1970 Betty Crocker’s NEW Dinner for Two Cookbook

Submitted by Carrie July 22nd, 2010
Certifikitsch Winner

I love to cook so have a lot of cookbooks. I either picked this up at a rummage sale or from my mom. This is the 1970 edition of a recent Kitsch of the Day: Betty Crocker’s NEW Dinner for Two Cookbook. Chapters include: All-American Favorites (including Regional and Seasonal favorites), When Company Comes (Little Dinners for Saturday Night, Holiday Dinners, and Outdoor Entertaining plus others), Hurry-Up Dinners, Frankly Thrifty, and So You’re Back To Two.

There are still great graphics (my favorites are the ones illustrating the main ingredients of the recipes on that page). This page features Roast Beef, Hot Rolls, Browned Potatoes, Tomato Vinaigrette (the last three being juggled by the steer, of course!), and Brownies:

Anyone for Duck en Casserole?Perhaps you would prefer Curry, served up by the General Mills version of an Indian Goddess?

I think the Stewed Chicken is my favorite.

Or maybe Chicken Caruso:

Supplementing the great graphics are a number of photos of “tablescapes” – some more appetizing than others. I think there are pork chops under these red blobs…

Shrimp Creole?

I think this is supposed to be Beef / Hamburger Stroganoff (though it looks like something else, much more unpleasant)…

How about a homemade TV Dinner!

Can’t forget the Jellied Chicken…

And of course, the pièce de résistance, the updated recipe for Prune Whip, served with Cheeseburger Broiled Dinner:

3 Responses to “1970 Betty Crocker’s NEW Dinner for Two Cookbook”

  1. Allee Willis

    Thank you as usual for your excellent and thorough documentation!

    I have a feeling I have this cookbook too as the cover looks so familiar. I never realized that it was a later addition to the cookbook I posted the other day. https://www.alleewillis.com/blog/2010/07/15/allee-willis-kitsch-o-the-day-–-betty-crockers-dinner-for-two-cookbook/

    Once again, completely gorgeous illustrations. Only outdone by the color process on the food picture pages. The homemade TV dinner is killing me, both from an art direction place – excellent grouping of textures between the TV trays, wallpaper and the two tone TV – and from the food on that plate. I’m hoping that that’s a cup of tomato soup in that insulated plastic cup and not tomato juice. The combo of greens is stunning,only outdone by the perfectly placed pearl onions. I also love that the hot fudge sundaes are out already despite the fact that no one has sat down to eat yet.

    I’m not breathing from the Jellied Chicken.

    Hallelujah for that updated recipe for Prune Whip! And even better then my 1950 version which wasn’t coupled with anything nearly as elegant as Cheeseburger Broiled Dinner.

    • Carrie

      I know, isn’t the Jellied Chicken perfect?!

      The liquid in the plastic cup is “Tomato Bouillon – Combine equal parts tomato juice and bouillon (dilute canned bouillon or use cubes with boiling water). Serve hot.”