Festive Cranberry-Pineapple Salad

I posted this recipe back in May at the very beginning of my blog so think that most people have not seen it.  Since this salad is so good at Thanksgiving, I felt that it was worth posting again.  I still have not taken a picture of the finished salad (note to self-remember to do that before anyone digs in).  I did take a new picture of the ingredients which is definitely better than the original one. I did update the old post with this new picture if anyone ever goes back that far.  This a a very good, easy, make-ahead dish.

Update:  Did finally get a photo of the finished dish taken.

When Tiffany at Eat at Home interviewed me, one of the questions was about my favorite meal.  This is the cranberry salad that I listed.  This salad has pretty much replaced regular cranberry sauce at our Thanksgiving dinners.  I do make it throughout the year, though.  The recipe was in a magazine ad for Jell-O back when Bill Cosby was Jell-O's spokesperson.  I have never done the molded version, but am including the instructions for it.

Festive Cranberry-Pineapple Salad
1 can (20 oz.) Crushed Pineapple, undrained
2 pkgs. (4-serving size each) or 1 pkg. (8-serving size) red gelatin, I use sugar-free
1 can (16 oz.) whole berry cranberry sauce
1 medium  apple, chopped
2/3 cup chopped toasted walnuts

DRAIN pineapple, reserving liquid in 1-qt. liquid measuring cup.  Add enough cold water to reserved liquid to measure 3 cups; pour into large saucepan. Bring to boil; remove from heat. Add gelatin; stir at least 2 min. until completely dissolved. Add cranberry sauce; stir until well blended. (Note: Due to the presence of whole berries in the cranberry sauce, the gelatin mixture will not be smooth.) Pour into large bowl. Refrigerate 1-1/2 hours or until slightly thickened (consistency of unbeaten egg whites.)  Add pineapple, apple and walnuts; stir gently until well blended. Pour into medium serving bowl.  Refrigerate 4 hours or until firm.  Store any leftover salad in refrigerator.  Makes 14 servings (1/2 c. each)

If you don't want the salad to take as long to set up as the instructions above take, you can freeze the cranberry sauce overnight.  I take it out of the can and put it in a heavy-duty plastic bag, seal it well, flatten the bag, and freeze.  Add the cranberry sauce to the warm pineapple/water mixture, breaking it up well.  This helps the Jell-O to set up faster.

You can also just go ahead and stir pineapple, apple, and walnuts into the pineapple juice/cranberry mixture right away.  This will cause the apple and the nuts to float at the top of the Jell-O.  If I am in a real hurry, I don't have a problem with that.

Variation - Molded Cranberry-Pineapple Salad
To serve as a molded salad, substitute a 6-cup mold for the serving bowl. Also, use 1 can (8-1/4 oz.)  crushed pineapple, 1/3 cup chopped walnuts and add enough cold water to the reserved pineapple liquid to measure 2 cups. Makes 10 servings, 1/2 cup each

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