This recipe is from my favorite grandmother, DeeDee. According to my mother, it has many variations, and my grandmother always served it with great presentation at parties, family dinners, and ladies luncheons.
The recipe has high stakes: You get but one chance when you unmold it. Just recently I recall overhearing my mother exclaim "Damn!" as she was getting the salad ready for yet another meal. It was runny — not enough time in the refrigerator.
Ingredients
Serves 8 to 10
Step 1
In a bowl, combine the dissolved Jell-O, cold water, mayonnaise, and vinegar and mix thoroughly. Transfer to the freezer or refrigerator and allow it to chill well. When it begins to get firm, remove it from the freezer or refrigerator and beat with an electric beater until fluffy. Add cottage cheese and chopped vegetables. Before you put the mixture into a mold, decorate the bottom of the mold with olives or parsley so that when you unmold it there will be a pretty design on top.
Step 2
Another variation is to forego the vinegar and add fruit with the cottage cheese. Just be sure that the salad is firm (overnight in the refrigerator or a few hours in the freezer), otherwise it will be messy when you unmold it.
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Reviews (16)
Back to TopMy recipe is: Lightly oil your mold first (makes 1 large or 2 small ring molds). Dissolve 1 envelope Knox gelatin in a small amount of cold water. Mix a 3 oz. package of lime Jello and a 3 oz package of lemon Jello with the gelatin in 3 1/2 cups hot/boiling water. Add 1 cup mayonnaise and dissolve thoroughly, using whisk or hand egg beater. Mix in 1 cup small curd cottage cheese and pour into mold(s). Sprinkle 1 1/2 oz slivered almonds on top. Refrigerate until firm (I always prepare this the day before so that it chills overnight). Unmold on serving platter by dipping mold in warm water and running a dull knife around the edges of the mold. The original recipe from my mother's cousin called for a can of crushed pineapple, but we like it better without - except for my son-in-law, who thinks that mixing Jello and mayonnaise is a crime against humanity!
Bunnyb1
Sacramento, CA
12/26/2018
If you grew up in the South, as I did, you might have found this dish the most palatable on the table. To all the wannabe snobs with their noses turned up : no one looks good with his nose turned up.
Anonymous
South Carolina
2/4/2012
To the cook from Greenwich, Ct '01: I ran across the recipe you wanted in a Paula Deen Christmas cookbook from the library last week. We always had it for Thanksgiving, wakes, Sunday, etc. 1 pkg. lemon Jell-0, 1 pkg. lime Jell-0, 1 20 0z. can crushed pineapple, 1 16 oz. container cottage cheese, 1 c. mayo, 1/2 c. o.j.,1/2 c. pecan pieces, 1 tsp. prepared horseradish. Dissolve the Jell-0 in 2 c. hot water then pour into a 13x9 casserole. Refrigerate until sl. jelled. Add remaining ingredients and stir gently. Return to the refrigerator until completely set. Serves 10-12
Anonymous
southern Utah
11/17/2010
Come on guys, open up. Think mousse. We love this recipe - hard to believe I know when looking at the ingredients. Absolutely the best palette refresher during a rich meal such as a Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner. Suggest losing the olives.
hjarch
12/30/2009
OK -- I'm looking for a gelatin salad and this site has only two. I know that it was the "thing" in the 50's, but some time has passed and it's now appropriate to give gelatin it's fair place at the table. It is low in calories, nutritious, and the right recipe can add a nice, cool, crunchy counterpoint to an other wise rich heavy meal. I wish there were more recipes made with unflavored gelatin on this site.
lovegoodtaste
11/11/2007
A client asked for it so I made it. It was every bit as bad as I thought it would be. Be afraid; be very afraid!
ptcaterer
Phila
4/5/2006
Horrors! What next, Spam?
Anonymous
Oxford, MI
11/26/2003
What is this doing on this website? Throughly disgusting. Remove all dishes calling for gelatin, vegetables, and cottage cheese.
Anonymous
Arlington, VA
4/14/2003
This is a very old, but good recipe.... I whip the mayo into the hot jello than add the cottage cheese and crushed pinapple. Mold it in a rectangular pan . When chilled and firm, cut in squares, place on a crisp lettuce leaf. top with a dollop of a sourcream mayo mixture and a cherry. Looks very nice on the table and tastes good too.
Anonymous
2/15/2003
Is this recipe for real? I feel it should be removed from this website. It is very common and not of the caliber of Epicurous.
Anonymous
Los Angeles, CA
2/14/2003
Have looked high & low for this recipe for years and finally found it! Great thing about jello - You can always omit something that may turn you off (olives) At least try it before you knock it!!!
Anonymous
MO
1/8/2002
Die, gel cookery, die!!
Anonymous
Oh, Canada
12/9/2001
I am hopeful someone remembers the old, old recipe for lime jell-o, cottage cheese, pineapple, mayo?, and a small amount of horseradish. I need it for a recipe for a dinner we're having at my church and want to serve it with baked ham. Can anyone help? Thank you.
Susan Odiseos
Greenwich, CT
5/3/2001
why would you even TRY to make this recipe? lime jello with cottage cheese, onions, celery and olives? ewww.
Anonymous
LA/boston
3/12/2001
Oh Thank you...I have been looking for this recipe for a long time...had it a few times at friends house, lost my recipe! I am pleasently surprised to come across the recipe here. The recipe is wonderful...don't hesitate to try this!
( arosemary@aol.com )
Thousand Oaks,Ca
3/13/2000
