#2,735: Patriotic Jell-o Cups

When you have a 4th of July gathering with a bunch of kiddos, you make a patriotic themed food!  I happened to have everything I needed in my pantry to make these jell-o cups for the kids, so that's what I did.  Personally I hate making jell-o items because you have to let everything sit/solidify between layers, but I did it for the kids anyways.  LOL  This recipe probably took a good hour to make (from start to finish, minus the final set up time (which I just let sit in the fridge overnight)), and this recipe made 5 cups of jell-o, so if you are making it for a larger crowd, use smaller cups or a lot more jell-o packets!  

In the end, the kids loved them, so that's all that mattered! 

3 oz package Blue Jell-O Gelatin 

3 oz package Red Jell-O Gelatin 

1 envelope Unflavored Gelatin 

1 1/3 cups boiling Water

1 cup Milk

1/4 cup Sugar

Maraschino Cherries drained (I omitted)

Small clear cups (tall shot glasses, clear plastic drinking cups, etc.)

Place blue gelatin in a bowl and add 2/3 cup boiling water.  Stir well until dissolved and allow to cool. Fill each cup 1/3 full of blue and place in refrigerator.  When the jell-o starts to set (mine took about 20 minutes), start making the 2nd layer. 

2nd layer: Add 1/3 cup of milk to another bowl and sprinkle unflavored gelatin over top.  Do not stir.  Heat remaining 2/3 cup of milk in a pot and bring to a boil.  Remove from heat and stir in sugar to dissolve.  Add heated milk to gelatin/milk mixture and stir until blended. Allow to cool. (I let mine cool about 15 minutes.  You want it cool to the touch, but not starting to solidify).  Gently fill all cups the next 1/3 of the way with white mixture and return to refrigerator.

3rd layer: Place red gelatin in a bowl and add 2/3 cup boiling water.  Stir well until dissolved and allow to cool.  (At this point, I divided the red jell-o liquid to the cups and put in the fridge overnight).  
If you are adding the cherry stem: Place a cherry on top of each glass and add about 1/4″ of red gelatin to each. Place in refrigerator for 5 minutes. Pull from refrigerator and try to adjust to get stems to point upward.  Fill each cup the rest of the way with red and place in refrigerator.

#1,783: Glazed Strawberry Squares

If you've ever made a form of strawberry pretzel jello, this recipe is really closely to it except you don't have to cook the bottom layer first.  This recipe was also supposed to have blueberries in it, but I forgot to buy them. That's ok, because for someone who doesn't like the fruit in her jello very much, it was less fruity for me.  :)  Personally, I think this would have been better if the bottom layer was baked so that it stayed together better, but I also liked that it was quicker to make because I didn't have to cook and cool that bottom layer.  Regardless, this was good, and I made this for a family gathering and it was almost completely gone at the end of the night.  I would definitely make this again. 

2 cups graham cracker crumbs

1/2 cup sugar, divided

1/2 cup butter or margarine, melted

2 pkgs. (8 oz. each) Cream Cheese, softened

8 oz thawed COOL WHIP Whipped Topping

1-1/2 cups fresh blueberries (I omitted)

1-1/2 cups sliced fresh strawberries

1-1/2 cups boiling water

1 pkg. (6 oz.) JELL-O Strawberry Flavor Gelatin (I used cherry because I had some on hand)

1-1/2 cups ice cubes

Mix graham crumbs, 1/4 cup sugar and butter; press onto bottom of 13x9-inch dish.

Beat cream cheese and remaining sugar in medium bowl with mixer until blended. Whisk in cool whip; spread over crust. Top with berries.

Add boiling water to gelatin mix in large bowl; stir 2 min. until completely dissolved. Add ice; stir until melted. Pour over berries. Refrigerate 4 hours or until firm.

#1,722: Strawberry Dreamsicle Salad

The original recipe for this was to make with orange jello and mandarin oranges, but I am NOT a fan of mandarin oranges.  So I substituted strawberry jello and fruit instead.  I originally planned on using fresh strawberries but they are obviously not in season, expensive and don't look great this time of year.  So I just used frozen strawberries and sliced them while still frozen so they would hold their shape better.  This was actually really good.  My kids loved this, and I thought it was pretty good as well!  I made it for Christmas Eve dinner...hopefully my family enjoys it as much as we do so far. 

1 sm. box (4 serv. size/.3 oz pkg) sugar-free strawberry jello

1 sm. box (4 serv. size/1 oz pkg) sugar free instant vanilla pudding

1 ½ cups fresh or frozen strawberries, sliced (I used frozen strawberries and put them in my food processor with the thickest disk to slice them) 

1 - 8 oz tub fat free frozen whipped topping, thawed

Dissolve jello in 1 c. boiling water. Add 1/2 c. cold water; let set in fridge for 20 minutes.  With mixer or whisk, add dry vanilla pudding mix to jello and beat until smooth. Fold in strawberries and whipped topping (by hand). Refrigerate.

#1,716: Blueberry Jello Salad

These are not pretty pictures but I took these pictures after dinner when we got home from my in-laws house (where I brought this).  This is a recipe that you probably are going to really enjoy, or not depending on how much you like sweets as well as blueberries.  I personally wasn't the biggest fan of this, although I did enjoy a small piece of it with my dinner.  2 of my kids were huge fans!  This is something though that is quite sweet so you don't need a lot of it.  I also didn't love the pineapple texture in the bottom layer, but that's just personal preference.  Still good, just not my favorite thing to eat.  It was super simple to make though.  

1 can (16-ounces) crushed pineapple (reserved drained juice)

1 cup boiling water

2 boxes (3 ounces) of grape or berry-blue JELL-O gelatin 

1 can (16-ounces) blueberry pie filling

1/2 cup fresh blueberries, washed (for topping, which I omitted)

1/4 cup chopped pecans

* For a cherry version, substitute cherry flavored gelatin and cherry pie filling.

 

Drain the pineapple juice into a one (1) cup measuring cup. Fill the rest of the cup to the top with boiling water.  Pour the gelatin into the pineapple juice/boiling water mixture and stir until the crystals are completely dissolved. Add crushed pineapple and blueberry pie filling. Stir to combine.

Pour the gelatin mixture into a 9- by 13-inch pan. Cover and refrigerate until firmly set. The salad can be ready to serve in 2 to 3 hours or leave overnight. Keep chilled until ready to serve.

Approximately 30 minutes before serving, spread with the prepared creamed cheese topping until covered evenly. Garnish with fresh blueberries and chopped nuts. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for another 30 minutes before serving. 

#1,492: Mixed Berry Pretzel Tart

Here is a second, last minute photo as the last piece of tart is about to get eaten!  Why can I not remember to take pictures sooner?!?!?!  This was a huge hit, but personally I would omit the berries from this recipe (I just don't like the texture of it in my jello).  I loved the fresh whipped cream on top though!!!  I doubled the amount of whipped cream and just spread it over the entire tart.  Delicious!

CRUST

2 cups crushed pretzels

3 tablespoons sugar

12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted

FILLING

8 ounces cream cheese

3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar

7 ounces plain Greek yogurt (not fat-free)

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 3-oz. packages strawberry gelatin

1 16-oz. package frozen unsweetened sliced strawberries

1 16-oz. package frozen unsweetened blueberries

3/4 cup heavy cream

Make crust: Preheat oven to 400ºF; mist a 9-by-13-inch baking pan with cooking spray. Place crushed pretzels in bowl of a food processor. Add sugar and melted butter and pulse to combine. Press pretzel mixture into baking dish and bake for 8 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and allow to cool completely, about 20 minutes.

Make filling: Using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat cream cheese with 3/4 cup sugar until well blended, about 2 minutes. Fold in yogurt and vanilla. Spread over cooled pretzel crust, cover with plastic wrap and chill for at least 2 hours.

In a large bowl, dissolve both packages of gelatin in 2 cups boiling water. Stir in strawberries and blueberries and pour over cream cheese layer. Chill until firm, 2 to 3 hours.

Whip cream until soft peaks form. Add remaining 1 Tbsp. sugar and continue whipping until stiff peaks form. Cut tart into squares and serve with whipped cream.

#1,484: Strawberry-Banana Jello Salad (aka 5 Minute Jello Salad)

This is such an easy and quick recipe to throw together and is awfully pretty in color, but the texture scared away a lot of people with this recipe.  If you are a cottage cheese lover, you might really like this recipe.  I however really have to be in the mood for cottage cheese.  :) This is another recipe that the kids enjoyed more than the adults did...oh well. 

8 oz container of low fat Cool Whip4 oz box of Strawberry Jello

12 oz container of fat free Cottage Cheese
1/2 pound of Strawberries, sliced
1 Banana, sliced

Put the cool whip and jello in a large mixing bowl and whisk until they are well blended and most of the jello dissolves into the cool whip.   Next fold in the cottage cheese, strawberries and bananas.  Refrigerate until ready to serve. 

#1,483: Broken Glass Jello

This did not go over well with the adults, but the kids enjoyed it (I still have a ton leftover though!).  Because this was mostly a kid-friendly dish I probably won't make it again, but it was definitely easy and colorful. 

4 small boxes (3 oz. each) of Jell-O in different colors. 

14 oz. can sweetened condensed milk 

2 envelopes unflavored gelatin 

Directions: For each flavor, dissolve one 3 oz box of jello in one cup of boiling water. Pour into a container and chill overnight or until firm. After chilling the four flavors, cut them into small blocks.

Carefully mix the blocks in a 9 x 13 pan.

In a separate bowl, sprinkle 2 envelopes unflavored gelatin into 1/2 cup cold water. After the gelatin blooms, add 1 1/2 cup boiling water and dissolve. Add the can of condensed milk. Stir and cool. 

Pour cooled milk mixture over jello and chill overnight. It is a good idea to skim off the bubbles for a nicer finished product.

#1,482: Strawberry Cream Cheese Icebox Cake

First of all, this is not the finished photo and I cannot believe I'm actually posting a picture poor of a picture.  I took this photo "just in case" I forgot to take a finished product one...and I DID.  UGH!  This is supposed to be topped with cool whip and some crushed graham crackers.  It looks way better cut into too.  I don't know if I'll be making this again soon, so feel free to send me a picture of this if you make it!!  :) 

Back to the recipe though, this got great reviews at the family gathering I took it too.  I think this would be really good with other berries as well so if you aren't a fan of strawberries, I'd try something else in its place.  I think next time I'm going to try blueberries only because it'll be faster to add them since you don't have to cut them.  Raspberries would probably be really good too. 

This made a lot of cream filling/mixture and I actually didn't even use it all.  I probably threw away about 1/4 of it because I thought it was too much.  Still delicious though.  I made this later in the evening and served it about noon the next day.  I stopped at the point of the photo (everything minus the final layer of cool whip) and wrapped in saran wrap and stuck in the fridge until it was time to leave for the party.  Then I used a clean paper towel to soak up all of the liquid/water/juice that accumulated on the top from the strawberries.  About 2 hours before the party I topped it with the cool whip, added the crushed graham crackers and put it back in the fridge until time to serve.  It was really, really good!

2 pounds strawberries, sliced
2 sleeves graham crackers
8 oz cream cheese, softened to room temperature
14 oz can sweetened condensed milk
2 packages (3.4 oz) instant cheesecake flavored pudding (I used french vanilla)
3 cups milk
12 oz carton Cool Whip, thawed and divided.

Click here to see the original recipe and for the rest of the instructions/directions.

#1,473: Easy Gelatin Salad

As you will see from the instructions below, this was supposed to be a lime jello recipe.  But I was serving this for a family party and needed to use sugar free jello and forgot to get it in lime.  Instead I had a small box of cherry and a small box of raspberry jello (both sugar free) so I just substituted that instead.  This got VERY GOOD reviews at my party and there was very little leftover after lunch!

1 c boiling water

1 pkg lime flavored gelatin (6 oz.) (I used cherry and raspberry)

1 can(s) crushed pineapple in juice (drain and reserve juice)

1 pkg cream cheese (8 oz.), softened

2 c heavy whipping cream

1 c chopped pecans (I omitted)

In a large bowl, pour 1 cup boiling water over gelatin mix. Stir until completely dissolved then stir in 1/2 cup reserved pineapple juice. Refrigerate until thickened but not set, about 1 hour. (I only needed to chill mine for about 40 minutes)

Meanwhile, place crushed pineapple and remaining juice in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature.  (I honestly have no idea what this did to the recipe since there was very little juice left anyways.  I will totally omit this step next time.)

With an electric hand mixer, blend softened cream cheese into gelatin mixture until smooth. Stir in cooled pineapple. (As you can probably tell from the picture above, I could not get this totally smooth.  It was still super good though!)

In your stand mixer bowl, beat whipping cream until soft peaks form. Fold into gelatin/cream cheese/pineapple mixture, until combined. Fold in chopped pecans.

Pour mixture into Jell-O mold (5-6 cup capacity) or a pretty glass serving or trifle bowl. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours or until set.

#1,464: Green Flop Jell-o

I made this jell-o recipe for Matthew's birthday mainly because it's been sitting on my pinterest board for a long time and it's green.  :)  This was soooo simple to make and I had my 8 year old helping me in the kitchen.  This filled a trifle bowl about 3/4 full, so if you are making this for a very large crowd you are probably going to want to double this recipe.  I'm thinking of making this again but trying a different flavor of jell-o.  My kids loved this and asked that I make it again already.  

2 cups lemon-lime soda

2 packages (3 ounces each) lime gelatin

6 ounces cream cheese, softened

2 cups lemon-lime soda, chilled

1 carton (12 ounces) frozen whipped topping, thawed

Microwave 2 cups soda on high for 1-2 minutes or until hot. Place hot soda and gelatin in a blender; cover and process until gelatin is dissolved. Add cream cheese; process until blended.

Transfer to a large bowl; stir in chilled soda. Whisk in whipped topping. Pour into a 3-qt. trifle bowl or glass bowl. Refrigerate, covered, 4 hours or until firm. Yield: 16 servings (3/4 cup each).

#1,242: Raspberry Vanilla Jello Salad

I am SO late in posting the recipes I made for Easter.  And it's getting late, so I'll have to post the rest tomorrow still (hopefully!).  But I figured it was better to at least post one than not at all.  This is a very delicious, sweet yet refreshing, EASY side dish/fruity-salad to make.  I will definitely be making this one again for a future party/gathering.

The only change I made was to use fresh raspberries instead of frozen.  Personally, I prefer fresh and they are close to in-season so I figure it was an okay substitute. This would be good with just about any berry (fresh or frozen).

1 box (5.1 oz) instant vanilla pudding
32 oz. container vanilla yogurt
8 oz. container Cool Whip (thawed)
1 pkg. frozen raspberries

Combine the pudding mix and the vanilla yogurt, stirring until well mixed.  Fold Cool Whip into the mixture. Lastly, fold in the raspberries.  I had set mine out for about 10 minutes before making the salad, but you can put them in frozen and they will thaw very quickly so you can serve the salad right after mixing.   If you don't serve the salad immediately, the raspberries will thaw more and the juices will add a raspberry flavor to the entire mixture.

#584: Blueberry Gelatin Salad

I've almost made this recipe multiple times, but it keeps getting bumped off my menu for one reason or another. I made this to take to a family gathering this weekend. First of all, the recipe calls for canned blueberries NOT canned blueberry pie filling. I didn't know there was a difference. I also didn't have canned blueberries so I substituted frozen blueberries instead.

I loved this jello; it went over well at the party too.  So easy to make and so yummy and refreshing.  Definitely plan to make this one again!

By the way, Allison loved this so much she said, "You did a good job making this.  I loved it.  It was DEEElicious.  Can you make this for my birthday?" 

2 packages (3 ounces each) cherry gelatin

2 cups boiling water
1 can (15 ounces) blueberries, drained
1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup (8 ounces) sour cream
1/4 cup chopped pecans


In a large bowl, dissolve gelatin in boiling water; stir in blueberries. Pour into a 11-in. x 7-in. dish; chill until set.

In a large bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Add vanilla and sour cream; mix well. Spread over the gelatin layer; sprinkle with pecans. Chill several hours or overnight.

#484: Dry Jello Fruit Salad

My grandma was known for always bringing her "green jello" to parties.  It was the jello you could count on being at every (and I mean EVERY) event.  I'm turning into my grandma!  Now, I don't bring the same one over and over again, but jello salads go well with just about any meal, you can make it ahead of time, and it's a nice sweet (but not too sweet) addition to a meal.  AND they are easy to make!  Of course for Allison's birthday I had to have a Jello Side Dish to add to our meal.  (Can you tell yet that I don't care if I'm the only who eats it!?)
I loved it.  I know not everyone was even willing to try it, but I liked it and plan to enjoy the leftovers!

1 lb small curd cottage cheese
1 (3 ounce) box any flavor jell-o gelatin powder (I used sugar free cherry)
1 cup whipped topping
1 (4 ounce) can crushed pineapple , well drained

Combine jello powder and whipped topping until powder is dissolved.  Add in cottage cheese and crushed pineapple.  Chill for 2 hours.

#436: Cranberry Jello Salad

Many people may not be a fan of Jello recipes, but as long as it's mixed with cool whip or cream cheese, or some other thickener, I highly enjoy it!  So I came across this recipe for Strawberry Jello Salad and figured I'd just change the strawberry flavor to cranberry jello and make it more Thanksgiving-like. 

I LOVED this.  I ate the leftovers for lunch this week and I plan to make it again this weekend for my nephew's birthday (but I'll try cherry flavored jello instead).  The texture is fantastic and this is sweet, but not too sweet.  LOVE, LOVE, LOVE it!
3 oz pkg strawberry Jello
8 oz can crushed pineapple, drained
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup water
1/2 - 3/4 cup mini marshmallows
1 pint fresh whipping cream, whipped (not cool whip)
1/2 cup pecan pieces

Mix water, sugar and pineapple over low heat until sugar is dissolved. Add the dry jello and mix well. Allow the mixture to cool for twenty to thirty minutes. While the mixture cools whip the whipping cream and place it in the refrigerator. When the jell-o mixture is cool add the pecans and fold in the whipped whipping cream. Add the mini marshmallows last. Refrigerate at least 2 hours.

#405: Pineapple Cherry Jello

Thanksgiving = New Jello Recipe to try. 

I found this recipe in one of my recent All You Magazines, as an advertisement for Dole.  It was supposed to be made into mini molds, but that required an extra step, so I just made it in one big bowl.  I LOVED this!  But I love cherries, so if you don't like cherries, you might not like this one.  Definitely making this again soon. 

20 oz crushed pineapple
12 oz pineapple juice
2 packages (3 oz each) cherry gelatin
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1 c frozen dark sweet cherries, thawed, quartered and drained
1/2 c chopped pecans

Drain pineapple, reserve juice.  Heat reserved juice plus canned pineapple juice to boiling.  Add gelatin; stir at least 2 minutes or until completely dissolved.  Add nutmeg and chill until mixture thickens slightly.  Fold in pineapple, cherries and pecans.  Pour into a bowl or jell-o mold and chill until firm. 

#90: Cherry Coke Salad

My favorite drink is by far, Cherry Coke.  So several months ago I came across this recipe and filed it away for a future use.  I decided to add it to the in-laws Thanksgiving menu and knew that there was a 50/50 chance with the family that they wouldn't like it (picky eaters!).  Since I like cherry's though, I was willing to take the chance.  I decided to half the recipe just in case.  (The recipe below is the full recipe)

This was good, but a little too sweet.  It probably would be better if you just used water instead of the coke! 

Ingredients
1 can (20 ounces) crushed pineapple
1/2 cup water
2 packages (3 ounces each) cherry gelatin
1 can (21 ounces) cherry pie filling
3/4 cup cola

Directions
Drain pineapple, reserving juice; set fruit aside. In a saucepan or microwave, bring pineapple juice and water to a boil. Add gelatin; stir until dissolved. Stir in pie filling and cola.

Pour into a serving bowl. Refrigerate until slightly thickened. Fold in reserved pineapple. Refrigerate until firm. Yield: 10-12 servings.