Tasty Tuesday-Easy Summertime Cherry Salad

Many many years ago my mom had a baby.
It was me.
A few days after I was born her phone rang.
A beloved, elderly gentleman in their church had died.
While they knew she had just had a baby, it was around Christmas.
Everyone was out of town.
And they were desperate for a salad for his funeral dinner.
They asked if she wouldn't mind putting one together someone else would come by and pick it up.
If you know my mom-you know her servant's heart didn't hesitate. Even then.
However her cabinets were bare and grocery shopping wasn't an option.
She still tells the story how she went into her pantry and stood there and just blinked, in that numb exhausted, what do I do kind of way.
She whispered a prayer, Lord show me what to put together.
And then....cherry salad was born.
Now, years later, it's pretty famous around here. Just Sunday evening after church when the Mr. and I went out to eat at a local Mexican restaurant I got stopped by a lady who said-I just made your mom's cherry salad last night!!!
My mom always thinks this is the perfect salad to bring to a function where other people are bringing salads as well, because most of them will probably be bringing green salads, and this is a perfect alternative. So growing up when I saw my mom making this salad (which was often) I always sat down in her kitchen and said quietly...mom, who died? 90% of the time, it was for a funeral dinner. We have it at most family holidays as well! So after much ado...it's my honor to bring to you not only a delicious salad, but probably the easiest recipe I know. If you can pour and stir, you've got this. Promise.

Printable Recipe

Here's what you'll need...

1 large cherry jello (or you can use 2 small)
1 15 1/4 oz. crushed pineapple
1 21 oz. cherry pie filling
1 cup boiling water
That's it. Really.

Combine Jello and boiling water until dissolved. (just a little tip from me to you-if you stir this too quickly you'll end up with lots of tiny bubbles in your salad. still tastes perfect, but not as pretty. so take it slow and stir for about a minute)

Pour in the pie filling.

And pour in the pineapple. Juice and all. No need to drain.

Mix well.

Pour it into a 13x9 dish and refrigerate. And just in case this salad couldn't get easier for you, it sets up in the fridge super quickly. Thanks to the cherry pie filling I've known to take this out in about 45 mins when I've been in a hurry, though I'd recommend an hour for the best consistency. Couldn't be easier or more delicious.


Printable recipe found here!

Linking up with: Mel, Emily, Mandy, Chef in Training, Darlene, Cornerstone Confessions, Jacinda, and Make Ahead Meals.