I’m not sure where this recipe originated or of its actual name. We call it Ellen’s Awesome Apple Salad. (In our family circle, if you’re the first to make a delicious dish, it’s customary to insert your name into the title. Ellen, otherwise known as my Mom, was the first to serve this salad.) We make this side dish only a couple times a year—when calories and pre-packaged food items don’t count. It’s absolutely delicious, relatively simple and a great addition to a turkey feast. (And to prime rib. And to ham.)
You will need:
20 oz can crushed pineapple
1/3 cup sugar
1 small package (4 servings) lemon Jell-o mix
8 oz cream cheese
2 stalks celery, diced
1 red apple, diced
1 green apple, diced
1 cup whipped topping
Although the directions look slightly daunting because it has several steps, trust me: they’re not.
1 :: Heat the pineapple and sugar to a gentle boil. Stir and continue boiling for 3 minutes.
2 :: Add the Jell-o to pineapple mix; stir until well blended.
3 :: Add cream cheese to pineapple mix; stir until well blended.
4 :: Remove from heat; let sit for a few minutes.
5 :: While the pineapple mixture cools, dice the celery and apples, if you haven’t already done so.
6 :: Add celery and apples to pineapple mixture.
7 :: Fold in whipped topping.
8 :: Pour into serving dish; cover; chill in the refrigerator until set (4+ hours) and ready to serve.
A couple notes :: (1) I like to prepare this salad the night before Thanksgiving—the more that’s done ahead of time, the less crazy Thanksgiving Day is! (2) If you want to stretch the recipe, add extra whipped topping—it’ll just make the salad fluffier. (3) This salad looks extra cute in small individual ramekins. (4) If one of your super powers is planning ahead, bookmark this for Christmas. It looks extra festive in a red dish!
This recipe is wonderful!
Looks good and making me hungry!
this stuff is awesome. my gram got a receipe like this from like weight watchers or something like that only it didn’t have the celery, but i bet this version is good too. the apple salad has always been one of my favs….and it’s too bad for you…unless you eat the whole thing. haha!