These Iconic Vintage Montana Foods Deserve a Comeback

BUTTE, MT - They say you can’t go back in time, but one bite of the right dish might just get you close.

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For Montanans who grew up during the 1970s and '80s, food wasn’t just sustenance—it was part of a ritual.

It was sitting at the kitchen table with a glass of Tang while your folks watched the evening news. It was scooping out Hamburger Helper while reruns of Hee Haw played in the background. It was discovering what magic your aunt had whipped up in her CorningWare casserole dish and whether it involved mini marshmallows.

These decades were a golden era of comfort food and curious creations. Pre-packaged, freeze-dried, microwaved, and molded into Jell-O—it was all part of the charm. Back then, no one was counting calories or asking where the beef came from. If it came from the freezer aisle at Buttrey’s or Safeway, and it made the kids quiet for five minutes, it was a win.

What Dishes Do Montanans Miss Most From the 70s and 80s?

In Montana, the food culture was a mash-up of frontier practicality and suburban experimentation. There were potlucks at the VFW, Tupperware parties with mystery dips, and TV dinners shaped like silver aircraft trays. Ranchers ate hearty, miners took it greasy, and school lunches? Somehow, they tasted better back then.

Whether you were scarfing down a bowl of Lucky Charms before jumping into a snowbank or sneaking an extra helping of pudding during Sunday dinner at grandma’s, the foods of the '70s and '80s were more than nostalgic—they were Montana’s flavor time capsules.

Let’s dig into the dishes Montanans miss the most.