Remember when Thanksgiving wasn’t complete without Grandma’s cranberry mold or her buttery scratch-made cornbread dressing? 🍂
In this nostalgic journey through the 1950s–1970s kitchen, we’re revisiting 25 forgotten Thanksgiving side dishes that once filled family tables with warmth, laughter, and the smell of love baking in the oven.
From Betty Crocker classics to handwritten recipes tucked inside flour-dusted cookbooks, these sides tell the story of what Thanksgiving used to feel like — comforting, simple, and made from scratch.
✳️ Featuring: Cornbread Dressing with Giblet Gravy, Cranberry Mold, Sweet Potato Soufflé, Green Bean Casserole, Spoonbread, Broccoli Rice Casserole, and more vintage favorites!
💬 Tell us below: Which of these dishes did YOUR grandma make every year?
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📺 Thank you for watching! This video was written, voiced, and produced with care by Nostalgia Calling. Every episode is crafted to bring back the flavors, stories, and comforts of the past—one nostalgic bite at a time.
✨ WATCH NEXT:
25 Forgotten Cookie Recipes From Betty Crocker’s Vintage Cooky Book → https://youtu.be/60fHdauzlaI
25 Forgotten Side Dishes Your Southern Mama Made (That Deserve a Comeback) → https://youtu.be/Jq4AJ0E20b4
30 Sunday Dishes No One Makes Anymore →
👋 About Nostalgia Calling:
Nostalgia Calling is a warm and heartfelt celebration of vintage food, Southern traditions, and 20th-century life. All videos are original creations, thoughtfully scripted, voiced, and edited with care.
Each video takes 3 to 4 days to produce—from writing and narration to visuals and editing—because I believe stories from the past deserve to be told with love and attention. I use a mix of modern tools and old-fashioned storytelling to bring these memories to life.
🎨 Everything you see—from the voiceover to the visuals—is handcrafted to honor the past and spark sweet memories.
🔔 Subscribe for more nostalgic recipes and retro food history: https://www.youtube.com/@NostalgiaCalling
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⚠️ Content & Copyright Notes:
This video may include historical imagery, vintage cookbook references, and educational commentary in accordance with YouTube’s Fair Use guidelines. All media is used with transformative intent for commentary, storytelling, and historical preservation.
My mom always used the giblets in her gravy too, and always made homemade cornbread for the dressing or stuffing depending on what part of the country your from. Happy Thanksgiving everyone. May we all count our blessings and thank the good Lord for them all.
Oh I love spoon bread but haven’t had it in years.
We never had cornbread dressing It was always bread dressing. We had cranberry relish though.
i still make giblet gravy, and oyster dressing! harder and harder to find good oysters….especially in colorado! and i always cook my own cranberries
I’m old enough to remember these sides and many I still make!
I still use the giblets in my turkey in my stuffing.
What did they do to cheese whiz? Add more water to it?
I'm 70. I have never had any of these dishes at Thanksgiving,
Ambrosia salad delights.
My family insists that I make sweet potato casserole topped with marshmallows every holiday. If I'm feeling lazy, I use canned sweet potatoes, no eggs though. Some Southerners can tell the difference between fresh and canned! The grandkids don't care!