Bananas have never appeared more out of their element than in this peculiar 1970s concoction. Originally featured in McCall’s Great American Recipe Card Collection from 1973, this oddity boldly combines bananas with ham, embellished with a slathering of lemon juice, mustard, and hollandaise sauce, creating a piping-hot, potassium-rich creation that might feel like a culinary nightmare fresh out of the oven.

Ham and Bananas Hollandaise is a dish intricately woven into the fabric of the era it was born in. The United States was celebrating its bicentennial, yet the backdrop of the Vietnam War quagmire and persistent gas shortages left the nation feeling uncertain.

This dish, along with its contemporaries like Crown Roast of Frankfurters, Hot Tuna and Egg Buns, and Spaghetti-O Jello, can be likened to a culinary mid-life crisis—embarrassing for everyone except the unfortunate soul wrestling with the complex emotions of advancing age. Today, Ham and Bananas Hollandaise resides primarily in aged, sticky recipe books and lingers in the ghostly recollections of grandparents who once attempted to impress their dinner party guests but might have missed the mark.

Ingredients:

• 6 medium bananas
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 6 thin slices boiled ham (about 1/2 lb)
• 3 tablespoons prepared mustard
• 2 envelopes (1 1/4-oz size) hollandaise sauce mix
• 1/4 cup light cream

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Lightly grease a 2-quart shallow baking dish.
2. Peel the bananas and sprinkle each with 1/2 tablespoon of lemon juice to prevent darkening.
3. Spread the ham slices with mustard and wrap each banana in a slice of ham. Arrange them in a single layer in the casserole dish. Bake for 10 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, prepare the sauce: In a small saucepan, combine the sauce mix with 1 cup of water, 1 tablespoon of lemon juice, and cream. Heat, stirring, until it reaches a boil; then pour the sauce over the bananas. Bake for an additional 5 minutes or until slightly golden. It pairs well with a green salad for brunch or lunch and makes 6 servings.

Pineapple-Glazed Baked Ham

• 1 can (2 lb) boneless ham
• 1/4 cup dry white wine

Pineapple Glaze

• 1/2 cup pineapple preserves
• 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
• Dash ground cloves

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Place the ham in a small, shallow baking pan. Bake for 10 minutes. Pour wine over the ham and bake for an additional 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and increase the oven temperature to 450°F.

Meanwhile, prepare the Pineapple Glaze: In a small bowl, combine preserves, mustard, and cloves; mix well. Spread this glaze on top and sides of the ham. Bake the ham for 12 to 20 minutes or until the glaze is slightly browned. Remove it to a serving platter and garnish with maraschino cherries and parsley if desired. This recipe makes 6 servings.