This week we have a gelatin that is decidedly NOT gross. Sea Breeze Salad!
This thing is basically jelled lemon pie filling with pineapple in it. Nothing bad here. Surprising, isn’t it? Well, we were invited to a picnic earlier last month where I knew there would be kids present and I didn’t want to completely gross the kids out. I was told to bring a salad, so I picked this.
- 3 packages lemon or lime Jell-O (or a combination of both) (*I used all lemon)
- 2 cups boiling water
- 2 cups cold liquid
- 1 cup drained crushed pineapple
- 1 can lemon pie filling or 1 large package lemon pudding/pie filling mix
- 1 envelope Dream Whip
- Dissolve Jell-O in boiling water. Add cold liquid (water and juice off pineapple). Let set until Jell-O begins to thicken.
- Stir lemon pie filling or prepared and cooled lemon pudding into thickened Jell-O with electric mixer. Reserve one cup of mixture. To the remainder at the crushed pineapple. Put into 13×9 pan and refrigerate till set.
- Whip Dream Whip as directed and fold in cup of reserved Jell-O mixture. Spread over first layer and refrigerate.
Tom peered over my shoulder as I was cooking. “So what’s going into this to ruin the lemon pie filling? Cheese? Tuna?”
“Nope.”
“Olives?”
“Nope. Nothing.”
“Nothing?!?”
“Well, pineapple is going in, but nothing gross.”
“Are you sure? Give me that recipe.”
“Here.”
“What the…this isn’t a salad! This is a dessert!”
I shook my head. “Nope. Read the name. It says Sea Breeze Salad.”
“That’s garbage. There is Dream Whip in this. It’s a dessert.”
“Look, the concept of a salad used to be different, okay? According to 1960’s thinking, this is a salad. See? Sea. Breeze. Salad. SALAD!”
“Fine, but if the kids go into sugar shock it is going to be your fault.”
“So, how is it?”
“Really good, but this is totally a dessert.”
The Verdict: It’s A Dessert
From The Tasting Notes:
Very good, if you like lemon pie. Especially good if you like lemon pie but not meringue. This basically tastes like a lemon pie with pineapple added to it, and a lemon-flavored whipped topping. The pineapple was actually a really good addition. We polished this thing off in a few days and probably gained five pounds in the process.
They still make Dream Whip? 🙂
This looks so much better than when my mom made it! She used lime jello.
I was born in 1958 and through much of my childhood, a ‘salad’ meant something with Jell-O, not lettuce.
Mike’s Dad would go bonkers for this, I’ll have to make this for him one of these days!
I didn’t know you could still buy Dream Whip! My initial thought too! Yes, I grew up with these “salads”, I so appreciate you bringing these foods back to life 🙂 These memories help me put more childhood into perspective.
Looks delicious!
You are so right Amorette. Especially for potlucks and nice dinners. NO ONE would think of serving a green salad to company.
As tasty as this looks, and it does look tasty, I’ve come to find (perhaps as a result of reading this blog and the memories it evokes of my own mother’s mid-century cooking) that Jello just isn’t as interesting without olives or cocktail wieners or green peppers or some other horror floating lifelessly inside it.
Ha! 🙂
Thanks, Cristina!
Ew.
My stepmom used to buy Dream Whip. It was another reason to hate her, even though I never tried it! Now I HAVE to try it! This salad *cough* DESSERT sounds yummy!
:::owwww::::
Me too–3/1958. The closest thing we had to a green salad was iceberg lettuce; chopped tomato..and mayonnaise mixed in to make a sort of pink “dressing”. NEVER for company..or holidays. If there was a salad–it would be fruit cocktail and cool whip; sometimes coconut
P.S..this would’ve been a salad at our house.
I just printed this. It’s like my dream come true. My husband hates meringue and I love lemon pie. THIS IS SO ON.
I made this with all lime (including lime pie filling) because that’s what I could get easily. If I make it again I’ll try it with lemon – I like lime but this was a little overwhelming. The little pineapple bits were really nice but something like mandarin oranges would probably have worked better with lime. The SO suggested that I add marshmallows inside and sprinkle nuts on top if I make it again. It was relatively inexpensive to make and its pretty good even if it does remind me of eating in a cafeteria.
What size Jello packages? Small or large?
Small!
How much does one packet of Dream Whip make? I’d need to substitute Cool Whip and I don’t want to get the measurements wrong (because I MUST make this, it looks awesome).
Hi Diane! One package of Dream Whip makes about the equivalent to one regular sized tub of Cool Whip. Good luck, and this “salad” is awesome! 🙂