Jello salads were a staple of every church potluck, neighborhood block party and birthday picnic of my youth. I can’t remember a celebration where there wasn’t at least one giant bowl of fruit jello on the buffet table.
It seemed like my mother made some sort of gelatin dish once a week. Strawberry jello with a can of fruit cocktail was a common dessert at my house.
At church, these jello dishes were always on the “salad” table. This always made my mother roll her eyes and my sister and I rejoice. We were only allowed to have one dessert so not having to choose between jello with whipped topping and a brownie was a real treat.
Jello dishes lost their appeal at some point after I went to college. (Maybe because we had too many jello shots in college? No, surely not that.) I hadn’t given jello much thought in the last decade or so until I got the August issue of Vogue.
The popular fashion magazine devoted an entire article to jello. Is it possible that jello has become fashionable, I wondered?
Well, sort of. Though the creations of modern “molecular gastronomy” are pretty different from my mom’s jello.
Still, I like the idea of ordering high-end jello treats at posh New York restaurants. Whether they’re served as salads or desserts, I’m not sure. But it’s good to see this once humble treat of my youth making its way in the world.
Here’s one of my favorite jello “salads” that I fondly remember being present at many church gatherings.
LAYERED STRAWBERRY JELLO ‘SALAD’
LAYER ONE
2 cups graham cracker crumbs, finely crushed
3/4 cups butter, melted
3 tablespoons sugar
Combine ingredients and spread evenly into a 9-by-13-inch pan. Press firmly to the bottom. If desired, bake the crust at 400 degrees for 5 minutes. However, baking isn’t necessary. If you do bake the crust, let it cool completely before continuing.
LAYER TWO
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 cup sugar
8 ounces whipped topping such as Cool Whip
Mix cream cheese, sugar and whipped topping until smooth. Spread over graham cracker crumbs.
LAYER THREE
2 (3 ounce) packages strawberry jello
2 cups boiling water
Fresh strawberries, sliced (as many as you want)
Mix strawberry jello and boiling water together according to directions on package. Add sliced strawberries. Refrigerate for 1 hour until a jelly consistency has been reached. Pour over cream cheese layer. Refrigerate at least three hours or until set.
