Green Jello Salad

This past weekend was Lehigh-Lafayette, the most played rivalry in sports. Nathan and I are alumni of Lehigh University, so we were excited to return to cheer our team to victory. Before the game, in American tradition, we celebrate with tailgates. In the past few years, we've done tailgates with Nathan's fraternity, but this year we decided that we were a few too many years outside of graduating to be drinking with college freshman.

Luckily, our friends agreed and also offered to host "old person tailgates"! They also made some fabulous meats--chicken, ribs, and brisket. They were soooo good! I made side dishes for the occasion including my 10-layer dip that I shared yesterday. Unfortunately, I once again managed not to take any pictures of my other sides and so have none to share :(.

Old People Tailgates!

With this week being American Thanksgiving, I thought I'd share a recipe for my family's traditional jello-salad which we eat every year and we simply refer to as "green jello". This is something I insist on for both Thanksgiving and Christmas because it's pleasantly tart, a little creamy, and feels like a dessert even though it can be made in a fairly healthy way.

Green Jello

mine shifted as I returned it to the fridge leaving me with a lot of fruit on one side... still tastes good!

Ingredients
2 packages lime jello (you can use sugar free)
1 20oz can pineapple chunks
about 1/2 Cup marachino cherries cut in half
1 package cream cheese softened (you can use low/non fat)
water

Directions
Mix jello powder with package recommended hot water (for two boxes, that's 2 cups). Using an electric mixer (stand or hand held) mix in the cream cheese. The hot water will help the cream cheese melt into the mixture.

Drain the pineapple, reserving the juice. In place of the package recommended cold water, use the same amount in pineapple juice. If you don't have enough juice, add in water to make up the difference. I find that the 20oz can has a little over 1 cup of juice. Mix into the jello-cream cheese mixture. The cream cheese in the mixture will create a sort of frothy foam. This is ok.

In an 8x8 square pan add about 1/4 cup of pineapple chunks and 1/4 cup of your marachino cherries over the bottom of the pan spreading them out so that each scoop will have some of both. Pour the jello mixture over top. Let it sit, covered, in the fridge for about an hour. Add in the rest of you pineapple and cherries over top.

Cover and return to the fridge. Let sit overnight or until fully set.

Breakfast! Yeah.. I took the piece with most cherries.

This is one of my favorite things, but I never actually eat is as a side dish (I don't like it when it mixes with the other flavors on my plate). Instead, I'll eat it as a late night snack or as breakfast the next morning ('cause it's fruit!). Though I know it might sound a little iffy, but I promise that it's delicious!