Green Jello Salad

By
Laura Ashley

My grandmother has made this sweet salad my entire life. Any holiday table isn’t complete until it arrives. The original recipe was given to her by a co-worker of hers at Carhartt in the early 1970s. On her last visit, I got to capture her sweet hands making it. Different names from recipe variations are called Sea Foam Salad, Green Fluff, Pineapple Lime Jell-O Salad, Green Stuff, and Pineapple and Cream Cheese Jell-O Salad.

Ingredients

Lime and Lemon Jello: These two Jellos serves as the base of the salad, providing flavor, color, and texture. It adds a tangy and refreshing taste to the salad, complementing the sweetness of the other ingredients.
Crushed Pineapple: Crushed pineapple adds sweetness, acidity, and a tropical flavor to the salad. It also provides texture and moisture. (Don’t drink the pineapple juice).
Cream Cheese: Cream cheese adds richness and creaminess to the salad. It helps balance out the sweetness of the jello and pineapple while providing a smooth and velvety texture.
Cool Whip: Adds lightness and fluffiness to the salad. It contributes to the overall creaminess and helps bind the other ingredients together. Cool Whip also adds a subtle sweetness.
Miniature Marshmallows: Mini marshmallows add chewiness and a hint of sweetness to the salad.

How to Make Green Jello Salad

In a large bowl, whisk together lime Jell-O and 1 cup boiling water. Once the Jell-O has dissolved, whisk in 1/2 cup cold water. Once blended, stir in crushed pineapple. Refrigerate overnight or until firm.
Next day, in a mixing bowl, whisk together lemon Jell-O and 1 cup boiling water. Once the Jell-O has dissolved, whisk in 1/2 cup cold water. Allow the mixture to cool 1 hour in the refrigerator. It should be slightly set, not fully set in this time frame.
In a large mixing bowl, whip cream cheese on medium speed until smooth. Add Cool Whip and mix again just until blended.
Remove the bowl of prepared lemon Jell-O from the refrigerator. Whip with a mixer on high speed until fluffy, about 30 seconds.
Transfer the whipped lemon mixture into the cream cheese mixture and mix on low speed until blended.
Add the lime pineapple mixture to the lemon/cream cheese mixture and mix once again on low speed until blended. If desired, fold 1/4-1/2 chopped pecans into the mixture.
Pour the mixture into a 13″×9″ serving dish or serving bowl. Garnish with marshmallows and cherries (optional). Refrigerate overnight or until firm.