Ambrosia Salad for 16
This is a favorite at our family Thanksgiving dinner. I am always asked to bring it.
This is a favorite at our family Thanksgiving dinner. I am always asked to bring it.
- 1 cup miniature marshmallows
- 1 20 oz can pineapple chunks in juice drained
- 1 16 oz can mandarin oranges in juice drained
- 1 6 oz jar maraschino cherries drained and halved
- 2 medium bananas sliced
- 1 cup coconut flakes toasted
- 1/2 cup chopped pecans toasted
- 1 8 oz cartoon sour cream, light
- 1 16 oz cartoon cool whip lite�
- Carbohydrate 7.9113500003991 g
- Cholesterol 0 mg
- Fat 4.18835104373902 g
- Fiber 0.951895832571649 g
- Protein 0.693096875264048 g
- Saturated Fat 1.72119854184462 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (26g)
- Sodium 3.07666666666667 mg
- Sugar 6.95945416782745 g
- Trans Fat 0.232643854263849 g
- Calories 68 calories
Step-by-step
- Mix Cool Whip and Sour Cream. Set Aside.
- Add remaining ingredients to a large bowl. Gently fold in sour cream-Cool Whip mixture. Cover and chill until serving time.
- Note if you make this salad early in the day, add bananas just before serving.
The Moisture Trap
Many cooks ruin retro fruit salads by introducing excess water from canned components directly into the dairy base, resulting in a thin and weeping sauce rather than a cohesive dressing. Drain canned pineapple chunks and mandarin oranges in a fine-mesh colander for at least fifteen minutes, then press them gently with paper towels to remove lingering surface moisture before assembly. This extra step prevents the sour cream and whipped topping emulsion from breaking down into an unappealing watery pool at the bottom of your serving bowl.
Balancing Textures Through Toasting
Another frequent pitfall involves treating crunchy additions as mere afterthoughts without preparing them properly, which leaves the dish texturally one-dimensional and overly sweet. Spread coconut flakes and chopped pecans on a rimmed baking sheet and toast them in a 350-degree oven for five to eight minutes until golden brown and fragrant, releasing essential oils that cut through the heavy richness of the dairy. Cooling these elements completely before folding them into the chilled mixture preserves their crisp bite instead of letting ambient heat melt the whipped topping.
Managing Timing and Oxidation
Timing the inclusion of delicate fruits dictates whether the dish survives a multi-hour refrigeration window without turning unappetizingly mushy or brown. Bananas contain polyphenol oxidase enzymes that react rapidly with oxygen once sliced, meaning they should be held back and folded into the chilled base no more than twenty minutes before serving. Combining everything else up to four hours ahead allows the miniature marshmallows to soften slightly and absorb surrounding flavors while maintaining structural integrity.
