READY IN 8+ hrs

Holiday Ambrosia Salad

Read Reviews (14)

"My Mom would make this every Thanksgiving and Christmas, and it has been a family favorite for three generations. The dressing is gently cooked, and the salad so light you can serve it anytime." — Dad

Directions

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until al dente, 5 to 7 minutes. Drain, transfer to a large bowl, and cool.
Whisk the sugar, eggs, flour, salt, and reserved pineapple juice together in a saucepan until smooth. Cook and stir over medium heat until the mixture thickens. Pour over cooled pasta, and toss to coat evenly. Cover and refrigerate overnight, or at least 8 hours.
Stir the pineapple chunks and mandarin oranges into the pasta mixture. Mix in the coconut if desired. Stir in the frozen whipped topping until evenly blended. Chill until serving.

Kitchen-Friendly View

PREP 15 mins
COOK 15 mins
READY IN 8 hrs 30 mins

Reviews More Reviews

Most Helpful Positive Review

Jul 17, 2008

Fantastic recipe! I used light frozen whipped cream instead and also only let it sit with the pineapple juice mixture for about 6 hours. It turned out great! I love the texture of the orzo pasta in it and that it wasn't overwhelmingly sweet.

—wakipan

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Most Helpful Critical Review

Dec 30, 2008

Let me start by saying that I have never made an Ambrosia salad before and this receipe sounded good. I was easy to make, tasted OK but I think that my family & I were "thrown" by the texture of the pasta in the salad. I reminded me of tapioca and I hate tapioca. I didn't dislike this, in fact the leftovers (alot) are good, but I don't think I'll make it again.

—Kimmy A

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15 Ratings

Sep 22, 2009

Ok I opps'ed, I bought the crushed pineapple instead of chunks. It still worked out well. Instead of trying to drain the juice out I just added the pineapple to the pot too. I have had a variation of this salad with the pineapple chunks and I think I like it better with the crushed. What a great mistake this was. I also missed the part about letting it sit for 8 hours or overnight. I needed it in a couple of hours. If was just as good. I did make sure it was cold before completing with the mandarin oranges and whipped topping. This was absolutly the best.

—Barbara

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Nov 28, 2009

I use acini pasta in this. It is wonderful but Acini is hard to find in my area so this year i am going to try Tapioca pasta balls. Wish me luck i am sure it will be fine but we will see. Happy Thanksgivign all.

—Melissa

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Feb 02, 2011

Made this for Christmas and everyone loved it! I really liked the different textures and the orzo added more depth to the dish.

—SUE320

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Jun 22, 2009

Delish. I made this w/o the coconut & there were no leftovers from a company potluck. I might add more mandarin oranges next time, but otherwise quite fab.

—Robinsky

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Jun 24, 2008

This is SO delicious and my lunch guest LOVED it as well.

—Barbara

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Jan 03, 2011

Real popular with my guests at christmas. I had to give it away cause one of them loved it soo much! I think its pretty good but it was a little weird eating pasta in there lol. I might leave the flavor of the cooked sauce out and try it to see what its like with just pasta. Overall a big creative hit. Thank you!

—Mercymelms

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Nutrition

Calories
205 kcal
10%

Carbohydrates
33.7 g
11%

Cholesterol
26 mg
9%

Fat
6.9 g
11%

Fiber
1.3 g
5%

Protein
3.4 g
7%

Sodium
101 mg
4%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

Nutritional Information

Holiday Ambrosia Salad

Serving Size: 1/16 of a recipe
Servings Per Recipe: 16
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 205
Calories from Fat: 62

% Daily Value *
Total Fat 6.9g 11 %
Saturated Fat 5.6g 28 %
Cholesterol 26mg 9 %
Sodium 101mg 4 %
Potassium 110mg 3 %
Total Carbohydrates 33.7g 11 %
Dietary Fiber 1.3g 5 %
Protein 3.4g 7 %
Sugars 21.8g
Vitamin A 5 %
Vitamin C 15 %
Calcium 2 %
Iron 8 %
** Thiamin 6 %
Niacin 10 %
** Vitamin B6 2 %
Magnesium 6 %
Folate 21 %

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
** Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available nutrient data.
(-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a medically restrictive diet, please consult your doctor or registered dietitian before preparing this recipe for personal consumption.