Holidays & Occasions Christmas Christmas Recipes Christmas Side Dishes 21 Retro Gelatin Salad Recipes For Your Holiday Table By Mary Shannon Wells Mary Shannon Wells Mary Shannon is a Digital Editor and has been on the Southern Living team since 2017. She helps run the brand's social media accounts on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat, and TikTok, where she's happily behind the scenes. When she's not ruffling feathers with an etiquette poll via Instagram Stories, she's writing content for the website and assisting in various print projects like gift guides and home stories. Southern Living's editorial guidelines Updated on September 18, 2023 Trending Videos Close this video player Photo: Hector Sanchez Like many "salads" in the South, congealed ones aren't green and leafy. These salads jiggle, wiggle, and quiver. They come in colors not found in nature, in shapes resembling fancy Easter hats, and in sizes ranging from casserole dishes to individual molds. Some gelatin salads are intricately layered, others are fluffy and scoopable. And they can qualify as a side dish or dessert—or both—which is why they're a mainstay during the holiday season in the South. Love 'em or hate 'em, they'll definitely dress up your table and get people talking. Vintage gelatin molds come in all shapes and sizes, and they're so much fun to play around with. If Nana didn't pass her retro gelatin molds down to you, many of these congealed salads can be made in your Bundt pans or 13- by 9-inch baking dishes. Create holiday memories, continue traditions, and steal a few laughs with these incredible Jell-O salad recipes. Go savory with Ranch Tomato Aspic or a Jellied Chicken Salad. Or go sweet with Orange Sherbet Salad or Strawberry Pretzel Salad. Or go further into dessert territory with a fluff salad, which combines cream cheese, marshmallows, cherry pie filling, whipped topping, and cherry gelatin. The kid in all of us will find it hard to refuse. 01 of 21 Christmas Snow Salad Jennifer Causey Top this colorful treat from our November 1982 issue with as many maraschino cherries as you'd like for an even more festive look. 02 of 21 Ranch Tomato Aspic Jennifer Causey Tomato aspic is the luncheon queen of congealed salads, and this ranch-infused one from our September 1983 issue is an example of the longstanding love affair Southerners have with ranch. 03 of 21 Molded Egg Salad Jennifer Causey You'd be hard pressed to find any church gathering, potluck, or cookout in the South that doesn't have egg salad on the menu, and in 1972, we served it up in jiggly fashion. 04 of 21 Aunt Laura's Stained Glass Cake Hector Sanchez If you want a presentation that stands out, look no further than this colorful cake with a cookie crust. 05 of 21 Cherry Fluff Caitlin Bensel; Food Styling: Torie Cox This simple fluff recipe only requires five ingredients so it's easy to whip together. Make sure to let the dish chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes before serving to create its signature texture. 06 of 21 Jellied Chicken Salad Jennifer Causey Every Southern cook has a go-to chicken salad recipe, and thanks to Mrs. Charles Quinn of Fort Worth, Texas, we have a go-to congealed chicken salad recipe, too. 07 of 21 Pineapple Fluff Morgan Hunt Glaze, Food Stylist: Jennifer Wendorf, Prop Stylist: Julia Bayless Is it a side dish or dessert? Once you taste this light and airy Pineapple Fluff, it won't matter. Made with pineapple gelatin, crushed pineapple, coconut, and macadamia nuts, it adds a retro tropical vibe to your table. 08 of 21 Cherry Cola Salad Jennifer Causey If we're talking retro congealed salads, we can't go without mention of a recipe with soda. From the pages of our May 1980 issue, this salad sticks out among others because it can easily be made in your 13x9 if you don't have a gelatin mold. 09 of 21 Orange Sherbet Salad Jennifer Causey Although many congealed salads have graced the pages of Southern Living over the decades, in April 1966, this orange beauty became the first. 10 of 21 Three-Layer Mold Jennifer Causey This layered congealed salad amps up the presentation value. Wow guests with this bright and cheery salad that has tons of flavor. 11 of 21 Strawberry Pretzel Salad Southern Living If you grew up in the South, there's a good chance you remember this vintage delight. Sweet strawberry gelatin and salty pretzels meet up for the perfect bite. 12 of 21 Lime Gelatin and Cottage Cheese Salad This jiggly salad has us remembering dinners and Grandma's house, and we think it's a throwback that should be brought back for good. 13 of 21 Lemon Cupcakes with Lavender Frosting Hector Sanchez The presentation of these "cupcakes" is more modern than most congealed salad recipes, but they have the nostalgic jiggle we crave. 14 of 21 Molded Cranberry Salad Hector M Sanchez There won't be any canned cranberry salad at your Thanksgiving feast. This year, cranberry salad has gone retro—and jiggly. 15 of 21 Nana's Lime Delight Southern Living Nana would be honored to see this old-fashioned recipe on the holiday table this year. If you don't have a gelatin mold, you can make this in a normal baking dish for ease. 16 of 21 Spiced Coconut-Cherry Mold Hector Sanchez This merry salad has all the flavors you could want for a Christmas congealed salad. 17 of 21 White Sangria Salads Hector Sanchez Perfect for luncheons and a new use for your mini Bundt pan or muffin pan, this sparkly salad is packed with fresh fruit. 18 of 21 Tomato Aspic Southern Living There was a time when "company's coming" meant there would be a plate of tomato aspic at the ready. This savory salad is truly the epitome of congealed salad fame. 19 of 21 Lime Cottage Cheese Jello Salad with Sour Cream Chili Sauce Dressing Southern Living Test Kitchen pro and Hey Y'all host Ivy Odom uncovered this gem from the July 1973 issue of Southern Living, and you have to watch the video of her making it. 20 of 21 Spiced Cranberry Mold Greg Dupree; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall Even though many Southerners are diehard fans of "the canned stuff," this pretty molded version of the Thanksgiving classic brings us back to Grandma's table. 21 of 21 Jell-O Pie FRED HARDY, FOOD STYLIST: MARGARET MONROE DICKEY, PROP STYLIST: CALEB CLARKE We know this no-bake strawberry pie isn't a salad, but we had to include it. It has a surprise inside: a layer of lemon-flavored "crumbs" made with Jell-O, lemon gelatin, flour, and melted butter. Bright yellow with an intense citrus flavor, they add the right amount texture to contrast with the silky filling. 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