Layered Jello Salad (Amish Christmas Salad Recipe) - Amish Heritage (2024)

So we always had this Amish Ribbon Salad, and it is a tradition that I have kept to this day.

My Family Traditions

On Christmas Eve, my husband, our four kids, and I gather for our intimate family candlelight Christmas dinner.

Somehow we ended up with a traditional meal of shrimp, homemade sushi, pigs in a blanket (smokies wrapped in crescent rolls), cheese and pretzels, an olives and pickle tray, ribbon salad, and sparkling juice. And then we finish off with a platter of homemade cookies and candy to snack on later in the evening.

Jello

Most of us are familiar with the sweet, jiggly substance known as jello. You find it in school cafeterias, community events, and maybe even in your pantry.

It's a fun and delicious treat that is usually well-loved by kids. And although jello isn’t a well-rounded, nutritious food, its main ingredient, gelatin, does have a few health benefits.

I grew up eating lots of jello salads as side dishes. Dishes such as Yum Yum Salad, Grape Dreamsicle Salad, and Ribbon Salad made their appearance quite frequently at dinner gatherings.

Another treat that often showed up around Christmas time was layered finger jello, and it is a truly delightful treat. 🙂

Holiday Ribbon Jello

This Amish jello salad takes a bit of time to make since it has three layers, and each layer needs to chill before adding the next layer.

But it is not hard to make. You just need to make it when you are at home for a couple of hours, so you can keep coming back to it to add another layer.

We always made this ribbon salad recipe in jello molds and put the green on the bottom and red on top (using the jello mold, we put the red in first). It looks really pretty in a ring with the three layers.

And I am adding an affiliate link where you can purchase a jello mold, in case you're interested. Tupperware Jel-Ring Jello Mold Ice Ring

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What Can I Put My Amish Ribbon Salad Into If I Don't Have a Jello Mold?

For our family Christmas dinner, I like to make individual ribbon salads. So I layer the jello into little stemware cups. It adds a little fun to our holiday table.

So you can layer this ribbon jello salad into any dish, stemware, cups, or molds. Just use whatever you have on hand.

You could buy the small, wide-mouthed, plastic drinking cups at Walmart and layer it in those to serve them individually. Or if you want to take this with you to a gathering, you can layer it into a glass 9 x 13" pan.

Each layer needs to be chilled before adding another layer so that it does not melt together. So you can refrigerate each separate bowl of jello, just remove it from the refrigerator before it starts to gel.

Beat softened cream cheese until smooth and creamy. Add thawed Cool Whip and mix. Then add the chilled lemon jello mixture and stir it all together. Spread this mixture over the top of the set bottom layer.

As soon as the second layer is set, pour the remaining chilled jello over the top. Refrigerate until firm (this will take several hours).

How to Make Ribbon Jello Salad in a Mold

If you are making your jello salad in a mold, you will want to make sure to add the next layer before the first layer is completely firm. If you wait to add the second layer until after the first layer is completely firm, it won't bind together as well, which could result in having the next layer slide off when you place it onto a plate to serve.

So keep your eye on the jello as it is chilling because it needs to be set but still slightly jiggly. Don't wait till it's firm to add another layer.

Your jello mold will need to be refrigerated overnight, to make sure it is completely firm, before removing it from the mold.

How to Remove Ribbon Salad From a Jello Mold

To serve your layered jello salad, you will want to remove it from the mold and place it onto a large plate or platter.

To get the jello to slide out of the mold, warm the outside layer of the jello a bit. We used to dip the top of the mold into a basin or large bowl of warm water, just long enough to soften it a little.

Remove the bottom cover, place your plate over the jello, and flip it over. Slowly remove the top cover, and the jello should neatly slide out. (If it doesn't want to slide out, warm it a little longer).

And hopefully, you have accomplished creating a beautiful ring of ribbon salad.

If you try this recipe for layered jello salad (Amish Christmas Salad), I'd love it if you left a comment and star rating below. Thank you.

More Amish Christmas Holiday Recipes

Pennsylvania Dutch Potato Filling Recipe

Amish Chicken Roast Recipe (chicken or turkey and stuffing)

Chocolate Mint Snowtop Cookies

The Best Amish Caramel Popcorn Recipe

Homemade Rice Krispy Peanut Butter Chocolate Balls

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