One of my family's favorite salads is the Ribbon Salad that we serve at Christmastime. It's a recipe for a set Jello salad that I got from my mother, and she got it from a wonderful woman named Irene Thompson. Sister Thompson was the wife of our bishop when I was a kid.
We serve it for Christmas dinner because it is red and "white" and green: perfectly festive! So what does Christmas salad have to do with anything happening in July?
Well, that's when I served it! Except, I adjusted it a little to fit the holiday:
This wasn't really a planned photo -- just a quick snap in the middle of the meal. But can you see why it's called, "Ribbon Salad"? Obviously, at Christmas, the flavor is different because lime is used instead of berry. But it's still really really yummy, either way!
Here comes the recipe:
1 6-oz box of any red jello
1 6-oz box of lime jello
(For our purposes this time, I substituted blue jello for the green. You can use two small boxes of Jello instead of one large box of each kind)
Those are obviously the top and bottom layers of the salad.
The rest of the ingredients are all for the center layer of the salad:
1 3-oz box of lemon jello
1/2 cup marshmallow crème
1 8-oz. package cream cheese
1 can crushed pineapple, drained (reserve juice)
1 cup mayonnaise
1 cup cream, whipped
I have three little potential changes to the ingredients list, but I'll tell you about those when I get to that part.
You start by setting a layer of just plain jello, and although it doesn't really matter which color you start with, I have a habit of putting the red on top, and the green (or blue) on the bottom. I'm kind of weird that way. Just prepare it according to the directions on the package. I'm usually in a hurry, so I do the "speed set" method that involves ice cubes:
You can do that, or make the classic version. This fits in the next dish-size bigger than a 9"x13" dish. I think it's something like 11"x15". I haven't measured, and I'm not willing to jump up out of my recliner to check it. But if you try to use a 9x13, there will be too much salad for it. So, put the dish in the fridge, and let it set completely.
The second layer is the complex one. Ok, well .... not really. I lied. But it's really what "makes" this salad. And that's no lie.
In that photo, you might notice two of my recipe changes right away. First, the Cool Whip. Yeah, I tend to use that in this recipe, instead of real whipped cream. It's a leftover habit I still have from my mother's frugal mindset. I told you a little about it HERE. So, using Cool Whip, I use 2 cups of it, to make up for the 1 cup of whipped cream. I do think that you'd get a better taste and consistency if you use the real thing. Of course. I think next Christmas, I'll make the jump to real ingredients.
Next is the Miracle Whip. Maybe you're a mayonnaise person. We happen to be Miracle Whip people. I hope that them ain't fightin' words!
I am convinced that no matter which one you use, the Ribbon Salad will taste the way you prefer it, if you use the one you like best. So don't go buying mayo for the recipe if you actually like Miracle Whip. And vice versa. Just use what you have on hand. Really.
Start by dissolving the lemon jello in 1 cup of boiling water. (I boil water, pour it into a measuring cup, discard the rest of the water, and pour the 1 cup of water back into the pan, then add the jello.) Add the marshmallow crème. Stir until the marshmallow crème is mostly melted. Please ignore the dirty stove in the pictures..... it was late that night.... ;-)
Here's my third change to the recipe: sometimes I think the filling doesn't quite set up enough for me. I bet it has a lot to do with the Cool Whip vs. Whipped Cream situation. So, to get it to set well, I sometimes add an envelope of unflavored gelatin with the lemon jello. The extra gelatin is just the trick to get the salad to set.
Irene says to add the juice from the pineapple and cream cheese. I actually add the hot stuff to the cream cheese, mix it, and then add the pineapple juice after, and mix that.
Stir in the drained pineapple, and let cool slightly.
Then fold in the Mayo/Miracle Whip, and whipped cream:
You might have ended up with a few little lumpies of the cream cheese. Don't worry about it, that's fine. Then chill the center mixture until it's pretty cool, but not set. If you forget this part, it will make a mess when you pour it over the bottom layer:
(I did that once at college. It looked bad, but tasted great!)
Spread the middle layer to the edges, and make the layer even when viewed from the side of the dish. Wipe off any residue on the upper part of the dish.
It should look something like this:
You may not need all of the filling to make a layer that is the same thickness as the bottom layer. In fact, a lot of times, I will reserve about 3/4 cup of the filling, and not put it on the salad. That helps keep the center layer from being too thick (and leaves enough room at the top of the dish for the red jello). You want each layer to be about the same as the others, when viewed from the side of the dish.
But no worries about that extra filling: when you're not looking, the family will come by the fridge with their spoons and help themselves. It's usually gone be the time we have the meal that will feature the Ribbon Salad!
So, put it back in the fridge and let that layer set.
Prepare the red (or other color) jello, again according to package directions. Again, I used the Speed Set method. Instructions are on the box.
Shhh.... In the corner, you can see the raspberry-cream cheese bars that I also made for dessert on the Fourth. Way, WAY yummy! Maybe I'll share that recipe too, one of these days.
The red jello should set until it has cooled to the soupy stage, before pouring it on top.
And the last tip is that you have to pour the red jello pretty carefully over the center filling. If it's too hot, or if you pour too hard in one area, it will tear it apart and ruin the look of the salad.
I often use a large spoon to deflect it a little as I pour.
That also means that I have two hands busy, and can't stop to take pictures of the pour, either!
Carry the dish SUPER carefully to the fridge to finish setting completely. It's very full. Make sure it's level. Spilling red liquid jello in the refrigerator is kind of a pain to clean up. Ask me how I know. If I have the clearance, sometimes I pour the red jello in with the dish still on the fridge shelf.
And that's it!! You kind of have to plan it in advance to make this stuff. When I do it for Christmas, I often set the 1st layer before the family's Christmas Eve gathering. I make the second layer just before Santa Claus comes. And I set the third layer on Christmas morning after we open gifts.
And ..... well, it's kind of a refrigerator hog. It takes up space for at least a day. Be prepared.
Hope you like our Ribbon Salad as much as we do!
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