With only five ingredients, Orange Fluff Jello Salad is the go to dish for potlucks and easy family dinners. Your family will beg you to make it!
Do you find that food triggers memories for you?
I can vividly remember the smells of lunch cooking as a kid when we walked in the house from Sunday morning church.
My mom always made sure there was a home cooked meal waiting for us each and every Sunday. Saturday nights were spent preparing the dishes for the oven the next morning.
I never really thought of these weekly rituals as traditions, and I’m sure I didn’t appreciate the effort and time that went into the preparations.
After I became an adult and started a family of my own my mom would gather all our extended family together to create new memories.
We all squished into my parents’ small dining room with our contributions to the meal all crammed into her small kitchen.
She would set out the good china and glasses, with plastic plates for the grandkids.
I always wondered why she went to such efforts when it was “just” family.
My mom would make our favorite chicken and chipped beef recipe for birthdays and holidays and a favorite Pistachio Fluff Salad (which was more like a dessert) on the side.
When I got married this Orange Fluff Jello Salad was one of the first recipes I requested. Known only to me as “Orange Salad,” this dish didn’t have a fancy title or special ingredients (only a color distinction!)
(My recipe notes taken from the phone call to my mom right after I got married! There’s a lot of love in those food stains!)
Just a taste from my mama’s kitchen, made with love and handed down through the years.
After my mom passed away I discovered her handmade recipe book, filled with yellowed clippings from newspapers and notes written in her shaky cursive handwriting.
Her recipes are precious reminders that memories are created when we gather around the table, sharing stories and life together.
This is the secret my mom understood about family.
My own family is now scattered, miles apart from the home my husband and I created together.
Our oldest son and daughter-in-love have moved to Virginia, helping to start a church plant in a college community.
As parents of our only grandchildren, we see our oldest daughter and son-in-love quite often, even if they do live about 45 minutes away from us. Those grandbabies are our joy and delight!
Our youngest son is making his way in the world and our youngest daughter still lives at home while she finishes studying at a local beauty school.
Any opportunity for all of us to share a meal together brings such joy to my heart. Although it doesn’t matter what we eat, I’m pretty fond of this Orange Fluff Jello Salad!
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Just like my mom, I always prepared a big Sunday lunch for my family as my kids were growing up. A couple of my favorite resources for make ahead recipes were Fix-It and Forget-It Big Cookbook and Taste of Home Slow Cooker Recipes.
Orange Fluff Jello Salad
- 1 12- oz carton cottage cheese
- 2 3- oz pkgs orange jello
- 1 20- oz can crushed pineapple drained
- 1 11- oz can mandarin oranges drained
- 1 12- oz carton whipped topping
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Drain well pineapple and mandarin oranges and stir together.
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Mix together cottage cheese and jello.
- Add drained pineapple and oranges and mix together.
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Fold whipped topping into mixture.
Recipe Video
What is your favorite family memory as you shared meals together?
Want thrifty home ideas you can do yourself?
My Mom makes this too!! All of the grandchildren love it! In fact, I think it’s been served at all of their wedding receptions. 🙂
Love you! Cindy
We love this easy recipe and it brings back such fond memories! Kids especially love it, Cindy!
Marty, is there a substitute that I can use for the cottage cheese?
Hi, Michelle. I substitute cottage cheese for ricotta cheese in lasagna recipes so that might be an option. The only other thing I can think of would be cream cheese but it would change the texture and taste of the recipe. Sorry!
My Grandma made this for every family holiday get together, and made it different flavors (colors of Jell-O) depending on the season. In the summer she added coconut and all the other seasons she added chopped pecans. Mmmm!
Hi Jill Ann. Love your suggestions. Thanks for sharing!
This recipe brings back memories. My friends and I used to make this for bridal showers and brunches . You have encouraged me to make this again! Thanks!
Hi, Barbara! I’m so glad you rediscovered this recipe! It’s definitely an old favorite from my childhood! Have a great weekend!
I bought the ingredients to make this last week at the grocery store. It’s on my to-do list for today. I love it for breakfast and dessert!
This recipe has also been passed down in my family! For some reason, it’s always on the Thanksgiving table! I always look forward to it
That’s so sweet, Scarlett. I love recipes that are more than just food, but memories wrapped up in deliciousness!
Our family memories, of my mother: Is her homemade noodles, Thank you for sharing
My mom still makes this, especially when any of us are returning from somewhere or coming home for a holiday. We’ve always called it “Orange Stuff” and the funny thing is, my son Josh is also “of an age” but he can’t seem to get a ring on the girl’s finger, though we all know, including the girl, that it’s pretty much a done deal. My sister will doubtless giver her a shower; I wonder if she’ll serve Orange Stuff……
Love this, Jackie! We called it “Orange Stuff” too and then there was the “Green Stuff” (Watergate Salad or Pistachio Fluff on my blog!) It’s a great family recipe.
do u use instant jello or regular jello
Sorry to be late getting back to you. I just use the regular jello. I’m not sure how it would taste with the instant. Enjoy! Marty
I can’t understand how the jello would devolve unless you use hot water wouldn’t the jello be gritty.
Hi, Cheryl. The jello doesn’t dissolve. It’s kinda like adding a fruit flavoring and it all gets mixed together. It’s a family favorite for us!
If you use sugar free jello mix, then it doesn’t get gritty from the sugar.
I made this today for a dinner tomorrow night. I also want to take part of it to a friend’s house next week. How long will it last in the refrigerator?
Growing up in our family, we called this “Granny’s Orange Salad.” She’s been in heaven quite a few years now but I always think of her when I have it.
It’s yummy and refreshing!
Hi, Jerralea. I love this and I love our family memories that surround the food we ate, especially growing up. Have a blessed day!
Please spend the time to section and cut up a real orange. The flavor is more intense and no tin can flavor. I have a type 1 diabetic nephew and he loves these types of jello salads but cannot eat them until I thought to use unflavored gelatin and unsweetened Kool Aid packets for color and flavor, no extra sugar. I let him choose the flavor and one time we had grape flavored salad. Very unusual. Thanks for posting a family favorite.
Hi, Cathy. That is a great idea if you have time! I love your idea of the unflavored gelatin and Kool Aid. Thanks for sharing!
I make this as well only we use green Jello and we do not use Mandarin oranges. We call it Sin Salad. My daughter says it’s a must during the holidays!
Hi, Collette. I have a pistachio salad that I make as well and I just used to call it green or orange salad. No fancy names! Yours sounds delicious!