cooked through. (Makes 4 servings.)

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Spam “Around the World” dinner casserole (1959)

Exciting one-dish meal especially developed for the Spam “Billion Can Festival”! Try it for a dinner that’s quick, easy, and good:

Cook, drain one 8-ounce package of egg noodles. Spread in broad, shallow 2-quart casserole dish. Top with a 1-pound can of green beans, drained, and 1 can of Spam sliced and cut into 1/2-inch strips.

Pour over all of 1 can of Cream of Mushroom soup, mixed with 1/2 can (3/4 cup) milk and 3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce. Top with crisp cracker crumbs. Bake at 350 (F) for 30 minutes.

12 retro Spam recipes & menu ideas from yesteryear that you may be adventurous enough to try - Click Americana (12)

Wagon-wheel pie (1964)

Bake-Off inspired and ready for your hungry crew! Meat-hearty with Spam, bright with the fresh flavor of Veg-all mixed vegetables.

The tender pastry’s made as they’d expect, with Pillsbury Best flour: instant blending or regular.

12 retro Spam recipes & menu ideas from yesteryear that you may be adventurous enough to try - Click Americana (13)

ALSO TRY: This hot dog crown casserole is one of the most retro-looking dinners ever

12 retro Spam recipes & menu ideas from yesteryear that you may be adventurous enough to try - Click Americana (2024)

FAQs

How do I make Spam more interesting? ›

Season it up with salt and pepper and a dash of hot sauce, break an egg into the middle, and toss it in the oven until the egg is just barely cooked through. It'll be a Spashing success. Equally tasty and slightly more Anglican is the Spammish Rarebit.

What makes Spam taste better? ›

Boil Spam to make it less salty

If Spam is too salty according to your tastes, there is a convenient way to reduce the sodium so you can still partake in the canned meat. First, boil the Spam before you use it in your recipe to reduce the sodium content.

What can you combine Spam with? ›

21 Sexy Ways To Eat Spam
  • Slathered with sriracha mayo and snuggled between two English muffins. ...
  • Seared and tossed into fried rice. ...
  • Or taken to Flavor Town with kimchi and an egg on top. ...
  • Enveloped in a jalapeño quesadilla with tons of melted cheese. ...
  • Served in a nice, clean taco. ...
  • Cut into neat bites of musubi.
Feb 21, 2014

Can I eat Spam raw? ›

You can eat Spam raw since all canned foods are pasteurized during the process. Also, you can eat raw spam straight from the can, but the smell can be quite unpleasant. Spam is a canned meat that is made of minced pork as well as processed in ham.

How bad is Spam for you? ›

Though Spam is convenient, easy to use and has a long shelf-life, it's also very high in fat, calories and sodium and low in important nutrients, such as protein, vitamins and minerals. Additionally, it's highly processed and contains preservatives like sodium nitrite that may cause several adverse health effects.

Why is Spam meat so bad? ›

Spam and chronic disease

Spam has six ingredients: pork, salt, water, potato starch, sugar and sodium nitrate. Studies have shown that processed meat containing nitrates may lead to certain cancers. Nitrates are chemicals put in canned foods to boost their shelf life.

Is bologna basically Spam? ›

Are spam and bologna the same thing? No. Spam is also a blended meat paste packed into a container, but spam usually has fewer ingredients. For example, pork spam typically has cooked pork (which includes both the shoulder and ham), salt, water, potato starch, sugar, and sodium nitrite [*].

What does Spam stand for? ›

The Hormel Foods Corporation once said that it means "Shoulder of Pork and Ham", but in some dictionaries "Spam" means "spiced ham". Members of staff at the SPAM museum say it stands for Specially Produced American Meat.

What is Spam short for? ›

Some say SPAM stands for Specially Processed American Meat, others believe it is a portmanteau for spiced ham, while others say it stands for Shoulder of Pork and Ham. As it relates to email, spam is not an acronym. What does the term spam refer to? Spam refers to unwanted, unsolicited junk emails.

Does Spam expire? ›

In most cases, the best-by dates for cans of Spam are approximately three years after the manufacturing date. After the best-by date, Spam is still safe to eat; however, it may change in appearance, taste, or nutritional value.

Can you freeze Spam? ›

You Can Keep Leftover Spam Fresh For Months By Freezing

If you want to extend the shelf life of your leftover Spam, your best bet is the freezer. While it won't taste as fresh, it should remain good to eat for up to three months; possibly even longer if you keep it consistently frozen.

Is it better to delete unwanted emails or unsubscribe? ›

You should never unsubscribe to something you never subscribed to. You can delete the spam email or mark it as spam (junk). The best thing to do is when you don't recognize the sender (or subject) just delete the email without even opening it.

How to Flavour Spam? ›

Some popular ways to season Spam include using garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper, paprika, and soy sauce. You can also experiment with different herbs and spices such as thyme, oregano, and cayenne pepper to create unique flavor profiles.

Why is Spam so unpopular? ›

Concerns about Spam's nutritional attributes have been raised due to the fact that it contains twice as much of the daily dietary recommendation of fat as it does of protein, and about the health effects of salt and preservatives.

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