Strawberry Nut Salad

Dessert

Ingredients

  • 2 3-ounce packages strawberry or strawberry banana Jello (or 1 16-ounce package)
  • 1 cup boiling water (optional)
  • 2 10-ounce packages of frozen strawberries, undrained and thawed
  • 1 20-ounce can crushed pineapple
  • 1 cup pecans or walnuts, chopped
  • 1 16-ounce container or sour cream (or 2 8-ounce containers)
  • 3-4 bananas, cut up in slices
Notes

Submitted by Julie Garcia, senior communications associate and BCM Family editor

My mother, Ninfa Helen Meza Garcia, worked for AT&T (formerly Southwestern Bell Communications) for 36 years, and she was a member of the Communications Workers of America. Many years ago, she found this recipe in a CWA cookbook and started making it for Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays. Along with dishes like Watergate Salad, Strawberry Nut Salad is remnant of a dessert-trend that has long past. But I still love it, and I enjoy making it for potlucks and holidays now!

Tip: Don’t be thrown off by the sour cream. It helps alleviate the sweetness of the dessert and creates a great texture if congealed correctly. You can use whipped cream — preferably Cool Whip — if you like, but I don’t know what that version tastes like.

Directions

  • Drain the can of pineapples and thawed strawberries into a bowl. Dissolve Jello in water or in the juice of the pineapples and strawberries, and add enough water to make approximately 2-3 cups of mixture.
  • Do this over low heat in a pot on the stove. It doesn’t have to be a big pot.
  • Add strawberries, pineapples, sliced bananas and pecans or walnuts into the mixture. Stir for a few minutes. Turn off stove as it doesn’t have to get too hot.
  • Pour 1/2 of the mixture in a container – a casserole dish or Tupperware. Put in the refrigerator to let it gel. If you want it to gel faster, put it in the freezer.
  • When congealed, spread sour cream over the layer in the dish.
  • Pour the other 1/2 of the mixture (uncongealed) over all the sour cream.
  • Put the top on and place in the refrigerator until it’s fully congealed (both layers). It’s best if you let it refrigerate overnight. Do not freeze overnight.
  • Let individuals cut their own servings. It’s best to cut it like a cake. Enjoy!