Jello Salad: A Recipe for a Holiday Dinner

Jello Salad: A Recipe for a Holiday Dinner - When I was little my favorite thing about the Thanksgiving/Christmas holidays was my grandmother's green Jello salad. Of course, I didn't call it Jello salad then. I called it "the green stuff." My cousin and I could never get enough of the "green stuff". I distinctly remember my grandmother making extra bowls of it in anticipation of our impending Jello feeding frenzy. To this day, the holidays just don't seem quite complete without that light, sweet, creamy, jiggly bowl of joy. It's a dessert, it's a side dish, it's a phenomenon!

When I got married in 2004, I introduced my husband's family to the "green stuff" and promptly created another family of addicts. Every holiday I am reminded to make and bring the "green stuff"...or suffer the consequences. This year I became a mother, and I am sure that my son will join the ranks of the converted before long...in the meantime, I thought I would share it with you.

This recipe is by no means unique. It falls securely into the "oldie but goodie" category, passed down from generation to generation, and most likely began it's life on the back of a box or buried in a Ladies Home Journal. It's been made in many ways and adapted to many occasions (my grandmother, herself, has tweaked the recipe on a few occasions to include slivered almonds and maraschino cherries, in what I can only assume was an effort to combat the monotony) but I am a purist, and in my humble opinion this is the best incarnation of "green stuff".

Lime Jello Salad (a.k.a. the green stuff)

8 oz Cream Cheese (full, light or fat-free)

16 oz Cool Whip (or any likewise whipped topping)

6 oz Lime Jello (I've tried many generic brands of lime gelatin, but I keep coming back to Jello)

8 oz can of crushed pineapple, drained

Put the cream cheese in a large bowl to soften and then make the Lime Jello as directed on the box. Place Jello in the fridge to cool until it just begins to set up (until it coats the back of a spoon).

Add a couple tablespoons of the Jello (or as needed) to the softened cream cheese and beat with an electric mixer until smooth. Add the rest of the Jello and beat until incorporated. There will undoubtedly be little specks of cream cheese no matter how much you beat it. I just leave them. It's all just part of the "green stuff" experience.

Then, add the Cool Whip a bit at a time and beat until all the Cool Whip is incorporated.

Last, add the drained pineapple and stir through (don't beat).

Now your "green stuff" is all ready to go into the fridge and finish setting up. It will most likely take at least two hours, but I've found that an overnight chill is best.

There it is, from my family to yours. Play with it, tweak it, have fun and make it your own. Then set it out there on your family's holiday table and create your own "green stuff" addicts!