Marshmallow Salad (5 cup Salad)

Marshmallow Salad (also known as 5 cup Salad). This is a very old, very simple fruit salad to make. It is one of my family's favorites. I can't imagine having Thanksgiving or Christmas without it! You can throw it together in just a few minutes and no prep-work which is VERY CONVENIENT for busy people! Plus... since it doesn't contain any gluten to begin with...no need to make any adjustments! (Big smiley face!) My cousin Petra (she lives in Germany) absolutely loves this salad and when we go to visit, I always take the ingredients across the ocean so that I can make it for her! My cousins in Germany all call it "Marshmallow Salad" so that is what we call it at our house!

The key to this salad is to let is sit for at least 4 hours or overnight before serving so the flavors blend and it becomes sweet. Although it goes together quickly, it doesn't taste very yummy right away. The sour cream has a....well sour taste.....until the marshmallows soften and the sweetness from the coconut blends together and makes the creamy sauce sweet. Don't rush it. Just prepare it in the morning or the night before you want to serve it and just let the little marshmallows do their work sweetening the salad. The marshmallows get soft and kind of spongy which I really like! Don't let the idea of sour cream throw you off this recipe. Seriously...you can't taste the sour cream after the flavors blend. My husband absolutely gags at the idea of sour cream and he would not eat this salad if he realized it contained sour cream. So, do me a favor and let's just not tell him it has sour cream! I think he "assumes" that the "sauce" is Cool Whip and I don't want to burst his little bubble by telling him it is actually sour cream.

Although I absolutely enjoy cooking and baking, I have come to the conclusion that simple is sometimes better when you have a house full of company especially during the holidays. I used to drive myself crazy cooking like a mad woman at the holidays and then it was all a blur. I didn't get to sit down and have coffee on Christmas morning and relax because I planned these huge meals and everything had to be PERFECT. Well, I missed out on some super fun moments of the kids playing with their toys and some of the excitement because I was busy cooking and cleaning up the kitchen. I like to do things a little more basic and less stress now so I can enjoy the little things in life during the holidays. So this is one of my "go to" side dishes when I am busy. Delicious. Simple. Casual & Gluten FREE!

Marshmallow Salad (5 Cup Salad) Recipe: (I usually double recipe)
1 cup Pineapple (I like the tidbits because it is smaller bites for the little kids)
1 cup Mandarin oranges
1 cup sweetened shredded coconut
1 cup sour cream (you can use light or fat free or regular. I have tried them all!)
1 cup miniature marshmallows

Combine the pineapple, coconut, sour cream and marshmallows until well combined. Gently stir in the mandarin oranges since they are more fragile and will fall apart easily. If you have a little extra pineapple or oranges then just toss them into the mix if you don't have another use for them. Just compensate by adding some additional marshmallows to absorb some of the extra juice from the fruit. The fruit salad should have a nice little sauce but it shouldn't be "soupy". If you are finding the texture to be "soupy" then just add some additional coconut and/or marshmallows. The salad is very forgiving.

As you can see, it is a super yummy looking side dish. You can serve it as a "salad" or "dessert". Either way, people enjoy it. Me?  like to eat it for breakfast if there are any leftovers. :)

Enjoy!
Tanja
Gluten Free Casually