Here is a fruit-filled, festive, jello salad. It can be eaten with or without the topping. Here’s what you’ll need:

The sour cream and cream cheese are for the optional topping.

Mix:

6 oz. pkg. raspberry jello
1 cup boiling water

(You may have noticed a few stray walnut pieces in the 9 x 13 casserole.

These things happen when you have little helpers.)

Add, stir, and chill:
16 oz. can whole cranberry sauce
2, 8 oz. cans crushed pineapple
1 cup walnuts or pecans, chopped
3/4 cup cranberry juice

See the whole cranberries? Make sure you get the can that says whole cranberries in sauce. Just so you know–the canned cranberry sauce without whole cranberries will work, too. I tried it once and it tasted great. But it looks so pretty with the whole cranberries, and I love all the crunch and texture in this salad.

Look how pretty that is. Cover with plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for four to five hours.

It is delicious served like this, or you can make the topping.

Topping:

8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 cup sour cream
1/4 cup sugar
chopped nuts for sprinkling

Mix the softened cream cheese, sour cream, and sugar with an electric beater until smooth. (This will take at least seven minutes and likely longer if you forget to soften the cream cheese.)

Spread over chilled jello salad and sprinkle with nuts.

Cut into squares, serve, and enjoy!

Cranberry Salad

Mix:
6 oz. pkg. raspberry jello
1 cup boiling water

In a 9 x 13 dish, add the following ingredients and stir:
16 oz. can whole cranberry sauce
2, 8 oz. cans crushed pineapple
1 cup walnuts or pecans, chopped
3/4 cup cranberry juice

Cover with plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for four to five hours.

Topping:

8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 cup sour cream
1/4 cup sugar
chopped nuts for sprinkling

Mix the softened cream cheese, sour cream, and sugar with an electric beater until smooth. Spread over chilled jello salad and sprinkle with nuts.