Green Cool Whip Fruit Salad is a favorite in our household, and is a flexible dessert-like side dish for Thanksgiving, one which is always made by one or more of my kids. In fact, I love to assign this dish to one of the boys in the household, because the girls tend to dominate the kitchen through the year, and this gives my sons a chance to shine.
For a big batch of this Cool Whip Salad, we use the following:
- 2 Containers of Cool Whip, defrosted
- 2 small packages Pistachio Pudding Mix (Jello brand, or generic)...buy it early, as it is often missing from the store shelves the week of Thanksgiving
- 2 small cans of Mandarin Orange Slices, drained
- 1 can Crushed Pineapple, drained
- 1 jar Maraschino Cherries, drained and stems removed
- 1 bag Mini Marshmallows
Into a large bowl, empty the Cool Whip. Sprinkle the pudding mix over the Cool Whip, and fold it in. Don't stir too hard, or the Cool Whip may break down a bit. Add fruit, and fold in. Add marshmallows, and fold in. Cover, and refrigerate.
This side dish for Thanksgiving can be made ahead a day, so the activity in the kitchen on the actual Thanksgiving Day is minimized.
Ages 12 and up can make this on their own.
Ages 10-11 can usually make this side dish with a little supervision.
Ages 6-9 can assist in making this dish, but may need a little help here and there, particularly with mixing the ingredients.
Ages 4-5 are able to help add ingredients, and may be able to stir a little at the start.
