Jello Salad {Recipes}

Plain old fashioned Jello.  What is it about this interesting treat that entices children so much?  So simple too!  I don't use it enough but one of the few times during the year that I do is the holidays.  I share my grandmas two famous Jello salad recipes that are tradition for us to make for Thanksgiving and Christmas every year.  Holiday dinners wouldn't be the same without them!  Maybe you should try one to accompany your next dinner.

BLUEBERRY CREAM CHEESE JELLO SALAD

1 large pkg. raspberry jello
1 can blueberries with juice
1 can crushed pineapple with juice
4 oz. cream cheese
Before I start I will let you know that when I make Jello I double this recipe {too much family}!

In glass dish pour jello and 2 cups boiling water and thoroughly mix until everything is dissolved.  At this point my grandma would put either some ice cubes {to set quicker} or 2/3 cup cold water.  The jello package would tell you to add 2 cups cold water now.  I don't do this because I use all of the juice in the canned or frozen fruit.  Mine turns out just fine.  It would just be more condense and perhaps a stronger flavor if there wasn't enough juice to make as much as 2 cups cold liquids.

Now I add the canned blueberries and pineapple {juice and all} to my jello mixture.

Now I use a cheese grater and grate the cream cheese right on top of the jello!  Yum!  This part gets messy so I freeze the cream cheese to make it a bit stiffer when grating.  I also leave the foil packaging on the end to hold onto while grating. 

Some of the cream cheese will sink and some will float.  The flavor together is fabulous!!

RASPBERRY CRUNCH JELLO SALAD

1 large pkg. raspberry Jello
2 10 oz. frozen boxes raspberries with juice
1 can crushed pineapple
3/4 to 1 cup chopped celery
3/4 to 1 cup chopped walnuts

Both of these jello salads are made the same, so as with the other one, I thoroughly mix raspberry jello and 2 cups boiling water in a glass pan.

Now I chop my celery and walnuts.  My grandmother added 2/3 cup of these and mine usually ends up to be more like a cup or more!  Then I add them, plus the raspberries and pineapple to the mixture {juice and all}.  

The walnuts in this salad make it so meaty and the celery really gives it a nice crunch!  Plus the green and red of this has a nice holiday color!

These salads add a nice variety to any holiday or Sunday night family buffet table!  {Plus IF there are any leftovers it is great for breakfast or lunch!!}  What is better than Grandma's Jello salad and a homemade roll?

So last night my teenage daughter was bored and craving Jello.  I taught her how to make her own Jello creation so she can do it on her own now!  Here is her creation of strawberry Jello with crushed pineapples and mandarin oranges!

I remember as a child, sneaking into the pantry and stealing Jello {in the night} so we could stick our wet fingers in it and just eat it!  I also read that it helped to thicken your blood and made your nails grow better so when I was in high school I actually took gelatin pills everyday!  Probably a wives tale but I do have fabulous thick nails!  I actually have a whole Jello recipe book but I only make my Grandmas at the holidays...for now!  So what is your favorite Jello recipe?