I Love Lucy is a classic 1950s American sitcom about Lucy Ricardo, a New York City housewife who dreams of being a famous performer, and Ricky, her Cuban musician husband. Fans of the show should check out these recipes inspired by Lucy’s quirky antics.
The iconic program starred Lucille Ball and her real-life husband Desi Arnaz. Over a span of six seasons, Lucy captured TV viewers’ hearts with her charm, quick wit and seemingly never-ending energy. Not surprisingly, some of the best scenes from the show involve food and drink!
1. Quirky Cravings
Season 2, Episode 13: “Lucy Hires an English Tutor” and Episode 14: “Ricky Has Labor Pains”
While pregnant with Little Ricky, Lucy indulges in some unorthodox food combinations. For instance, Lucy dunks a dill pickle into a papaya milkshake that Ricky brought home for her. She also smothers pistachio ice cream with hot fudge and… sardines. Yum?
Watch the scene.
Find out what happened when one of our writers tried to cook like a 1950s TV mom.
2. “Vitameatavegamin!”
Season 1, Episode 30: “Lucy Does a TV Commercial”
When Ricky is presented with an opportunity to host a TV show, Lucy wishes nothing more than to be the spokeswoman for one of the sponsors, a health tonic called Vitameatavegamin. During commercial filming, Lucy and the director are unaware that the tonic contains high alcohol content. After several takes, Lucy continuously mispronounces “Vitameatavegamin” through slurred speech.
Watch the scene.
3. Grape Stomping
Season 5, Episode 23: “Lucy’s Italian Movie”
When in Rome, Lucy lands the part of an American tourist in an upcoming Italian movie called Bitter Grapes. Mistakenly thinking the movie would be about winemaking due to its title, she decides to prepare for her role by practicing the old-fashioned method of grape stomping. At a vineyard in a nearby town, she ends up getting into a fight with fellow grape stomper.
Watch the scene.
4. Pizza Dough Fail
Season 6, Episode 5: “Visitor from Italy”
Lucy and Ricky’s friend Mario pays them a surprise visit from Italy. He gets a job at a pizza parlor, but he’s unable to work since his visa prohibits him from making money in the U.S. Lucy must take over his shift and, well, things get messy…
Watch the scene.
5. Fast Chocolate
Season 2, Episode 1: “Job Switching”
In an effort to prove to their husbands that being a housewife is just as challenging as any job, Lucy and her landlady/BFF Ethel land jobs at a candy factory while their husbands tackle housework. On their first day, they are assigned the task of wrapping individual chocolates. Things are going well until the conveyor belt begins to move too quickly for them to keep up, resulting in sweet hilarity.
Watch the scene.
Find Recipes Inspired by Vintage TV Shows
Edith Bunker cooked comforting dinners like swiss steak for husband Archie Bunker on the television show, All in the Family.
Get Recipe for Oven Swiss Steak
Cuban husband Ricky Ricardo requested Latin cuisine like arroz con pollo, even if Lucy didn't know what it was. We think he'd like this Cuban rice and beef dinner, too.
Get Recipe for Easy Cuban Picadillo
Caroline Ingalls whipped up hearty food for her family all day long. Farm life requires a filling breakfast, like biscuits and gravy, an energizing lunch and a home-cooked dinner.
Get Recipe for Homemade Biscuits & Maple Sausage Gravy
June Cleaver was a quintessential housewife of the 1950s, cooking a homemade dinner for her family every day. We think Beaver would love to come home to this Salisbury steak.
Get Recipe for Salisbury Steak Deluxe
Where would Andy Taylor and Opie be without Aunt Bee? Probably starving! We'd love some of her Mayberry-famous pancakes, biscuits and potato casserole right now.
Get Recipe for Apples 'n' Cream Pancake
Stop by Arnold's Drive-In for a milk shake or other typical diner fare and chat with Richie Cunningham, Potsie and the Fonz.
Get Recipe for Strawberry-Peach Milk Shakes
We wouldn't mind being stranded on a tropical island with Gilligan and The Skipper if it meant we could dine on this refreshing, colorful fruit salad.
Get Recipe for Refreshing Tropical Fruit Salad
Private Igor, resident cook at the Mobile Army Surgical Hospital, wasn't known for dishing out exceptional food. He had to make due with what he was given. This spam hash is like something he'd serve, but it actually tastes good!
Get Recipe for Poor Man's Hash
Alice Nelson, the Brady's housekeeper, cooked all kinds of delicious meals for the family, like pork chops. Who could forget Peter's Humphrey Bogart impression of "pork chops and applesauce"?
Get Recipe for Applesauce-Glazed Pork Chops
After saving Timmy from the well, Lassie deserves a treat. These drool-worthy dog biscuits are peanut butter-flavored...yum!
Get Recipe for Dog Biscuits
Granny was always cooking up something...um...interesting in the Clampett's California home. Our zesty catfish might be a tad more appealing than her catfish and apricot gumbo soup.
Get Recipe for Zesty Baked Catfish
In a classic episode of The Dick Van Dyke Show, Laura Petrie bakes a batch of nut chewy bars for an FBI agent who's on a stakeout. We bet he wasn't used to being served such wonderful treats!
Get Recipe for Chewy Pecan Pie Bars
Hi-ho, Silver! After a busy day fighting outlaws in the Wild West, the masked hero and his sidekick, Tonto, deserve a big bowl of cowboy chili.
Get Recipe for Spicy Cowboy Chili
Watching Detective Steve McGarrett catch bad guys in the beautiful state of Hawaii has our mouths drooling for Hawaiian food, like this banana-y pot roast.
Get Recipe for Hawaiian Pork Roast
Perhaps the Ewing family would get along if they all gathered together for a slice of Texas pecan pie. This particular recipe won a blue ribbon at the Texas State Fair.
Get Recipe for Texas Pecan Pie
How did Popeye get so strong? By eating spinach, of course! Eat lots of leafy greens like the sailor did by making this super yummy spinach casserole.
Get Recipe for Crunchy Spinach Casserole
Set sail on The Pacific Princess with a mai tai in your hand and love in the air.
Get Recipe for Mai Tai
The Cartwrights need a hearty meal fit for a cowboy after spending all day tending the ranch.
Get Recipe for Cowboy Calico Beans
Friends and neighbors didn't know Samantha Stephens' secret—she's a witch! Grab a broom-er, fork- and dig in to this be-witching cheesecake.
Get Recipe for Witch-in-the-Moonlight Cheesecake
City girl Lisa Douglas had a hard time getting used to country life. Her "hotscakes" are practically inedible, but hubby Oliver finds a use for them in other ways. If you do have a hankering for a pile of hotcakes, try ours.
Get Recipe for Cornmeal Pancakes
A French chef in a German POW camp made lots of tasty dishes in the show, Hogan's Heroes. If commandant Wilhelm Klink wanted to impress guests, chef Louis LeBeau was there to help him do so, making German delicacies such as sauerbraten.
Get Recipe for Slow Cooker Sauerbraten
They're creepy and their kooky, this recipe is spooky! The Addams Family is wacky yet lovable, and this cake reminds us of the cemetery next to their house.
Get Recipe for Graveyard Cake
The post Our 5 Favorite Food Moments on I Love Lucy appeared first on Taste of Home.
Ceara Milligan
