Tacky Supper Club Dish ideas needed

[christinew]

Hello and help!

We have a wacky group we do supper club with in our neighborhood and this Sat's theme is "Tacky". Well I volunteered for the starch/potatoe side dish..... So any ideas?? I hear our host is doing a meatloaf in the shape of an armadillo and another supper clubber is doing a jello mold!!

So think potatoes for me..maybe a 1970's classic dish that we've all forgotten about.

Oh...and any ideas for what to wear is needed also. My DH will wear a small shirt, work shorts and black socks with white tennies. So he is all set. I suppose I could wear shorts with opaque hose??


TIA,

C

[ErinM]

I personally don't think there can be anything more tacky than....potatoes made from a box!!!

Those are one of the very few things in life I will REFUSE to eat!! Real poatoes, cooked and mashed with milk and some butter :eek: all the way!!

As for your dress...I'm not sure...maybe a housecoat???

[christinew]

I love your idea...but we are actually going to eat them......maybe I can pass out a recipe for them....from the box and we can pretend I made them from the box!!!

Housecoat??? Where can I get one of those..maybe I can chew gum loudly too....roll up my hose around my ankles.

keep the ideas coming....and I LOVE the box potatoe idea.

C

[gobluem82]

Be sure to top those box potatoes with a big ol' hunk of Velveeta!! Maybe you could add some Spam...

[sneezles]

Not sure if you'll find the right recipe here but this is good for laughs! http://www.lileks.com/institute/gallery/index.html

[Mareli]

How about Kraft Macaroni and Cheese?

[fci5767]

Originally posted by sneezles
Not sure if you'll find the right recipe here but this is good for laughs! http://www.lileks.com/institute/gallery/index.html

That site would make a great presentation for after dinner if the host had a computer.

Beth

[Molli526]

Christine,

Definitely wear some open-toed shoes(white preferably), with your reinforced toes sticking right out! Maybe even cut the tops of the nylons so you can have a nice roll of nylons below your knees!

[Terrytx]

How about the potatoes swimming about in gravy made from the ever famous Cream of Mushroom soup. I like the housecoat with the stockings rolled down to the ankle. Maybe even your hair in rollers.

[syzygy]

If you can't find a housecoat, how about a muu-muu?

http://www.hilohattie.com/images/4601.0050.jpg

Wouldn't that look just lovely with rolled down hose and open toed shoes........:D :p :D

[valchemist]

I was going to suggest a muu muu, too. But I didn't know how to spell it.

[Goldie]

This site has some truly tacky Weight Watchers recipes from the 70's - maybe one of those would work? If not, I'm sure you'll get a few laughs in the meantime.

(Actually I think someone on this board originally posted this website, so maybe y'all have seen it already)

http://www.candyboots.com/wwcards.html

[Melman]

My first thought was INSTANT MASHED POTATOES. I laughed when I saw ErinM had the exact same idea. Those things were SO nasty back in the 70's!! I've heard rumors they've improved over the years, but I refuse to try them. The idea of putting some good ole Velveeta on them is good...but that could be a little uppity. :D :D :D Is this "fine dining tacky" or "just plain tacky"? :D :D

I like the housecoat with the curlers in your hair idea. If you don't go with the sandals suggestion with reinforced toe stocking, you could always just wear scruffy bedroom shoes. Be sure to buy them now so you can get them good and dirty between now and your get-together.

[twinmommy]

This thread brings back memories!! Years ago one of my dear friends hosted a 'tacky party.' She served baked beans in the can, KFC from the carton, and I can't remember what else. I do remember the fingernail clippings on the bathroom sink, panty hose hanging from her shower, and numerous other 'tacky' touches!! People brought their Tupperware and Amway products to sell at the party, another man went around asking everyone how much money they made...it was a riot!!

Have a blast with this theme! Maybe you could make au gratin potatoes (from scratch) and then bring a big box of the instant ones for show? Or you could serve potato salad in a grocery store deli container.

I can't wait to hear about it!!

[granolagirl]

How about tater tots? My hubby *loves* tater tot hot dish. (Not one of my favorites to put it mildly. I've even renamed it. ;) )

I know this isn't really a side dish, but maybe you could take out the meat and leave the tater tots swimming in cream of mushroom soup and cheese!

Tater Tot Hot Dish

1 lb. ground beef
1 small onion
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1/2 can of milk (use the soup can)
1/2 bag of tater tots
salt and pepper to taste
Cheese, optional

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Brown ground beef in pan, add onion. Drain ground beef and throw in to a casserole dish. Mix soup and milk and then top the ground beef with the soup mixture. Layer with tater tots and then top with cheese. Bake for 35-45 minutes

[dixie]

I thought immediately of tater tots too! How about hash brown casserole...not as tacky, but more edible! And maybe you could tacky it up by putting crushed cornflakes as a topping in some design...

[christinew]

I love this idea! You guys are great.....I will look smashing in a mumu!!!!!

C

[LauraBL]

I'm thumbing through the "White Trash Cooking" cookbook and amazingly not coming up with potato dishes that involve velveeta. Plenty of recipes for "cooter" and yardbird though.

I love the tater tot-cheese casserole idea!

[christinew]

I love the tater tot casserole idea however it has to be somewhat edible....so how do I make it not too soupie? Maybe I should bake them first....so that they are crisp and then roll them in a sour cream and sheddar cheese covering and bake with peas on top?????

[christinew]

OH MY G*D...there is actually a "white trash cookbook" Laura??? HAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHA.

[christinew]

Hey you guys! Can I make this without the ground beef lining the bottom?



1 lb. ground beef
Onion flakes (optional)
1 16-oz. can green beans or peas
1 can cream of mushroom soup
Tater Tots
Grated cheese (optional)

Brown ground beef. Put in bottom of a casserole dish.

Sprinkle with onion flakes.

Cover with green beans and peas.

Spread cream of mushroom soup on top.

Cover with Tater Tots.

Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes.

Sprinkle with gated cheese and bake for 5 minutes.
Serves how many: 4

Takes how long to make: 45 minutes

Kid-friendliness rating: 10

(1 to 10, where 1= Won't eat it until after college and 10= They beg you to make it every night)

Difficulty rating: 1

(1 to 10, where 1= Practically boiling water and 10= Takes years and Julia Child's help to perfect)

Comments:

I think it's really good and I am only 11. If you knew my parents, you could ask them and they would say I beg for it every night. It is also REALLY easy.

[Wendy w]

http://community.cookinglight.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=36055&highlight=white+trash

Great thread. Here's an older thread that explores white trash cuisine. I do have a couple of retro cookbooks at home that have some strange recipes in that I can look through tonight.

[MiMo]

Let me look through some of my old Taste of Home issues. Surely, there are numerous tacky potato casseroles and ideas just waiting for me to post for you. I can't believe what some people feed their families and consider to be "good" or "homemade".

Have you seen those yucky new Velveeta scalloped potatoes in the store? What's tackier than boxed scalloped potatoes and liquid Velveeta in a pouch? YUK!

(I think twinmommy had some really good ideas).

Remember "Mama's Family"? You should dress in a muu muu, roll down some knee-highs, wear some comfy shoes, carry a tacky bag, and wear some big fake pearls. Lovely!

[valchemist]

When I think muu muus or kaftans, I think of Mrs. Roper from Three is Company.

[MiMo]

Originally posted by valchemist
When I think muu muus or kaftans, I think of Mrs. Roper from Three is Company.

LOL. I forgot about her. So true. :D

[claire797]

Try www.recipezaar.com

There are a bunch of variations on the tater tot theme over there.

[Ralph]

Nothing to add recipe- or attire-wise, but just wanted to let you know that this thread is hysterical!

[christinew]

I forgot to mention that the hostess for this supper club will be awarding the tackiest with a gift! (A tacky gift I am sure) I hope to win it!!! Please tell me all the way I can be tacky...I may wear daisy duke shorts...opaque hose and open toed shoes...with my bra straps hanging out of my tank top???? OH>..and big dangling tropical bird earrings...

Keep the ideas coming!! I am definately doing a tater tot dish...maybe I can slap a piece of spam on the top for decoration.

tackily yours,

C

[casana]

I'm thinking that you could make regular mashed potatoes, but decorate them in a tacky kind of way... for example, put some green food dye on them and surrount the plate with tortilla chips and call it "guacamole and chips mashed potatoes"... or make baked potatoes but put some of those cocktail umbrellas on them and call them "hawaiian potatoes"... you get the idea.

I'd definitely run the other way if I saw you walking in a muu muu while carrying one of these dishes!! LOL!

[LaraW]

For a hostess gift you could bring a bottle of Boone's Farm wine that you've opened and drunk some of. Wrap it up in a paper bag.

[little_bopeep]

Originally posted by gobluem82
Be sure to top those box potatoes with a big ol' hunk of Velveeta!! Maybe you could add some Spam...

Hey, now...that's how I make potatoes (without the Spam). My family calls it cement and they love it. :D

Oh, and I think that if you decide not to go with curlers in your hair ( a great idea), maybe you could do the Peg Bundy look. BIG hair and skin-tight capri pants. :rolleyes:

[seannasad2k]

What about wearing lots of gold/silver colored clothing. And of course big earings. I'm thinking along the lines of Fran Drescher in "The Nanny", but more so her mother and grandmother on the show.

As for food...what about kebob types. Ever seen Mermaids? The mother won't cook anything but finger food. She serves the kids an entire meal that consists of different kebobs. Sorry, no ideas on potato kebob combinations.

[christinew]

I love the umbrella idea...maybe I can do the tater tot dish...and stick a miniature pink flamingo in the middle! OH...and the boone's farm wine is perfect!!!

[mrswaz]

I think I am going to have to steal this idea and throw my own party...of course, then you make the Tater Tot casserole as a tacky dish, and someone at your party can't figure out why that's tacky- they just had it for dinner last week.

As far as clothing-- I say you put on a pair of stonewashed jeans, do a neat french roll cuff and pair it with some black nylons and some bright red high heels.

Maybe you could make some mashed potatoes and do a mold out of them- maybe a fish shaped one, and of course garnish with lots of curly leafed parsley.

[Beth]

The mumu, rolled nylons and open-toed shoes idea is a hoot -- needs the curlers, or at least one roller left in front (even if you don't have bangs) or a hair clip on the side.

What about mashed potatoes served in a casserole dish, a puddle hollowed out in the middle to hold blue cheese sauce (dyed blue -- with real blue cheese or a white cheddar, gouda or whatever) and the pink flamingo? A plastic lei placed around the dish on the table?

There's got to be something you could do with baked potatoes too. Wrap them in colored foil and serve with molded butter -- maybe using a candy mold with a baby shower theme or something? Storks, flamingoes -- are these ideas for the birds?

Sounds like a lot of fun though. :D

[scudgal]

Hi - had to come out of lurkdom to share with you this recipe I found when googling 1950's recipes. The url is: http://www.batemania.com/recipes/ and I've copied the recipe below.

Your party sounds like a hoot - and if you can stand to eat this - you might consider making it! I bet you'd win the prize - especially if you did like the old Kraft commercials and somehow worked miniature marshmallows into the recipe!

Here you go - from "Recipes of the Damned (recipe is below brief introduction):

Fruit Cocktail-SPAM Buffet Party Loaf

From SPAM: A Biography, Carolyn Wyman, Harvest/Harcourt Brace, 1999.

What foodstuff is more quintessentially "damned" than Spam? And what better way to learn about America's love-hate relationship with the uniform pink cubes of soft meat than by reading Carolyn Wyman's book SPAM: A Biography, a painstakingly researched, thorough treatment of the stuff? Thanks to Wyman's diligence you will learn the origins of Spam (effectively, an attempt to capture and sustain a large share of the canned-ham market), recipes for Spam from sources including the Hormel kitchens and state fairs across the country, the importance of Spam to servicemen and housewives during the century, and the many ways Spam has been marketed, memorialized, and made fun of.

While the recipes included in the book were all pretty alarming---after all, they have Spam in them, don't they?---this one stood out to me. Not only does it have the soft mystery meat, it combines it with fruit cocktail, gelatin, and Miracle Whip, all substances of dubious value in their own right. Wyman says of this concoction: "This paragon of eating excess---which combines Spam with such other equally important Œ50s food staples as fruit cocktail, gelatin, and Miracle Whip---comes from a 1954 Del Monte ad." So at least it's not the Hormel folks who are directly to blame, except for making it possible. Though you have to figure the people who made canned fruit cocktail would have found something similar to use.

So enjoy! As for me, well, could I have something without quite so much Spam in it?

Fruit Cocktail-SPAM Buffet Party Loaf

1 (15-ounce) can Del Monte fruit cocktail, drained (reserve syrup)
2 tablespoons unflavored gelatin
2 tablespoons vinegar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
2 (12-ounce) cans Spam luncheon meat, very finely chopped
1/2 cup celery, very finely chopped
1/4 cup green olives, very finely chopped
1/2 cup Miracle Whip
1 teaspoon prepared mustard
1/2 teaspoon salt
5 lemons
Paprika
Additional Miracle Whip

Arrange drained fruit cocktail in 9-by-5-by-3 inch loaf pan. In top of double boiler, mix reserved syrup with gelatin, vinegar, cinnamon, and cloves. Place over hot water and stir until gelatin dissolves. Carefully pour 1/2 cup of gelatin mixture over fruit cocktail. Place in pan in refrigerator and chill until gelatin has thickened but is not set.

Mix Spam with celery and olives. Mix Miracle Whip with mustard, salt, and remaining gelatin mixture. Add Spam mixture to Miracle Whip mixture and blend well. Spread over fruit cocktail. Chill until firm, at least 4 hours.

For garnish, make lemon cups by halving lemons, slicing off ends (so lemons will stand up), and scooping out pulp. Dip cut edges of lemons in paprika. Fill cups with Miracle Whip and sprinkle lightly with additional paprika.

To serve, unmold loaf onto large platter and surround with lemon cups. Makes 8 to 10 servings.

From SPAM: A Biography, Carolyn Wyman, Harvest/Harcourt Brace, 1999.
********************************************
Is this gross or what?!:D

[christinew]

HA! That is so sick I love it!! EWWWWWW. I might lose some friends over this one!

C

[scudgal]

Hi again. Posting again because I just found this on the same website - with an entire archive of tacky 50's type recipes - check it out if you need more inspiration!

http://www.batemania.com/recipes/archive.html

[leannebw]

Whatever you decide to wear, I would complete the outfit with a set of Lee Press-on Nails. Leave one nail off, and place it prominently on top of whatever dish you bring. :eek: :D

[MiMo]

How about Cheez Whiz dipping sauce for the tater tots or mix the tater tots with Cheez Whiz in a casserole dish and bake. Ewww...the thought is making my stomach churn.

On behalf of your "current" friends, I beg you not to make the party loaf that scudgal posted. :eek:

[RebeccaT]

Originally posted by mrswaz

As far as clothing-- I say you put on a pair of stonewashed jeans, do a neat french roll cuff and pair it with some black nylons and some bright red high heels.


Some of our friends threw a white trash supper club, and this was almost EXACTLY my outfit! I went to Goodwill, got some tight, bleached Levi's, and tight-rolled the cuffs with some hot-pink high heels. I paired this with a sparkly t-shirt that had "Angel" air-brushed onto the front, wore bright blue eyeshadow, teased my bangs into a "claw" and wore my hair pulled back in a banana-clip.

As DH said at the time, "Darlin', you look GOOO-OOOD!" :D

One of the other attendees was pregnant at the time, and came wearing a muu muu and pink curlers as "barefoot and pregnant."

I have to say, I really like the idea of doing Peg Bundy, though. :D

I had another idea for food - you could make a potato salad, but then decorate it with a ring of little pimento-stuffed olives around the edges.

I love these threads! :)

[cherylopal]

Originally posted by Beth
The mumu, rolled nylons and open-toed shoes idea is a hoot -- needs the curlers, or at least one roller left in front
:D

it's got to be one of those pink foamy kind and please more than one!!

:D :D :D

cheryl

[twinmommy]

OMG I am laughing so hard at this thread!! I'm thinking lots of blue eyeliner, bright reddish/orange lipstick and black mascara would complete your look!! I really like the mashed potatoes in a fish mold concept...and believe it or not, I have a friend that regularly makes tator tot casserole (complete with the ground beef) for her family. Her kids love it, but it is the greasiest, most disgusting looking thing I've ever seen...

[twinmommy]

OMG I am laughing so hard at this thread!! I'm thinking lots of blue eyeliner, bright reddish/orange lipstick and black mascara would complete your look!! I really like the mashed potatoes in a fish mold concept...and believe it or not, I have a friend that regularly makes tator tot casserole (complete with the ground beef) for her family. Her kids love it, but it is the greasiest, most disgusting looking thing I've ever seen. (Of course, I've never encountered that fruited spam mold thing...)

[Ohioan]

How about the plain old "serving suggestion" right off the Spam can: a blob of Spam on a bare white plate, with a tiny parsley sprig on top? Or, if you want to get fancy, parsley sprigs all around the bottom?

Oops, editing to say I forgot you were supposed to be doing potatoes. (Guess I got distracted by the image of beautiful you-in-muumuu!)

So how about tater tots, each one skewered on a toothpick with a maraschino cherry?

Cheers,
Phoebe

[lisas3575]

Originally posted by Ohioan
So how about tater tots, each one skewered on a toothpick with a maraschino cherry?

Cheers,
Phoebe

OMG, I LOL'd at that visual. :D :D :D :D :D Thanks, Phoebe!

[Wendy w]

Food for thought (yes, literally): Are you actually going to eat this food or will you have something to eat before you go?:p

[RobinC]

How about this one...

Fried Mashed Potatoes
courtesy of Danette, by way of Liz

I used to live with two girls in Cambridge - Liz and Val. About a year after I moved in, Val went vegan and became increasingly critical of the food Liz and I cooked, even though we rarely, if ever, cooked meat, and refused to take part in our Easter festivities. She especially made fun of Liz's penchant for frying leftover mashed potaters and thought it was "very white trash". Well, maybe so, but it's good! Serve with Fried Ham for maximum white trash breakfast pleasure.

Ingredients:

Leftover mashed potaters
butter
Directions:

Melt butter in nonstick skillet. Form the mashed potaters into small patties (about 3" in diameter and 3/4" thick). Fry until golden brown on both sides and heated through. Enjoy!

[DmOrtega]

Don't forget to take plastic flowers and maybe some plastic to put on the sofa.

[lhall]

Or even a plastic sofa! :D

One of my aunts and her first husband had a blow up plastic couch. We used to make him blow up the couch every time we came to visit.

Have fun!

Leigh

[twinmommy]

Maybe you could also bring easy cheeze (the kind that squirts) and ritz crackers for an appetizer. :D

[Beth]

I think the fish mold mashed potatoes would be a hoot -- but a molded meatloaf is already on the menu. Is that too many animals on the table -- or is that just tacky-fine? Squirt cheese works too.

[syzygy]

I was reading the thread about "white trash food" and it reminded me about this one. Maybe I missed it, but, christine, did you ever post what dish you finally decided to make and bring, and how you and your DH dressed? Would love to read all about the party and what dishes and outfits showed up.

[Mander]

I, too, want all the gory details of this party! BTW, the PERFECT garnish for every and any dish, from pigs in blankets to your favorite Jello mold, is to simply open a can of delicious fried chow mein noodles. YUM!