It’s the season of potlucks and backyard barbecues.
So that means you need an arsenal of easy desserts, salads, and side dishes you can whip up in a snap.
JELL-O Mandarin Orange Salad is a potluck twofer: it works as a dessert or a salad. And making a batch is as easy as opening up some cans, tubs, and boxes, then pouring and stirring.
It’s also perfectly suited to outdoor parties where you want a light and fresh dessert, instead of something rich and heavy that will weigh you down.
Plus, it’s kind of a potluck tradition to bring a JELL-O salad, at least here in the South.
When you make this Mandarin orange salad, be sure to give it a little chill time in the fridge before serving. It’s so much better served cold after the flavors have had time to meld.
INGREDIENTS:
- 1 pkg Vanilla Instant Pudding Mix (use dry) I would use sugar-free
- 1 Large can Crushed Pineapple (undrained)
- 2 Medium/Large cans Mandarin Oranges (drained)
- 1 pkg Cool Whip 8 oz ( and you could use fat-free)
Directions:
Mix together Cool Whip and Instant vanilla pudding (do NOT make the pudding, just use it dry).
Add undrained crushed pineapple and both cans of drained Mandarin Oranges. (Use as many mandarins as you like, more/less) Save a few mandarin oranges to decorate the top of the salad. Refrigerate until it thickens again maybe a couple of hours before you need to use it.
Use as a side dish with a meal or serve with ice cream as a dessert!
You can make this healthier by choosing low/no sugar instant pudding mix and cool whip, and fresh mandarins.
I particularly like the whipped cool whip for my salad as per the original.
Try it a few times to see what suits you best.
