There’s always room for Jell-O, especially one as festive and fun as this Triple Layer Vintage Christmas Jell-O Salad with red, white and green layers that are perfect for Christmas dinner!
Look, I know it’s not cool to like Jell-O, okay? But can we just get over our food snobbery for a second and admit that Jell-O is delicious?
I know it’s retro and weird and nobody knows what food group it’s in because maybe it’s not real food and blah, blah, blah. But I say phooey to all that because honestly, it’s just yummy! And I make this triple layer Christmas Jell-O every year, without fail, so why not share it on the blog?
If you want a salad that is “healthier” or “more real”, I’ve got a gorgeous (and scrumptious) Winter Pear, Pomegranate & Swiss Salad with homemade poppyseed dressing that will be right up your alley.
If you are still with me, bless you. We must be kindred spirits.
So, this Christmas Jell-O (as we affectionately call it in my family) is so fun to make and even more fun to eat. It’s three wonderful layers of flavor with a plain lime bottom layer, a plain cherry top layer, and a creamy, tangy middle layer of vintage Jell-O weirdness that is a combination of lemon Jell-O, crushed pineapple, marshmallows, cream cheese, and…wait for it…Miracle Whip.
I KNOW, RIGHT?!?! It’s wild and zany but I’m just going to embrace the wackiness and confess that the middle layer is my favorite!
The cream cheese adds depth and richness and the tang of the Miracle Whip actually helps cut the sweetness of the Jell-O. I know it sounds weird and maybe even awful, but it’s really not, I promise!
And I really ought to stop apologizing for it because I truly do love it and haters gonna’ hate anyway, right?
We serve this fun jello at many of our holiday dinners. Some of our other favorite holiday sides are Sweet Potato Casserole with Marshmallows and Pecans and Easy Southern Cornbread Dressing !
It’s like an Italian soda cherry limeade jell-o with the creamy middle and the cherry and lime top and bottom. An Italian soda cherry limemade that jiggles and isn’t really a proper salad but since it goes by that name you get to eat it with your dinner even though it probably falls more appropriately in the dessert category. So there!
For reals though, it’s easy enough to make. You just prepare your bottom lime layer according to the package directions and let it set in the fridge until firm (by jell-o standards that is).
Then you make a lemon jell-o and dissolve marshmallows, cream cheese, and Miracle Whip in it before adding some crushed pineapple and carefully pouring it over the lime layer.
Then it goes back in the fridge until that layer is set. Lastly, you prepare a package of cherry jell-o and carefully pour that over the middle layer and refrigerate the whole thing until firm and ta-da! you have a wonderful, festive Jell-O perfect for Christmas dinner!
More Fun Jello Recipes
- Coca-Cola Jello Salad
- Cranberry Jello Salad with Cream Cheese Topping
- Raspberry Pretzel Salad
- Strawberry Mousse Jello Parfaits
- Lemon Pineapple Jell-O with Pineapple Whipped Cream Topping
- Apricot Jello Salad
Christmas Jello
Ingredients123
- ▢ 1 (6-ounce) box lime jello (or two 3-ounce boxes)
- ▢ 1 (6-ounce) box cherry jello (or two 3-ounce boxes)
- ▢ 1 (3-ounce) box lemon jello
- ▢ 2 cups marshmallows
- ▢ 8 ounce cream cheese, softened
- ▢ 2/3 cup Miracle Whip
- ▢ 1 large can crushed pineapple, drained
Instructions
- Prepare lime jello according to package directions. Pour into a 9×13" glass baking dish or individual serving dishes (filling each only ⅓ of the way full) and refrigerate until set.
- Prepare the lemon jello by adding the powdered gelatin to one cup of boiling water and stirring to dissolve. Add marshmallows and stir until they dissolve as well, whisking if necessary. Whisk in the cream cheese and Miracle Whip, breaking up any clumps of cream cheese, until incorporated. Stir in the drained pineapple, then carefully pour over the set lime layer and return the jello to the refrigerate to set.
- Once the middle layer is firm, prepare the cherry jello according to package directions. Carefully pour over the middle layer of jello and return the dish to the refrigerator to set completely. Cut into squares and serve.
Nutrition
Christmas Jello
Ingredients
- 1 (6-ounce) box lime jello (or two 3-ounce boxes)
- 1 (6-ounce) box cherry jello (or two 3-ounce boxes)
- 1 (3-ounce) box lemon jello
- 2 cups marshmallows
- 8 ounce cream cheese, softened
- 2/3 cup Miracle Whip
- 1 large can crushed pineapple, drained
Instructions
- Prepare lime jello according to package directions. Pour into a 9x13" glass baking dish or individual serving dishes (filling each only 1/3 of the way full) and refrigerate until set.
- Prepare the lemon jello by adding the powdered gelatin to one cup of boiling water and stirring to dissolve. Add marshmallows and stir until they dissolve as well, whisking if necessary. Whisk in the cream cheese and Miracle Whip, breaking up any clumps of cream cheese, until incorporated. Stir in the drained pineapple, then carefully pour over the set lime layer and return the jello to the refrigerate to set.
- Once the middle layer is firm, prepare the cherry jello according to package directions. Carefully pour over the middle layer of jello and return the dish to the refrigerator to set completely. Cut into squares and serve.
Nutrition
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