Cool Orange Salad has been a tradition in my husband’s family since the 1960’s.  His mother believes that it was a recipe that came with a tub of Cool Whip.  Regardless of how long this has been a holiday tradition, it’s delicious!

Equipment:

• Strainer
• Mixing Bowl
• Electric Hand mixer
• Mold (Optional)

Ingredients:

• 12 oz container of Cool Whip (de-frosted)
• 6 oz package of Jell-O (Orange or Lime)
• 20 oz can of crushed pineapple
• 16 oz or 1 lb container of small curd cottage cheese
• Optional–Mandarin Oranges (drained and patted dry with paper towels) for decorating

Directions:

1. strain the cottage cheese. It is very important to remove as much liquid as possible. I use a mesh strainer and press the curds with the back of a spoon–repeat as necessary until most of the liquid is removed.
2. Strain the crushed pineapple using the directions in step 1.
3. Scoop the Cool Whip into mixing bowl. Using a mixer, stir in the Jell-O. Mix until the Jello-O is dissolved.
4. Add the pineapple and cottage cheese to the Cool Whip and Jell-O mixture. Stir until well mixed.
5. Put the Cool Orange (or Lime) Salad into a decorative mold.

The first time I ever ate Cool Orange Salad was at my Husband’s family Christmas party. I loved it so much that it is now part of our celebration feast every year. I hope you enjoy it as much as we do.

Merry Christmas!