You've already figured out the perfect '50s party playlist, outfit and meal, but what about the appetizers? Take things to the era of club sandwiches, deviled eggs and cocktail wieners with these truly old-school recipes.

Club sandwiches cut 2 inches square, triple-layered with cold cuts, cheese, lettuce and thinly sliced tomatoes, are a classic, filling finger food. Kid-friendly versions can be single layer. Egg salad spread in lettuce cups, or minced dried beef mixed with cream cheese and spices and molded into a ball, are both classics and are served with rye crisps. Mix ranch dressing, which was first served in the 1950s, in with your cream cheese for an extra zing. A cheese or paté aspic remains a classic when served on melba toasts. Don’t forget to serve your grandmother’s signature deviled eggs on the table.

Purchased or homemade fondue is kept warm in a pot over gel fuel; skewers of bread, apples and fresh pears are the dunkers. Small cocktail wieners float in a bourbon sauce, which is still appropriate for children as the alcohol cooks away; however, the taste may be a bit too strong for them. Pour a classic cheese rarebit over toast points. A broiled, cooked bacon and creamed-cheddar-cheese mixture on baguettes adds a heady kick to the warm canapé offerings.

No '50s dinner party is complete without meatballs kept warm in a chafing dish and topped with your favorite grape jelly-barbecue sauce mixture. Toothpicks spear the little nibblers. Cantaloupe and honeydew slices are wrapped in prosciutto and secured with a toothpick. Small, pickled vegetables should be served with a votive holder on the side filled with toothpicks.

Today’s cereal mix baked with salty pretzels and a soy-sauce marinade is yesterday’s cocktail hash. If you’re a Southerner, whip up a batch of your family’s cheese straws and toss in a bowl before company arrives. As much as it feels like cheating, pour a can of mixed nuts into your grandmother’s candy dishes and place around the room. Make sure that none of the children or guests have nut allergies, though, before including them on the menu.

Ice-cold colas in the bottle or country club punch are the mid-century way to go. Keep spiked punch for the grown-ups in a separate punch bowl in the kitchen; make sure adults have different-style glasses so kids don’t accidentally drink the wrong punch.