"What did the astronaut see on his…

An “Unidentified Flying Object” (UFO) has the food equivalent in “Unidentified Frying Object.” “Some restaurants serve what can only be called Unidentified Frying Objects” was printed in The News and Observer (Raleigh, NC) on February 11, 1957. “Newlywed husbands peeking into the kitchen to see what’s cooking are liable to find out it’s UFO. Unidentified frying object” was printed in the Medford (OR) Mail Tribune on January 26, 1958.

“What did the scientist see in the skillet? An unidentified frying object” was printed in the Evening Journal (Wilmington, DE) on December 27, 1967. “Q: What did the spaceman see in his frying pan? A: An unidentified frying object” was printed in the Vancouver (BC) Sun on October 7, 1969. “Q. What did the astronaut find in his frying pan? A. Unidentified frying objects” was printed in the Charlotte (NC) News on April 12, 1972. “GUS: What did the astronaut see cooking on the stove? WALLY: I don’t know. GUS: Unidentified Frying Objects” was printed in The Republic (Columbus, IN) on December 13, 1973.

Wikipedia: Unidentified flying object
An unidentified flying object (UFO) is any aerial phenomenon that cannot immediately be identified or explained. Most UFOs are identified on investigation as conventional objects or phenomena. The term is widely used for claimed observations of extraterrestrial spacecraft.

Newspapers.com
11 February 1957, The News and Observer (Raleigh, NC), pg. 4, col. 1:
Some restaurants serve what can only be called Unidentified Frying Objects.

Newspapers.com
26 January 1958, Medford (OR) Mail Tribune, pg. 8, col. 5 ad:
Newlywed husbands peeking into the kitchen to see what’s cooking are liable to find out it’s UFO.
Unidentified frying object.
(Sniders.—ed,)

Newspapers.com
19 April 1958, Brooklyn (NY) Daily, “Barry’s Bailwick” by Barry Paul, pg. 6, col. 2:
Vincent Roselle of Bushwick says his young sister decided to prepare breakfast for him one morning when their mother left early. Vince says that the bacon was so burned it looked like an “Unidentified Frying Object.”

Newspapers.com
7 April 1966, Courier-Post (Camden, NJ), “It Happened Last Night” by Earl Wilson, pg. 32, col. 5:
WISH I’D SAID THAT: Shelby Friedman described greasy hamburgers cooking on a luncheonette grill: “Unidentified Frying Objects.”

Newspapers.com
8 April 1966, Chicago (IL) Tribune, “A Line o’ Type or Two,” sec. 1, pg. 14, col. 3:
Out in Pullman a newlywed husband reported a UFO on the kitchen stove—an Unidentified Frying Object.
—112th St. Wag

Newspapers.com
27 December 1967, Evening Journal (Wilmington, DE), pg. 25, col. 1:
Today’s Horror
What did the scientist see in the skillet?
An unidentified frying object.

Newspapers.com
9 March 1968, Troy (NY) Record, “Fun Time—The Chuckle Box,” pg. 4, col. 7:
Billy: What did the astronaut see over his campfire?
Sue: I don’t know.
Billy: Unidentified Frying Objects.

Newspapers.com
7 October 1969, Vancouver (BC) Sun, “Sun-Ray Jokes,” pg. 30, col. 6:
Q: What did the spaceman see in his frying pan?
A: An unidentified frying object.

Newspapers.com
8 April 1970, Daily Press (Newport News, VA), “The Better Half” comic strip, pg. 24, col. 6:
(The cook at Bert’s Beanery, speaking to his customers.—ed.)
“Care for an Unidentified Frying Object?”

Newspapers.com
12 April 1971, Charlotte (NC) News, “Mini Jokes,” pg. 3C, col. 1:
Q. What did the astronaut find in his frying pan?
A. Unidentified frying objects.
Johnny Holcomb—Charlotte

Newspapers.com
13 November 1972, Calgary (Alberta) Herald, “Fun Time—The Chuckle Box,” pg. 36, col. 6:
What did the space man see in the frying pan?
An unidentified frying object.

Newspapers.com
13 December 1973, The Republic (Columbus, IN), “Today’s Tickler,” pg. 1, col. 1:
GUS: What did the astronaut see cooking on the stove?
WALLY: I don’t know.
GUS: Unidentified Frying Objects.

Google Books
The Crack-a-Joke Book:
Chosen by children in aid of Axfam
Harmondsworth, UK: Puffin Books
1978
Pg. 75:
What did the astronaut see in his frying-pan? An unidentified frying object.

Google Books
The Silly Riddle Book
BY R. W. Alley
Racine, WI: Merrigold Press
1981
Pg. ?:
QUESTION: What did the astronaut see on the stove?
ANSWER: An unidentified frying object.

17 November 1985, Newsday (Long Island, NY), “Smiles,” Kidsday sec., pg. 1, col. 3:
What did the astronaut see on the stove?
An unidentified frying object.
—Adam Broader, Massapequa

Google Groups: rec.humor
Anyone got any good space/NASA jokes?
Zul
Jun 30, 1997, 3:00:00 AM
(...)
What did the astronaut cook for lunch?
An unidentified frying object!

Google Books
Whaddaya Doin’ in There?
BY Planet Dexter (Firm)
New York, NY: Scholastic, Inc.
1998
Pg. 98:
What did the astronaut see on the stove? An unidentified frying object.

Newspapers.com
9 August 2004, The World (Coos Bay, OR), “The Born Loser” comic strip by Art Sansom, pg. C5, col. 4:
Diner: WHAT’S YOUR SPECIAL TODAY
Waitress: COOKIE’S MAKIN’ UFO’S!
Diner: WHAT ARE UFO’S?
Waitress UNIDENTIFIED FRYING OBJECTS!

Twitter
shaneka_babler2
@shaneka_babler2
What did the astronaut see on his skillet? Unidentified frying (flying) objects.
1:39 AM · Sep 20, 2009·Twitter Web Client

Twitter
Dyan_Meira7
@Dyan_Meira7
What did the astronaut see on his skillet? Unidentified frying (flying) objects.
10:56 AM · Oct 5, 2009·Twitter Web Client

Twitter
Verine_Mercie9
@Verine_Mercie9
What did the astronaut see on his skillet? Unidentified frying (flying) objects.
7:37 AM · Nov 4, 2009·Twitter Web Client

Twitter
Ryan Savoie
@RSavwah
Q: What did the astronaut see on the stove? A: An unidentified frying object. Goodnight world.
11:17 PM · Jul 5, 2010·Twitter Web Client

Twitter
Graham Bowes
@GrahamBowes
Q. What did the astronaut cook for lunch?
A. An unidentified frying object! #astrojokes
5:26 PM · Jan 7, 2011·Twitter Web Client

Twitter
A.J.
@AJizzle84
#AprilFoolsJoke What did the astronaut see on the stove?
An unidentified frying object…..(that’s hilarious)
3:46 PM · Apr 1, 2011·TweetCaster

Twitter
Opaa!FoodManagement
@Opaafood
What did the astronaut see in his skillet?
Unidentified Frying Objects! 😊
#NSBW20 Portageville Elementary winners!
12:10 PM · Mar 6, 2020·Hootsuite Inc.

“What did the astronaut see on his skillet?”/“Unidentified frying objects.”