Granny's Men-Like-It Salad (Lime and Pineapple Congealed Salad)
Holle is a retired English teacher. She loves to cook and share recipes with others.
Granny's Men-Like-It Salad
Granny's Special Holiday Salad
For as far back as I can remember, my grandmother always made a special dish that she called “men-like-it salad.” No matter what the special occasion was—Easter, Thanksgiving, or Christmas—her men-like-it salads always graced the table.
Actually, she sometimes called it “men-love-it salad.” It contains lime gelatin, cream cheese, pineapple, nuts, and whipped topping. Sometimes Granny would add chopped celery to the mix, too, but I like it better without the celery.
I never did get Granny’s recipe while she was still alive, and when I searched for something similar online I came up empty. I know this was what other folks in the South called the salad, but perhaps since this is an old-fashioned recipe, most of the cooks who made it have all died out.
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A few years ago I was really craving this salad, so I had to do a little experimenting to re-create the recipe. I finally perfected it, and I made the dish for our most recent Thanksgiving dinner.
This salad is really delicious, and it could also serve as a light dessert. I used sugar-free Jell-O and sugar-free Cool Whip. I haven’t tried using low-fat or reduced-fat cream cheese, but I don’t see why it wouldn’t work. That would really cut down on the calories!
This salad recipe would also be a nice addition to your Christmas dinner. I suggest adding a little green food coloring to give the salad a darker green color. If you want the green to show, just cut the congealed salad into squares and top each square with a dollop of whipped topping or whipped cream. Add a maraschino cherry on top for a very Christmasy treat!
Ingredients
- 2 (20-ounce) cans crushed pineapple
- 2 large packages lime Jell-O
- 2 (8-ounce) blocks cream cheese, softened
- 4 cups boiling water
- Large container Cool Whip
- Chopped or broken pecans
- Maraschino cherries (optional)
Instructions
- Pour the crushed pineapple, with juice, into a 13 x 9-inch dish.
- Place the gelatin mix and cream cheese in a blender or food processor. Add boiling water and blend until the mixture is smooth.
- Pour gelatin-cream cheese mixture over the crushed pineapple and stir. Cover and refrigerate until firm.
- When the gelatin is set, spread the top with Cool Whip and sprinkle with nuts. Garnish with cherries, if desired.
