24 Hour Fruit Salad

RSL's Note:

This is a wonderful salad that is easily adaptable, and can be served as a salad with a holiday meal or as a dessert. The original recipe called for canned fruit cocktail, but I have modified it from that. I'm also allergic to pineapple, so I either pick it out or substitute more of the other fruits instead. All the fruits are really to taste. I could eat myself sick on this stuff, it is so good.

• Total Time: 15 mins
• Prep Time: 15 mins
• Cook Time: 0 mins

Ingredients:

Servings: 10

• 1 cup whipping cream, whipped
• 1 (3 ounce) box instant vanilla pudding
• 1 3/4 cups milk
• 1 (8 ounce) can mandarin oranges, drained DRY (very important)
• 1 (20 ounce) can pineapple chunks, drained DRY
• 1 cup green grape, halved
• 1 cup red grapes, halved
• 1/2 cup maraschino cherry
• 1/2 cup marshmallow

Directions:

1. The canned fruit needs to be completely dry, so recommend starting this 2 days in advance - draining the fruit overnight on the first day.
2. On the day before you need the salad, whip the cream. You can sweeten it with a bit of sugar if desired, but it's not needed.
3. Mix the pudding mix and milk together until thick.
4. Fold the whipped cream and pudding together.
5. Fold the fruits and marshmallows into the cream and pudding mixture.
6. Refrigerate overnight.

Reviews

[AZPARZYCH]

Great fruit salad!! Loved the thick 'custard' mix and the combo of fruit. I didn't have red grapes so doubled the green. Made for a brunch and everyone loved it. Made for 2012 Spring PAC.

[Chef #1454503]

I was looking for a recipe that a friend gave my mom long ago, for butterfly fruit salad. You actually had to make a custard, and some other ingredients were very hard to find. I tried this, and my fruit salad loving family loved it! I've made it several times, with a variety of fresh and canned fruits, and it's always wonderful!

[Cj199]

I made this for thanksgiving dinner. I've been craving my grandmother's fruit salad. The first time since she passed. This came very close to it, but with a little adding of fruit on my part, it came as close it as possible. I think it would have been it, if grandma had been the one to make it. ;) Instead of adding red grapes ( I didn't have any) I added apples, and bananas. It went over great at my in-laws, and even my two older picky eaters loved it. Even got a couple of neighbor kids to eat some the day after. So I will make again.