Cranberry Jello Salad for Thanksgiving
Cranberry Jello Salad for Thanksgiving features cranberries, Jello, and fruits and is perfect as a holiday side dish or dessert.
Servings: 6
Ingredients
Jello Layer
- 2 3 ounce packages Raspberry Jello (you need 6 ounces of Jello in total)
- 1 cup boiling water
- 3 ounces juice drained from crushed pineapple
- 5 ounces ice cold water (combine juice from crushed pineapple with enough ice cold water to yield 1 cup of liquid)
Creamy Layer
- 8 ounces cream cheese, softened to room temperature
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- 1 cup sour cream
Add-Ins
- 15 ounces mandarin oranges (drained)
- 20 ounces crushed pineapple (juice drained and used previously in the Jello layer)
- 15 ounces whole cranberry sauce
Optional Add-Ins
- zest from 1 orange
- ¼ cup crushed nuts (walnuts or pecans)
Instructions
Make the Jello Base
- Dissolve Jello powder with 1 cup boiling water in a large bowl. Stir to combine and continue stirring until dissolved.
- Drain the juice from the crushed pineapple and add it to a 1-cup liquid measuring cup. Fill the remainder of the cup with ice cold water. The juice and ice cold water will total 1 cup of liquid.
- Whisk to combine, then cover and refrigerate for about 20 minutes.
Make the Creamy Layer
- In a separate medium bowl, combine the softened cream cheese, sour cream and powdered sugar and mix with a hand or stand mixer until smooth and creamy.
Combine the Jello with the Creamy Layer
- Remove the Jello from the refrigerator and fold in the cream cheese layer.
- Stir in crushed pineapple, mandarin oranges and whole cranberry sauce.
- Add-in optional ingredients: orange zest and chopped nuts.
Chill
- Pour the Cranberry Jello Salad into a 9x13 inch glass dish, or leave it in the large bowl.
- Cover and chill in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours or until set.
- To serve: use a spoon to scoop Jello cranberry salad into small serving bowls. Serve with Thanksgiving dinner as a refreshing side, or top with whipped cream for a light and satisfying dessert.